Opinions please: loo vs utility vs neither

[tentative3]

I'd love to get some feedback on this issue if anyone would like to share!

We have a c.1840 3 storey terrace which is listed. It has two extensions on the original kitchen at the back which together form a 28 foot long space. The original kitchen is a galley kitchen, with no scope to alter that. The room then opens up a bit and we have a dining table opposite a range cooker. There is then a step up (which will have to stay, realistically) to French doors to the garden with a tiny utility on one side and a shower room/loo on the other.

The room faces south but a lot of the light is blocked, partly by the shower room. It feels dark and dingy and at this time of year you need the lights on all day, which seems madness in a south facing room. We haven't lived through a summer here so don't know what will happen then.

Anyway, we are planning on redoing the kitchen and would like to bring in more light. We are struggling with layout but are fairly set on getting rid of the shower room. We could move this into the utility, just, but would then need to fit the washing machine/ironing board etc elsewhere, or we could go for a lootility and lose the shower (then only one bathroom in a 4 bed house). Or we could just keep the utility and lose both loo and shower (not keen on this).

The house is worth about 450k and is not our forever home so we do need to be mindful of what will be most appealing to buyers. I think in another setting buyers in this bracket would absolutely expect utility and downstairs loo (probably separate). However, this is a location in this absolute heart of town, it's a lifestyle choice to live here, to a large extent, so buyers will expect some compromise.

There is no scope to relocate either to anywhere else in the house.

What would you do?

I’d have the current kitchen changed into a utility/butler’s pantry.

Turn the current breakfast room into a big (eat in) kitchen.

Remove the current bathroom and convert the current utility to a shower room.

Thanks again for the opinions and ideas all.

Moving the loo to under the stairs might be possible but I'm reluctant to investigate it. I imagine it would mean floors coming up for pipes? Plus we'd lose the coat cupboard.

cat so you'd also go for a walk through utility into the kitchen? That's interesting that 2 people have suggested it now. What would then be the kitchen diner would be split level unless we raised the floor in what is currently the area with the range and the dining table. Hmm.

mountain they'd stack in what is currently the utility but we would try and get a loo in there as well. The utility isn't the problem as is, as you wouldn't use the space for anything else, it's the existing shower room which is oddly placed and blocking light. Although I guess in fairness it was put in before big kitchen eating spaces were common so maybe oddly placed is an unfair description.

Having just said the utility isn't the problem I did have a vague probably crazy idea of moving the kitchen up to that area and having it as a walk in larder but I've no idea what we'd do about access to the garden if the kitchen was up there so probably a ridiculous notion, plus undoubtedly more expensive.

General consensus seems to be loo over utility if forced to choose but no real problems with a lootility? I know it's not ideally located but our solicitor sternly warned us against excavating under the floors as we would need permissions and surveys (Area of Archeological Interest) so I'm loathe to make changes thst might in any way involve that!

Would you be able to move the doors into the kitchen/future utility to the right to enable you to put floor to ceiling cupboards on the non-window side? It would be a very minor change so conservation officer should be sympathetic (I've owned listed properties myself so know that it is possible to make some changes).

There are 2 small veluxes outside the bathroom already. We would make those bigger either way. but what about in the big kitchen area? There isn't anything built above that is there so you could have a massive roof light.

I would make it a shower room, and make the current dining room the kitchen diner, with the current kitchen a very smart walk through utility/pantry. I wonder if you would get permission to build one of those small glass box corridor extensions to link the dining room and reception rooms without having to walk through the current kitchen???

here

All of the bigger listed houses in my area are huge and so all have downstairs loos and a seperate utility downstairs. The smaller ones have one or the other. A lootility is just useless because from a selling perspective it just looks like you don’t have space in the kitchen for a washing machine / dryer.

I'm finding this enormously useful so thank you to everyone and I hope I don't sound like I'm shooting ideas down.

I realised I forgot to reply to what other houses had done - they're all different but ours is one of the smallest on the street, most are huge double fronted 3500 square foot things. The one next to us is similar but haven't gone out as far on their extensions.

raving that's an interesting perspective. We can easily get the washer and dryer into the kitchen, they would go in the run of cabinets under the window, where the sink is. Wasn't sure if people would rather be able to shut away the noise though. If we do that the utility can become a loo only.

angry that would be my absolute dream. Conservation are unwilling to come out or really chat, they want us to submit plans for anything we want to do. I can understand they're busy but it's frustrating not to be able to even get an indication.

lala possibly you could move the door, I'm not sure. Do you think full height cupboards with the current layout would feel too oppressive? The window wall currently has sink, dishdrawers (awful things) and the boiler on it, amongst other things.

