Not really (but kinda) MMR: Moving Laundry Room Upstairs

AprilZ81

We are scheduled to remodel our master bathroom (which is huge) next month.  I'm considering using this as an opportunity to relocate our laundry room from the mudroom to what used to be our shower stall in the master bathroom.

Our current mudroom is a decent size, but with the side by side washer and dryer and the full size sink there is no place to organize shoes, hang coats or put things (except on the washer and dryer).  No matter how many times I organize it it becomes a dumping ground for stuff.  Because it is narrow the door from the garage opens up into the washer and then when we carry in groceries we are bumping and banging all over the place.  The door into the kitchen also opens into the mudroom so it can be an obstacle course.

Here is our current mud/laundry room (please excuse the mess).

The white  door is the door into our garage (and that stool isn't normally there adding to the clutter).

Here is the other angle, looking into the kitchen.

There are three options I'm considering.

1) Leave it where it is, get rid of the sink (we really only use it when we are washing paint brushes) and reconfigure the space to have some more functional storage.  It will help in the short term, but when (if) we end up having kids I want a mud room to keep book bags, coats and shoes.  Our entryway closet is too small to serve as a mud room.

Both options 2 & 3 are similar, but not the same. Both would be taking advantage of the bathroom being torn up to use some economies of scale to rework the existing plumbing and drain line to serve as a laundry closet.  We would have to get an electrical outlet run and the dryer vent run up through the roof.  The plumbing is usually the most expensive part and we already have hot and cold water with a drain right there.  Both scenarios include having to move some non structural walls and possibly the toilet location a bit.

2) Move the laundry upstairs and have it accessible at the staircase landing.  Pros: kids/guests can access laundry without going into the master suite.  Cons: As soon as you come up the stairs you will be looking at doors and you would be changing laundry in a fairly narrow landing (but honestly not much smaller than what we have now).  We would need to use bifold doors (which means the right hand door when open would partially block the door to the master bedroom).

Here are pictures of the landing area.  The wall is about 7 feet and we need about 55 inches for a "proper" laundry closet.  The space between the wall and the edge of the top step is about 3-3 1/2 feet.

Below:  Door to the left is the guest bedroom and the door on the right is to the master suite.

Option 3:  Move the laundry upstairs but have the access point be inside the master bathroom (DH doesn't like this idea at all).  Pro:  No doors/clutter on the landing.  Con:  Anyone ever dong laundry in our house would be in our bedroom and bathroom.

Pictures of the bathroom area that will need to be reworked.  No matter what we are removing the existing shower and moving it to the other side of the room.  If we end up not moving the laundry upstairs then we will have it finished as another closet space (which we really don't need).

Above:  The door to the far left is a near useless linen closet, the second door is to the toilet and then of course the shower (which will be demolished).  In both option 2 & 3 we would probably have to lose the linen closet and shift the toilet partially into that space and move the "shower" wall back into the toilet space a bit.

Below:  The tall & narrow linen closet.

So MMers, what would you do and at what cost will it be "not worth it"?  The overall bathroom project is most likely to be in the $10-12k range and we have more money available that we can use if this makes sense.  This is a long-term house for us, possibly even a forever home so we are okay spending money on it to make us (me) happy and make it function better for us.

We could technically move the laundry to the basement but that is way, way, way down my list of preferences.  I would rather keep it where it is now than drag laundry up and down two flights of stairs.

Xstatic3333

If I could afford it, I would definitely do it. I can see how that mud room setup would be prone to clutter, and it would be such a convenience to have laundry upstairs.

If it were me, the master bath would be my first choice. However, in our life there really isn't a reason for anyone other than H or myself to do laundry at our house. Literally the only other option would be a hypothetical future child in 12 years or so. If I frequently had long-term house guests who needed laundry access I might go with the landing, but I would be concerned about the narrow access area making things difficult at times.

How exciting to be getting going on the bathroom remodel! You've been working on that for a while.

cbee817

I love the basement for laundry- I like the noise and the machines down there in case anything happens (washing machine flooding for example). I definitely think the mudroom space on the 1st floor is tight and like you said, with a kid or 2, it'll get really tight. I think the landing space is awkward on the stairs- seems a little dangerous with the steps being right there. So if you thinking 2nd floor only, then I would say your bathroom. 

julieanne912

Since it's your forever home, there's a lot of value in making it function for YOU.  I'd move it upstairs... especially since you're planning on having some kids.  Not having to lug laundry downstairs multiple times per week sounds awesome, and you'll love having that big mudroom for extra storage.  You could leave the hookups for the laundry there (maybe cover with beadboard/shelving) in case someone down the line wants it back there.  

