Need some ideas about housing washing machine/tumble dryer

[LittlePickleHead]

I am sure someone here will have some clever ideas!

Our washing machine and tumble dryer are currently in a lean to pantry in our 1930s house, which has a door that opens into the kitchen. Whilst this keeps them out of the way, it's also a bit annoying as the door opening takes up quite a bit of space that could be used for a cabinet, and the lean to itself is drafty so makes the kitchen colder. Attached floorplan to make clearer (the area to the back of the house is raised decking).

It's also not in great condition and we can see its been repaired a few times but is essentially coming away from the main wall (there is a drop at the back of the house so it's built up for about 1.2 meters from ground level and these support walls have cracks.

Got a quote for knocking it down and replacing with a v small extension to house utility/cupboard but the quote was about £70k not including finishes and that's out of budget (and not really worth it for a 3x2 room!).

I was wondering about rebuilding it, but with doors to the outside decking (and blocking up the current door into the kitchen) and then installing a glass room type structure around it so we have a dry space to sort the washing. But I can't work out if this is actually illegal to do (google tells me you are not allowed a washing machine in a conservatory without building regs for example).

Anyone have any clever ideas? We don't have space anywhere else so I need to think of a clever hack with our crumbling lean to!

If it's not too expensive I'd rebuild it and better insulate it. Stack the dryer on top of the washing machine and flip the door so it opens into the laundry room, or have a folding door to give more space. If the door is fitted properly and the utility is better insulated your kitchen will feel warmer. Have a fold down worktop for folding the washing. Don't build anything which means you need to go outside to do the laundry!

Hi. Can't answer your question, other than is there no space near a current bathroom that you could squeeze a laundry cupboard in?

Though, is it really illegal to have a washing machine in a conservatory?

No space near bathrooms at all sadly.

it’s not illegal to put them in a utility but changes the building regulations/planning considerations as they become a permanent room I think

Essentially the room just fits the washing machine and tumble dryer stacked with no other space (we have a pull out ledge between them for folding washing.

my plan for not going outside was to build the glass room around it, but then I’m not sure if I’ll need building regs and planning permission (I’m not sure because it’s a pre-existing structure)

It’s an existing structure that gives you more flexibility. It really shouldn’t cost £70k to rebuild. An insulated floor, rendered block work and a roof, could be insulated pantile sheeting. You need someone who knows the regs to have a look and make suggestions.
patching it up again wouldn’t require building regs or planning. So it could have insulation added to the walls

Put the stacked washing machine and dryer in the kitchen to the right of where the door is now facing towards the sink? It doesn’t give you any more kitchen space (perhaps a tiny bit) but you can demolish the lean to and close up the door.

If the door to the laundry was sealed off, would you have room to put a washer dryer with shelves above, or stack two machines there? On your floor plan it looks like there is space. It would be a much cheaper option that rebuilding extensions to do the washing.

Yes that could work but I want a pantry cupboard 😂 so I’m trying to work out if there is a way to use that space for that purpose. I think renovating the lean to then opening up doors into a glass room probably does work then, as technically it’s just using part of the building that’s already there.

Oh and the £70k quoted was for a proper (if small) extension with an open doorway to the kitchen, rather than just a rebuild of what’s there

I think I'd just knock it down.

If you didn't have the door you could have the washing machine in the space currently taken up by the opening and run more worktop over it.

How much do you use the tumble dryer?

We put ours in the shed when doing something similar. It's fine as only a few steps from the back door. But I am very much a line dryer and might use it to finish things off or for socks but it's not particularly frequent.

If you dry everything that way you may feel differently.

Edited to say that if it is no longer part of the house, would it need a full rebuild? Could it be patched up enough that it is fine for storage if it only needs to meet the requirements for a shed rather than a house.

Could you put the washer and dryer in the space in your kitchen, refurb the lean to and use that as a pantry? With the added bonus that it’ll be cold so food will be fine in there.

"(google tells me you are not allowed a washing machine in a conservatory without building regs for example)"

I don't know any way that could be right.