Utility room

[Percypiglover]

We are about to convert our garage to an office and utility room. Struggling to work out how to lay out the utility room. It will be rectangular and needs to have a chest freezer, sink, washing machine and tumble dryer in it plus as much storage as possible. There will be a window one side and a door opposite ( these are on the shorter walls)

You'll need water pipes in and drainage out, so linking up to the existing utilities may influence lay-out.

We already have the washing machine in the garage so we have the plumbing and the boiler is in there so should be fairly easy to run hot water. I think as long as it's not in the stud wall we will be fine

No answers, but lots of questions to help you think it through.

What needs to be stored in there? And how? Have a think through your stuff.

Do you want a tall cabinet for ironing board and brushes and mops out of sight? Or wall hooks so they’re easy to reach and not musty?

What needs to be at eye level?
Do you want to sort and fold laundry here? Maybe open shelves with baskets? A hanging rail? Counterspace to fold on? Will you dry clothes in here on a rack? On a pulley? Is there a door to the outside?

Do you want open shelves, or closed cabinets? Drawers? Kick drawers on the bottom? Are you storing big items like 12 packs of water, bulk sizes, drinks? You might need deeper/taller shelves

will there be space for a radiator and it’s plumbing

is there room to pull out an appliance and work on it easily if it needs a repair.

These are really useful thank you

It really depends on layout and the list above is a good one. I’d probably put the sink under the window, all things being equal, and all other appliances which require water or to be vented (ie washing machine and tumble dryer) on the same wall, as that might simplify pipe work and would also hopefully give you some work surface to sort stuff. We have a tiny utility and my main regret is not having work surfaces to sort and fold laundry. I’d then put the fridge freezer on one side of the door.

I’d look seriously at whether you could have a solution for drying laundry on a rack in there such as a ceiling or wall mounted airer for some when you don’t want to use the tumble dryer.

It might also be a good place for pet food and litter trays if you have dogs or cats.

A tall ceiling for a rack. Space and a power point to fit a dyson. Space and a power point to fit a roomba. You never know where life will take you and these things are now so common you might as well be set up for them.

Have the washing machine and tumble dryer next to each other with the doors opening so they don't get in the way whilst moving washing to dryer (if that makes sense) and don't easily fall on floor

I'm so sorry for asking a daft question - but fitting a Dyson? A Dyson what? The only Dysons I know are hoovers haha!

We're just about to plan and fit a small utility so I'm following this thread with interest, thank you @Percypiglover!

A dyson is a vacuum cleaner but all the new ones https://www.dyson.com.au/products/vacuum-cleaners/stick-vacuums hang off a connection on the wall so you need the connection and the space on the wall itself.

You don't have to mount the newer dysons. The unit itself can sit on a worktop and be charged at a plug. You can store the longer bit in a cupboard and attach when needed.

@marienylonette Thanks. Good to learn something new.

Oh goodness, I had no idea Dysons were so whizzy! Thought they just plugged in like a regular vacuum - but good to know the later models can be charged at the plug. Thanks @marienylonette and @TheSandgroper for the info.

Honestly though, I thought maybe Dyson had released some kind of super-duper drying device and you were advising OP to leave space for it - I was very excited for a while there 😂

Mine is rectangular and space pinched from garage , not showing a pic though as messy due to work going on in rest of house !

So mine is 2 longer walls , obvs , 2 shorter . You walk out of kitchen on one of the shorter ones , nothing on that wall except door , opposite ( other shorter wall ) is the radiator.
On outside longer wall , door to back garden , bespoke made sink unit comprising of Belfast sink with double cupboard underneath , full length wooden worktop , washing machine under work top , single cupboard next to washing machine , single drawer above.
On opposite wall ( garage side ) full length floor to ceiling cupboards with airing cupboard ( for bedding / towels ) full length cupboard for hoover , carpet cleaner , ironing board . Double size cupboards for food stash ( we bulk buy ) cat food , dry goods , tins etc. Another full length cupboard ( decorating stuff , garden seat covers , general crap etc )
At end of the run a freezer ( as said bulk buy so have an extra freezer as well as one in kitchen )
Above on ceiling , one of those Molly Maid pulley washing line thingies .

Have a look at storage units that put the machines at eye level and have pull out work surfaces for the baskets and folding

I would also want a rail to hang ironed clothes for drip dry clothes

I would also want individual baskets for sorted washing -

I’ll see if I can find one