I also agree that putting it in your bathroom isn't ideal... right now it's probably fine, and super convenient, but after you have kids (esp when they get older), you don't want them traipsing through your bedroom to help with the laundry. 

PurpleBookmark

I like option 1, I think if you ripped out the sink you would have room for some backpack storage. You might have to get a little creative but Pinterest has a lot of small space storage solutions for entry ways.

That's my personal preference but I don't think you could go wrong with any of your options. So exciting about the bathroom remodel!

JoanE2012

We have our laundry room right off the kitchen and I like it there.  So I'd opt for removing the sink (we don't have one in our laundry room) in the mudroom and making that area more functional.  That said, we don't (and won't) have kids - so going downstairs for us to do laundry is no big deal (thought I would NEVER want it in the basement!).  If you do plan on moving it upstairs, make sure to keep in mind noise/vibration issues - maybe extra insulation?  I think I'd choose the master bathroom over the landing area - safer and just seems easier with a bit more room (sink if you need it, probably a small area to hang things up, etc)

AprilZ81

Xstatic3333 said:

If I could afford it, I would definitely do it. I can see how that mud room setup would be prone to clutter, and it would be such a convenience to have laundry upstairs. If it were me, the master bath would be my first choice. However, in our life there really isn't a reason for anyone other than H or myself to do laundry at our house. Literally the only other option would be a hypothetical future child in 12 years or so. If I frequently had long-term house guests who needed laundry access I might go with the landing, but I would be concerned about the narrow access area making things difficult at times. How exciting to be getting going on the bathroom remodel! You've been working on that for a while.

The only other person I can think of who would need access to the laundry would be my Mom and that is only if we have kids. She comes up to visit and frequently helps my sister with laundry and chores (she has three kids, including a set of twins).  This happens less now, but it happened a lot when the kids were babies (they are almost 5 and almost 3 now).  Also if we ever have a mother's helper or nanny with then they would have some laundry responsibilities.

The nanny is probably a stretch, and I really don't care if my Mom sees our unmade bed or less than pristine bathroom but DH really doesn't want the laundry in the bathroom.

I'm definately going to talk to our contractor about this.  It might be a moot point for some reason...

AprilZ81

cbee817 said:

I love the basement for laundry- I like the noise and the machines down there in case anything happens (washing machine flooding for example). I definitely think the mudroom space on the 1st floor is tight and like you said, with a kid or 2, it'll get really tight. I think the landing space is awkward on the stairs- seems a little dangerous with the steps being right there. So if you thinking 2nd floor only, then I would say your bathroom. 

It isn't as narrow as you would think.  Here is a picture of the landing with a fairly large laundry basket.  There is almost a foot between the edge of the basket and the step.

Safety is a valid concern but it is workable.

AprilZ81

julieanne912 said:

Since it's your forever home, there's a lot of value in making it function for YOU.  I'd move it upstairs... especially since you're planning on having some kids.  Not having to lug laundry downstairs multiple times per week sounds awesome, and you'll love having that big mudroom for extra storage.  You could leave the hookups for the laundry there (maybe cover with beadboard/shelving) in case someone down the line wants it back there.  

I also agree that putting it in your bathroom isn't ideal... right now it's probably fine, and super convenient, but after you have kids (esp when they get older), you don't want them traipsing through your bedroom to help with the laundry. 

We would leave the plumbing there (properly capped off of course) so it can easily go back to being a laundry room if we need it too.  we would just hide it behind the wood work/shelving.

jessica490

If this is close to being your forever home, I would move the laundry upstairs...it would be so nice not to have to lug it up and down the stairs. I would make that an awesome mud room, those are key to any house and so convenient. I wish we had one! As for where to make the access point, that's totally up to you....you don't even have kids yet so you will be doing their laundry for years to come....I guess until they are teenagers it wouldn't be an issue correct? I think it's just a preference, but I think it would look fine in the hallway as well.

AprilZ81

jessica490 said:

If this is close to being your forever home, I would move the laundry upstairs...it would be so nice not to have to lug it up and down the stairs. I would make that an awesome mud room, those are key to any house and so convenient. I wish we had one! As for where to make the access point, that's totally up to you....you don't even have kids yet so you will be doing their laundry for years to come....I guess until they are teenagers it wouldn't be an issue correct? I think it's just a preference, but I think it would look fine in the hallway as well.

Teenagers?  I plan of having them do their own laundry as soon as they can reach the buttons.  

