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Property/DIY

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Utility room/cloakroom

30 replies

hotcookie · 08/11/2017 08:47

We are hoping to do an extension, which will involve making an upstairs family bathroom.

Current bathroom is downstairs, off the kitchen, so planning on making into a utility room (although likely just with tumble dryer and units rather than washing machine-as it is has a well designed space in the kitchen, but we could move it if there was space) but would like to keep a downstairs loo (will also have 1 on 1st floor in family bathroom & one in ensuite in loft conversion)

The room is 1.8x 3.1m and we have a door at one end (on the left) and planning on putting an entrance to understairs cupboard at the other end (on the right) -as currently access is awkward as we have to move sofa in living room, and there is a window along the right hand wall

If we put a separate room in for toilet it would restrict available space, but husband thinks we shouldn't have toilet just in the room, it should be sectioned off. I keep seeing houses that have combined utility/toilets and personally prefer having the sink in the same room as the toilet without a door in between.

Would having a toilet in the same room as utility be a deal breaker for people? Should I just suck up losing 1/4-1/3 of the space for this, or can it be done? Thanks Grin

Not putting door at other end is an option, but we like the idea of the cupboard being more accessible.

OP posts:
hotcookie · 14/11/2017 20:34

It's about the 1/3 to 1/2 of the floor near the door that is solid, the far end is floor boards

OP posts:
HouseworkIsAPain · 14/11/2017 22:04

Do you want to stack the dryer on top of the W/M?

If not, I would just buy a new condenser dryer so it can go on the wall with the radiator. You're spending money to get the house layout you want - I wouldn't compromise on having space to fit the loo, w/m and dryer for the sake of buying a new dryer.

StatisticallyChallenged · 14/11/2017 23:08

If the sink is in the top left corner then the plumbing could just be run round the corner along the wall as it would be behind the units/appliances anyway so the floor wouldn't matter

I'm inclined to agree with HouseworkisaPain, it would be worth spending the extra for a condenser rather than sacrificing the layout.

hotcookie · 15/11/2017 12:59

Thanks, I will look into those.
I think I'm just thinking the room would be so much better without the door to the understairs cupboard. But that door is currently in living room, and the sofa is just a little too big to allow us to then open the door, so we have to move side table, then sofa to get in. It's quite a big space, so useful to store stuff like cat litter & large bags of rice and things that you don't want every day.

BUT if I didn't put the door in utility then I'd have more space in there to put cupboards to store stuff like that... The I could put washing machine and TD at the end of the room, sink on the right wall and cupboards all along left wall...

It doesn't help that I am pregnant and completely incapable of making decisions (plus this bit of the design will be left to last!) If we don't build wall around toilet and knock through the wall we can probably DIY the room, or just get kitchen fitters to do it.

OP posts:
YorkshireTea86 · 15/11/2017 16:31

Rather than put a door in could you not just open up the area under the stairs into this room so you can still use the under stairs area but don't have to have the opening room for a door? We can't use our under stairs space for storage anyway because it has cellar access in there for electric meter and fuse board, so I would just block it off and have more cupboards in the utility.

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