Those who think walk through utility/pantry, would you put a door on the far end into the kitchen? It would have to be a glazed door but my first instinct is yes, interested in views on that.

Actually angry I remember that OH and I discussed that option and weren't sure it would work due to the boundary. It slopes inward so we have a tiny door to the current courtyard bit, I think you can just see it on one of the pics, by the dining table. I would so love to glass it in otherwise.

I would also opt for making the existing galley kitchen a walk through pantry/utility. You could make this very smart, by hiding the ugliest bits (washer, dryer etc) behind sliding doors, so blocking the noise and keeping it away from view. Then make the back area a kitchen/diner and integrate the existing bathroom into the kitchen, and move the loo/shower into the current utility. Keep the loo if you can't fit both in there.

I'll try and find a link to a photo of what I mean about the sliding doors.

Okay, something like this: www.houzz.co.uk/photo/711605-laundry-center-contemporary-utility-room-chicago

If you were to go for something like this, I would highly recommend Gliderobes for the doors. They just did our wardrobes and they are fantastic - both as a company to deal with and the finished product.

www.gliderobes.co.uk/

Thanks Feezles. We had a set up not entirely dissimilar in our last house, a laundry cupboard. I think you and all the others are right that this is the most sensible option. The boiler would really need to stay where it is, I wonder if i can get away with a run of base units housing washing machine/dryer/sink/dishwasher (maybe) with one single wall cupboard for boiler on the external wall and tall shallow cupboards on the shared wall for ironing board/hoover/usual utility detritus.

If not, anyone know how easy it would be to sort plumbing for washing machine onto that shared wall? I guess drain would run under kitchen floor? And the same question about putting a sink into the kitchen, I've only ever planned a kitchen with acres of lovely external wall to put all these things on but clearly it can be done.

Yes to a sliding door on the new utility type area.

It should be relatively simple to plumb in the washing machine m, etc as you already have a sink in that space. I’d probably change the current sink for a double sink if you can make it fit the space.

Likewise you already have plumbing in the room that would become the kitchen for the current utility and bathroom so a sink should be relatively easy, although you might have to compromise on where exactly the sink goes.

I have a washing machine and a several sinks plumbed in on non-external walls. It's fine, you just need to be able to run a waste pipe to wherever the drain goes. As Cat says, it might restrict exactly where each item can go, just from a cost control point of view (anything is possible if you have unlimited budget!), but you will definitely have options.

Thanks both, that's good to know. Could be a plan coming together here!

Not much help I know! But personally I love the pics of it as it is now. I'd look to doing what suits you & your partner at the moment & enjoy the house rather than worrying about what potential buyers may think when you only just bought the place yourselves! Whatever you do some will like it & others won't. Its all a matter of personal taste, so do what you like & when you come to sell it, same rules apply. No point spending money on something that a potential buyer in the future may look to ripping out & changing back to how you had it to start with! 😁

Not much help I know! But personally I love the pics of it as it is now. I'd look to doing what suits you & your partner at the moment & enjoy the house rather than worrying about what potential buyers may think when you only just bought the place yourselves! Whatever you do some will like it & others won't. Its all a matter of personal taste, so do what you like & when you come to sell it, same rules apply. No point spending money on something that a potential buyer in the future may look to ripping out & changing back to how you had it to start with! 😁

I have no idea why that posted twice lol!

Angryosaurus - where did you find that glass extension? I need exactly that!

A lootility is just useless because from a selling perspective it just looks like you don’t have space in the kitchen for a washing machine / dryer

What??? surely out of choice no-one would want their washing machine/dryer in the kitchen? My utility room is essential for running a busy, dirty household and keeping it all out of any visitors view.

pinterest!

Thanks Pixie. It does look good in the pics but they are estate agent pics so not reflective of reality! It's so dark for south facing and is freezing cold - acres of tile and granite with insufficient radiators and insulation. I completely get what you mean about doing it for ourselves and we won't do it just to sell, but likely job and location changes in the future do mean we need to have one eye on keeping it saleable sadly.