KAdams767

I would leave it where it is and focus on making the mudroom space more usable as-is.  I love having first-floor laundry, it is so nice being able to throw muddy clothes in there right as we come inside from gardening, snow plowing, dog towels or even just sweaty clothes from a run.  I'd imagine this will be even more important with kids.  

If you decide you absolutely have to move it, #3 is a hell no for me.  I would absolutely never, ever want the only laundry in the house to be attached to my bedroom or bathroom, especially with kids.  No way, no how.  I'm not big on option #2 either, to be honest.  I'd probably move it to the basement before moving to the second floor, though.  

littlemushroom

If you could center the laundry on the landing a bit more, I think that would be better than right in front of the stairs. I like option #1 though. I love having our laundry off the kitchen. Plus, if the kids play sports, they could strip down in the mudroom when they get home and not track any of the dirt, grass, sand, etc through the house and into the carpet.

AprilZ81

littlemushroom said:

If you could center the laundry on the landing a bit more, I think that would be better than right in front of the stairs. I like option #1 though. I love having our laundry off the kitchen. Plus, if the kids play sports, they could strip down in the mudroom when they get home and not track any of the dirt, grass, sand, etc through the house and into the carpet.

Unfortunately that is the only place for it.  If we move it to the left it ends up in the guest bedroom and if we move it to the right it is in our bedroom.  The rest of the hallway has more space, but not the plumbing we need.

AprilZ81

KAdams767 said:

I would leave it where it is and focus on making the mudroom space more usable as-is.  I love having first-floor laundry, it is so nice being able to throw muddy clothes in there right as we come inside from gardening, snow plowing, dog towels or even just sweaty clothes from a run.  I'd imagine this will be even more important with kids.  

If you decide you absolutely have to move it, #3 is a hell no for me.  I would absolutely never, ever want the only laundry in the house to be attached to my bedroom or bathroom, especially with kids.  No way, no how.  I'm not big on option #2 either, to be honest.  I'd probably move it to the basement before moving to the second floor, though.  

If we weren't doing the bathroom remodel I would never consider moving the laundry upstairs due to the expense.  But since the bathroom will be torn up anyway AND the existing plumbing should (mostly) work for what we need I figure this is a great opportunity to solve two problems at once.

Otherwise I would be giving option 1 a try (and I still might).  I just don't think removing the sink will give us enough extra storage like we need.  We already have wall to wall cabinets above the washer and dryer (they are organized, but full).  We need a place for shoes, coats, laptop bags, book bags, etc. and  don't think that narrow space is going to provide it.

Xstatic3333

AprilZ81 said:

jessica490 said:

If this is close to being your forever home, I would move the laundry upstairs...it would be so nice not to have to lug it up and down the stairs. I would make that an awesome mud room, those are key to any house and so convenient. I wish we had one! As for where to make the access point, that's totally up to you....you don't even have kids yet so you will be doing their laundry for years to come....I guess until they are teenagers it wouldn't be an issue correct? I think it's just a preference, but I think it would look fine in the hallway as well.

Teenagers?  I plan of having them do their own laundry as soon as they can reach the buttons.  

Haha! Good for you! I think it's one chore I'll have a tough time delegating. I'm not very trusting of others' laundry skills.

Based on the second picture I'm feeling more favorable about the landing idea. That's more space than I was imagining.

julieanne912

If you end up having to stay with what you have, what about removing the sink and turning that into a counter/cabinets, then getting a front loading stacker washer and dryer, and then you could still have a storage bench with hooks above next to the washer/dryer?  Obviously not as great as a full on mudroom but better than what you have.  

And, I totally get it.  One of my initial requirements for our new house was a big mudroom.  I didn't get it, since it would require us to have the next size up model which we couldn't really afford.  That one has a ginormous mudroom with closets, bench, etc.  I have a room a bit bigger than yours, but still cramped because that's also where our two dogs sleep at night.

AprilZ81

julieanne912 said:

If you end up having to stay with what you have, what about removing the sink and turning that into a counter/cabinets, then getting a front loading stacker washer and dryer, and then you could still have a storage bench with hooks above next to the washer/dryer?  Obviously not as great as a full on mudroom but better than what you have.  

And, I totally get it.  One of my initial requirements for our new house was a big mudroom.  I didn't get it, since it would require us to have the next size up model which we couldn't really afford.  That one has a ginormous mudroom with closets, bench, etc.  I have a room a bit bigger than yours, but still cramped because that's also where our two dogs sleep at night.

Our washer and dryer are only a year and a half old so I would hate to get rid of those and buy new.  I also have reservations about the stackables (mainly because the ones I've seen are apartment size) because I'm only 5'3" and I'm worried that I won't be able to reach everything in the upper unit if they hold a full load.  

