You may not immediately consider your laundry room when planning out your custom home with your builder; however, this area of the home can have a big impact on your everyday life. A laundry room that is not properly equipped, or properly located for that matter, can cause all sorts of issues in the home, including congestion and disorganization. You want to keep your home running smoothly, and having a laundry room that functions at its best is a big part of that. We all have laundry to get done, which means a laundry room is a must in the home. So, where should you put your laundry room in your custom home? Let our pros offer some helpful advice.
Laundry Room Components
You can’t set up your laundry room just anywhere in the home, because there are contributing factors that need to be included in this space. Without an extensive renovation, you’re not able to just relocate your washer and dryer to another room in the home, which means that planning a space for it now will help later on. The following components will need to be included in your laundry room:
- Proper electrical outlets (240-volt, 30-amp outlet for electric dryers; 120-volt, 3-prong for gas; 120-volt 15 or 20-amp for washers)
- Hookups within 4-6 feet of appliances
- Gas lines for gas appliances
- Plumbing pipes and valves
- Drainage system
As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into building a laundry room, which makes it difficult to relocate it without a contractor’s help. This is why you’ll want to work with your builder to ensure that the location of your laundry room works best for you.
Laundry Room Locations
So, now that you know about what all goes into a laundry room, where is the best spot for it in your home? Here in Southwest Florida, we don’t have basements, so this area is off the list. Though we do have plenty of other locations that are perfect for laundry areas. You’ll first want to decide what type of room is going to work for you. For example, will your laundry room have its own dedicated space, or will it share space with the mud room? Many homeowners tend to like a dedicated space the best, as it allows for enhanced organization in the home.
For those who may be limited on space, other locations you may consider for your laundry room are the kitchen and bathroom areas. Having your laundry facilities in close proximity to these locations makes it easy to hook up your appliances, since there’s already a water source and a drainage system in place. For some, having the laundry room upstairs is ideal, since it’s closer to the bedrooms and bathrooms, limiting the need to traipse up and down the steps in order to do laundry. This will depend on your own individual wants and needs.
Your Custom Laundry Room
What works for some homeowners may not work for you. If you find yourself wanting more space in your laundry room, you may want to opt for a dedicated room; however, if you’d prefer it within close proximity to the bedrooms, that is a possibility also. It’s important to work with your builder to determine what laundry room space will keep your home running as smoothly as possible.
Gulfstream Homes is ready to help you with your new home! Call (239) 254-1664 or visit www.gulfstreamhomes.com to get started.
