Washing machine in bathroom or cupboard off hallway.

[Rachael007]

We have no room for a separate utility room in our flat. So we can either have a washing machine in a cupboard in the bathroom to one side just as you enter. Or we can put it in the same place, but cutting a 70cm chunk off the bathroom so that the laundry cupboard is off the hallway. In kitchen is a last resort.

Ideas or experience with either appreciated. Thanks.

I looked into this once and heard that if it goes wrong, you can't always get an engineer to fix it in a bathroom. Maybe regs? Can't quite remember but it put me off.

Will there be space for other things in the cupboard? E.g. if you’re going to keep bed linen in it you probably wouldn’t want that in the bathroom.

Or if you’d use any remaining space for toilet roll etc, then you might want it in the bathroom

Bear in mind the weight of a washer & getting it upstairs, have you an outhouse or porch where you could have one? I used to have mine in what was the coal store in my old house.

Sorry just seen you have a flat, mine is in the store room off my hall with my tumble dryer, I did that so I could have a dishwasher.

I used to have my washing machine in the bathroom when I lived in a flat , I really missed it once I moved into our terrace house. It's in the kitchen now. It was great I could hang washing in the bathroom too. I was on the third floor and the delivery men carried it up for me, it was about 9stone I think

There's no regs that prohibit it, but John Lewis refuse to accept this so don't try an order an install from them!

I have mine in a cupboard in the bathroom and honestly it's fantastic. Clothes go into a hamper in the bathroom then straight into the machine, then into the tumble dryer stacked above, then back in wardrobes. Nothing goes downstairs or in the kitchen, no need to cart baskets around etc

Its building regs re electrical zones

www.sanctuary-bathrooms.co.uk/blog/what-are-bathroom-electrical-zones/

The plumber and electricians would be in trouble for plumbing it in to begin with.

Plus they have a fire risk so if that led to an insurance claim there could be owner responsibility and a reduction in a claim

You can have it in the bathroom, but it can’t be plugged into an electric socket in the bathroom. I got round that by drilling a hole through the bathroom wall into the hall and fed the cable through the wall so I could plug it into the socket in the hall. I had to cut off the moulded plug and put a new plug on because the plug was too big to go through the drilled hole.

It can be in a bathroom and it can be plugged into an electrical socket. It's a myth that this isn't allowed.

They just have to be 3m from your bath/shower.

Wow, thanks for all your comments, so quick to reply, and helpful. There wouldn't be room for anything but a stacked washing machine and dryer in the cupboard.

My worry about the bathroom is some might find it offputting if we sell in the future. I know it's common in Europe generally, but not in UK. Also worry that people are put off using the bathroom if the washer or dryer are running, and also no access to machines when door is locked. I think the electricity isn't a problem if we have a fused spur, but not sure how electricians would react to repairs.

My worry about the hallway is it reduces the size of the bathroom, which isn't huge to start with. It would be nice to have space for 2 kids brushing teeth at same time. Also noise in the hallway during spin cycle. But it wouldn't be in the way of foot traffic, except for people wanting to use the bathroom.

I see. 3m away in a bathroom in my old flat would have been outside the room anyway but it would have been a practical solution.

Thanks for your comments, SavingThreads. I certainly don't have the 3m to separate them - the entire bathroom is less than 3m long! I was hoping no socket but a fused spur plus cupboard sufficed. If not, then it has to be in the hall. But I see what you mean. The bathroom is brilliant compared with the kitchen.

Bathroom all the way so you have more floor space. Do what works for you not to sell, can always partition it off in future.
elioe you said in Europe it would be weird not to have it in the bathroom.
if I ever bought a house I would have the utility room upstairs. Washer and dryer up where you get changed, no carrying it up and downstairs.

We had a washing machine & tumble dryer stack in a downstairs shower room in our old house. No utility and didn’t want it in the kitchen diner. They were in a recess though and hidden by a full length cupboard door. Visitors visiting the loo wouldn’t necessarily know there was a laundry cupboard and if it was on so what. I don’t think it’d put people off. There was never an issue with regulations but I am going back about 15 years!
@BlueReindeer i know of lots of new builds and house renovations where they’ve put the utility upstairs. It’s only a bit if a faff when you want to hang it out to dry or need a new washer.