Stackables would help with the floor space issue and allow us to have a bench for shoes and hooks for coats.  Depending on what our contractor says it might be cheaper to move the laundry upststairs as opposed to buying stackables.  I know those are pricey.

KAdams767

AprilZ81 said:

KAdams767 said:

I would leave it where it is and focus on making the mudroom space more usable as-is.  I love having first-floor laundry, it is so nice being able to throw muddy clothes in there right as we come inside from gardening, snow plowing, dog towels or even just sweaty clothes from a run.  I'd imagine this will be even more important with kids.  

If you decide you absolutely have to move it, #3 is a hell no for me.  I would absolutely never, ever want the only laundry in the house to be attached to my bedroom or bathroom, especially with kids.  No way, no how.  I'm not big on option #2 either, to be honest.  I'd probably move it to the basement before moving to the second floor, though.  

If we weren't doing the bathroom remodel I would never consider moving the laundry upstairs due to the expense.  But since the bathroom will be torn up anyway AND the existing plumbing should (mostly) work for what we need I figure this is a great opportunity to solve two problems at once.

Otherwise I would be giving option 1 a try (and I still might).  I just don't think removing the sink will give us enough extra storage like we need.  We already have wall to wall cabinets above the washer and dryer (they are organized, but full).  We need a place for shoes, coats, laptop bags, book bags, etc. and  don't think that narrow space is going to provide it.

Oh, to be clear, it isn't a cost issue for me.  You couldn't pay me enough to part with my first floor laundry set-up now.  I would do everything possible to make the most of that downstairs space before considering the move upstairs, and like I said, if I really felt I couldn't live with the mudroom, I'd move it to the basement.  I do think the suggestion of stackables is a good one, though.

brij2006

Do it! Do it! Do it!

All of our bedrooms are on the 2nd floor.  When we remodeled, we made the 1 and only linen closet on the 2nd floor, into the laundry room.  Best decision ever!!!!  I just put shelves and baskets above the washer and dryer so we could continue to have some linen closet type of organization.  But I LOVE that I don't have to lug all of our clothes downstairs, and it isn't right when you walk in the door.  TBH, our laundry stays on the floor for days before it's folded and put away. I'm so thankful it's on the 2nd floor where people don't go often, and I even have a wheeled laundry sorter that I drag down the hallway from the bathroom to wash clothes.  

Attached is a picture of it.  It's nothing huge.  Maybe 5'x4', but it's perfect.  There's enough room in front of the washer and dryer, that I can fit a laundry basket to pull stuff out and put it in, yet still shut the door if company is coming and it's a disaster.

It's seriously one of the main reasons I'm hesitant to move from our house.  It's not normal to find 2nd floor laundry, and it's such a huge perk.  

Erikan73

I vote no matter what to keep sink in current mudroom. You may not use it much but from someone who doesn't have a utility sink at all, I would sooo love to have one. If nothing else for washing off muddy shoes, cleaning painting tools or even to wash the dogs in. You may not realize how much you actually use the sink. And with that kind of sink, you can buy sink covers to give yourself additional counter space but not lose the use of the sink when you need it.

Erikan73

Also I vote with hubby to not put it in the master bathroom. Do you really want to be bothered in the morning or while getting ready by other family members (if I remember you said you wanted kids) to get laundry? My sister has a linen/storage closet at the top of her stairs and to be honest as long as the doors are closed, it's no different then looking at a wall.

brij2006

Oh, and to touch on the mudroom with kids thing.  You wouldn't regret having extra space.  DD is only 10 months, but between the diaper bag, blanket to cover her while running out to the car, jacket, hat, shoes, stuff I need to bring back and forth on a daily basis.  We have a coat rack/storage compartment, and our garage opens right into the living room.  I've had to arrange the living room to accommodate for not only her stuff but ours as well. You would be surprised at how quickly stuff accumulates. 

vlagrl29

our laundry room is on our main level along with our master bedroom- other rooms are upstairs.  I prefer it on the main where it is

AprilZ81

Erikan73 said:

I vote no matter what to keep sink in current mudroom. You may not use it much but from someone who doesn't have a utility sink at all, I would sooo love to have one. If nothing else for washing off muddy shoes, cleaning painting tools or even to wash the dogs in. You may not realize how much you actually use the sink. And with that kind of sink, you can buy sink covers to give yourself additional counter space but not lose the use of the sink when you need it.

