Box rooms

[Beansonapost]

Why is it that houses in the U.K. are still being built with box rooms?

... and still being built with no laundry/utility room?

I grew up having all massive bedrooms... kitchen diner... lounge/living room... utility... garden... garage etc. This is in the Caribbean. My childhood bedroom could fit two uk sized box rooms.

I've lived in other countries almost all of them had utility rooms... except China where the washing was housed in the bathroom; which to me makes sense. Why would you want to do laundry in the kitchen?

Husband is British so is used to this way of life... but I am confused as it's 2018 and I am certain the way people use their homes has changed. Why are people still being forced to have a box room and do the washing in the kitchen? That slot could be used for extra storage.

We went to look at some new builds... while the house was nice for almost £500,000 it just didn't provide what I would want in a family home (based purely on my experience). I think when people buy a home they don't really intend to move anytime soon unless they have to... so why put a room that is useless beyond the age of 10? Then force people to either sell of "create additional space" why not just build a house people can live in for as long as they need or want?

Also where utility rooms are concerned... in a country where it rains so much, wouldn't a dedicated space for laundry be standard? Wash, dry, iron... leave clothes to dry with windows open. Clothes out of sight.

Why is this the norm in the U.K.?

Also... why are homes still built with such poor storage options? You might get an under stair cupboard, an airing cupboard but that's it?! Why aren't built in wardrobes standard in all bedrooms? Gives you back your floor space and means less furniture to buy.

It seems developers are more concerned about how many people they can cram into these developments than how people will enjoy their homes/space.

@Beansonapost because developers want to cram as many houses in as possible to make the most money. Bigger bedrooms and utility rooms would need more space.

@sothisisspring

Yes yes to the extra bathroom!

We were viewing properties to rent and a small two bed terrace had two bathrooms and a WC. The result being the bedrooms were tiny! We wouldn't have been able to fit a king size bed in there!

Why does a home so small need 3 toilets?!

Surely a family bathroom with desperate shower would be just fine. I'd rather have a bigger bedroom than an ensuite.

Separate *

We are so fortunate that you have come here to educate us. It is amazing that we have survived so long without you.

I've never seen a desperate shower, is that an Australian thing or Caribbean?

I do agree with you. I looked at some new build flats the other year out of curiosity rather than anything else. The spare room was too small for a single bed and a wardrobe, done up as a show room they just had one of those sofas you can sleep on like a day bed - it was smaller than a single. Why make a room so small you can’t have a single bed in it? Or if you do, why call it a bedroom?

My washing machine is in the kitchen because it’s a) the norm and b) that’s where all previous owners had it so where the plugs and pipes are but ideally I’d have it in the bathroom. I lived in continental Europe for a bit and that’s where my washing machine was and after finding it very weird for a week or two I began to realise it made more sense.

Have you considered ringing the Daily Mail with your astounding discovery that houses in the U.K. are smaller than they are in countries where there is lower population density and cheaper land?

I've never understood why the UK has washing machines in the kitchen instead of a bathroom.

I'm untidy when I do the washing and have heaps sorted all over the laundry room floor so that I can do them in order. How do you sort your whites and coloureds? We have a laundry chute from the bathroom to the laundry. I think I would be driven to distraction by a washing machine in the kitchen.

I agree with the OP it's nuts.

The lack of utility rooms IMO is because brits want bigger family kitchens, if they did provide them someone would knock them through.

My dream house however has a laundry room/ironing space/dumping ground near the bedrooms.

Well OP, houses may be big in Australia, but have you perhaps noticed the size difference of the countries?
Yes it is down to money, but also people want to live closer to city centres now, so the more houses the better. I would rather everyone could have an affordable house and have to have no utility room than loads of people renting because the only houses are 4 bed places with utility room, sun room etc

Oh and my house is tiny. 1970's ticky tacky box.

It's just personal preference though isn't it? We wanted a separate study and so wouldn't have wanted a double sized 4th bedroom as much of the space would have been wasted. Also, I'm not a fan of utility rooms and probably wouldn't buy a house with one. Like I say, it's just about what individuals prefer. I suppose size wise there is also a practical side to think of too, the bigger the room the more heating will be needed which is quite a consideration given the typical British weather

Because all British are stupid - of course - and you and all the housebuilders in the Carribean are so clever. Really OP - not a nice post.

Also woefully ignorant. NOT all houses have box rooms. Not all houses lack utility rooms. And space is at a premium in our overcrowded country.

Box room is an outdated term. Ours in my childhood home was used as a nursery > then a home office > then a craft room --> then a dressing room and finally converted into a wet room when my mother became unable to get into the bath.

It’s because land is more expensive here. I could get a six bedroom mini mansion in California for the price of a three bed semi in my area. It’s the price you pay for living on a densely populated island.

I am in Hampshire too so maybe it is a totally local phenomenon. In my particular area there is one big land owner doing most of the local developments so unsurprisingly they are all very similar.

I think the issue is that there isn't a great variety of housing being built. No development round here has bungalows, like I said its almost entirely flats or townhouses due to space and the high cost of land. I have no problem with any sort of housing but the lack of choice is a bit puzzling to be honest. Although it doesn't actually bother me really as it prevents new developments impacting too heavily on the value of my house, as you cant buy anything similar to mine new.

I live near a country town in Hampshire, not city centre either.

SaucyJack

@beans you are the only Caribbean person I know who would prefer a bigger bedroom to an ensuite. Most view it as a sign of the good life and it’s actually an American thing. I think you are being deliberately goading.

Sorry - Caribbean sp

Saucy

Also want to know where i can buy a plot of land for £60k and then self build...sound very good.

Also as previously mentioned not all houses ate the same you know?
It's like me saying oh yes every single house in Australia must have a swimming pool. Every single house in the Caribbean must be right on the beach. Which isn't the case.

YANBU, I don't get it either.

I don't know but l suspect it may be due to the construction of the houses ie here in the UK the vast majority of houses are constructed out of bricks and mortar not wood, therefore the materials are more expensive so they economise on other things.

It's because the UK is still a mean neo-liberal capitalist class-based society. There are no regulations that would stop developers from building shitty rabbit hutches with living rooms 2.5 meters wide where you can barely fit a sofa. There are no government programmes that would support sustainable development of affordable housing. There are no regulations that would provide security to people who rent so people are forced into buying what they can afford (and they cannot afford much as there is massive gulf between incomes and house prices). There is also a gawd-awful school system where only a minority of schools (especially at secondary level) that perform on a decent level, which means that house prices in catchment areas of those schools are even more crazy. The class-based nature of the UK society means that the working classes are still not regarded as real people. So if you are on an average income, you don't really need a room to dry your washed clothes or wardrobes to store it as you probably only have two dresses anyway - one for work and one for church on Sunday.

As for expensive land argument - bollocks! What happened to the idea of building good-quality apartment buildings, with spacious apartments suitable for families, with city development programmes that includes building infrastructure, schools, parks and hospitals? The rest of Europe seems to manage somehow, even countries that are much more pressed for land like the Netherlands.

OP can you show us a link for this new build with a box room and no utility room?

Oh yeah, I am in the process of looking for a house now and have been to several viewings where the estate agent was describing the box room as a 'double'. I shit you not.

My house was built in 1995. No box room, utility and garage I keep my car in.

Land is expensive in the UK, population density is high, houses are often cramped.