Good idea on keeping the sink regardless.  If we remove the washer and dryer then that would give me enough room to make it a lot more functional for general storage and "coming and going" clutter that accumulates.

julieanne912

AprilZ81 said:

julieanne912 said:

If you end up having to stay with what you have, what about removing the sink and turning that into a counter/cabinets, then getting a front loading stacker washer and dryer, and then you could still have a storage bench with hooks above next to the washer/dryer?  Obviously not as great as a full on mudroom but better than what you have.  

And, I totally get it.  One of my initial requirements for our new house was a big mudroom.  I didn't get it, since it would require us to have the next size up model which we couldn't really afford.  That one has a ginormous mudroom with closets, bench, etc.  I have a room a bit bigger than yours, but still cramped because that's also where our two dogs sleep at night.

Our washer and dryer are only a year and a half old so I would hate to get rid of those and buy new.  I also have reservations about the stackables (mainly because the ones I've seen are apartment size) because I'm only 5'3" and I'm worried that I won't be able to reach everything in the upper unit if they hold a full load.  

Stackables would help with the floor space issue and allow us to have a bench for shoes and hooks for coats.  Depending on what our contractor says it might be cheaper to move the laundry upststairs as opposed to buying stackables.  I know those are pricey.

Oh I hear ya on the height thing, I'm also 5'3".  I've never had full size front loading stackers though so I don't really know what I'm saying haha!  But yeah a new set would run you around 2 grand I'd imagine.  

AprilZ81

brij2006 said:

Do it! Do it! Do it!

All of our bedrooms are on the 2nd floor.  When we remodeled, we made the 1 and only linen closet on the 2nd floor, into the laundry room.  Best decision ever!!!!  I just put shelves and baskets above the washer and dryer so we could continue to have some linen closet type of organization.  But I LOVE that I don't have to lug all of our clothes downstairs, and it isn't right when you walk in the door.  TBH, our laundry stays on the floor for days before it's folded and put away. I'm so thankful it's on the 2nd floor where people don't go often, and I even have a wheeled laundry sorter that I drag down the hallway from the bathroom to wash clothes.  

Attached is a picture of it.  It's nothing huge.  Maybe 5'x4', but it's perfect.  There's enough room in front of the washer and dryer, that I can fit a laundry basket to pull stuff out and put it in, yet still shut the door if company is coming and it's a disaster.

It's seriously one of the main reasons I'm hesitant to move from our house.  It's not normal to find 2nd floor laundry, and it's such a huge perk.  

That is about what ours will end up being most likely and I'm okay with that.  We had a laundry closet at our last house but it was in the kitchen (not the worst thing in the world really) and there was plenty of storage and places to hide things when company showed up.

While a luxury laundry room is nice to have I don't need folding counters and drying racks and all the bells and whistles.  I need space to keep the machines, detergent and other odds and ends that get stored  in a laundry room.  

hoffse

Has your contractor looked to make sure the 2nd floor can handle the laundry room structurally?  They are heavy, and the movement/shaking means that sometimes second floors have to be reinforced if they weren't built to include laundry in the first place.  They can also be pretty noisy.  Just things to keep in mind and have somebody check.

Also make sure they install a fantastic pan or underlayment underneath the flooring, just in case you have a leak.  You don't want water coming through your ceiling onto the first floor.

I am one of those weirdos who really wants a laundry room incorporated into the master bathroom.  I could see changing my mind when we have kids old enough to do their own laundry, but right now I would kill to be able to get undressed in the laundry room before taking a shower so that our clothes (mostly H's) don't go everywhere.  We have a hamper, and he "misses" about 50% of the time.  My parents best friends built a laundry area into their master bathroom, and I think it's the most genius thing ever.  So #3 gets my vote assuming it can be done structurally, though it looks like I'm in the minority on that.

hoffse

Also, thinking about Option 2, I just got the image of falling down the stairs backwards when trying to hoist some laundry out of the washing machine.  That's probably ridiculous, but it just came to me.  If you go with Option 2, I would absolutely double and triple check the foot space there to make sure you have plenty of room to move around and manipulate laundry baskets, etc. without coming anywhere close to the top step. 

brij2006

hoffse makes a good point.  We installed a drain in our laundry room for "just in case."  It took some extra planning, but (knock on wood) we've never had the washer overflow to need it.

cbee817

  

hoffse said:

Also, thinking about Option 2, I just got the image of falling down the stairs backwards when trying to hoist some laundry out of the washing machine.  That's probably ridiculous, but it just came to me.  If you go with Option 2, I would absolutely double and triple check the foot space there to make sure you have plenty of room to move around and manipulate laundry baskets, etc. without coming anywhere close to the top step. 

I picture a kid trying to hop over a basket.. top of the stairs like that would drive me crazy with worry!