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Design Dilemma Laundry Room Remodeling

New Layout, Should we move the stairs?

4 years ago

We recently bought a ranch and are going to do a complete remodel. Here is the layout our kitchen designer came up with. The original layout has a wall between the kitchen and living room. In red is where you come in from the garage and there are stairs immediately to the left to go to a walk out basement. We are tossing around the idea of moving the stairs to the spot I marked in green. That would give us the stairwell area to make into laundry (which would otherwise be in its own room downstairs). Worth moving the stairs? and finally just to show our other major change, in yellow I circled an addition to the front bedroom to make it a master suite with the bath/closet. Is it worth the cost to move the stairs? does it make the living room wonky?

Featured Answer

acm

4 years ago

Moving stairs is very expensive on its own, and can involve re-engineering the support structure of a whole zone of the house. Unless it's the only way to fix a serious flaw with the layout, I'd look in other directions for a new layout.

Comments (9)

Katie
Original Author
4 years ago
Here is the layout, forgot to add it to the post
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Putting the washer and dryer in that back right corner was an afterthought ... but, yes, it would require plumbing on that side of the house. Putting the upstairs plumbing over downstairs plumbing would still be worthwhile. You might also ask your architect about locating not just plumbing but also duct work and wiring since sometimes a closet over a closet is the best solution for that. If your lot is not too narrow to add a wrap around porch on that right front corner, that might make having the entry door and stairs on the right rather than in the center more appealing to those that might prefer having it centered. Wouldn't really want the front door in the center myself -- makes me think of a "shotgun" house. Having the door in the center, unless you are wanting your entry door and stairwell in the living room itself (rather than having an actual separate entry) could visually at least appear to decrease the size of the rooms on each side of it. As to the dirt the dogs might bring in, if your back yard is going to be fenced for them, have you considered creating a doggy door for them basement window height -- one that could permit you to decide if that door opens both ways or just one way or is locked -- and having ladder/steps lead from a landing at that doggy door down to a small room in a sunny corner of the basement that belongs to the dogs, enabling them to come and go to/from that one room as they choose so you don't need to clean them off every time they come in ... you'd only need to make sure their feet are clean when you permit them upstairs.
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What about moving the pantry to where the plans showed a powder room? Put a window to the backyard where MamaGoose had the pantry, and make an entrance to powder room from both backyard and house. My orig post never showed up so I apologize if this is duplicated...
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Thanks! Unfortunately, this is our "forever home" for now, and I can't imagine living in it as is. If the wood were nicer, sure, but it will be tough otherwise. At the very least the window trim (which is new) will have to be painted, and the basement apartment panelling too. We overpaid for the house because it's in a great school district, so for future I don't think many individuals looking for authenticity will be interested in our area (lots of cheaper options elsewhere). The next buyers our home will attract will be young people with kids who are looking for the least expensive house in the most expensive neighbourhood, much like we were. That age group will likely want something more modern. At least that is my thinking! I would hate to devalue our home, but at the same time if it's not going to make a difference I wouldn't want to cater to a "niche" community. What do you think? Is my reasoning sound? (Really I am new to home-owning and the market so I may make some faulty assumptions).
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Thanks @Greg Rapp and @bpath. I think we'll leave it as is. We've managed to also significantly reduce the size of the kid's bathroom so the landing is now MUCH roomier. @Mark Bischak Thanks for trying to help and I understand your point. I was hesitant to show more than I did because doing so tends to end up in discussions about how the plan sucks and needs to be completely redone instead of just answering my question (this has been my experience on here). The only thing the jaunt affects is the size of my walk-in and it was so long to begin with we won't miss the lost space.
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PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
4 years ago
It is incredibly rare for moving a stair to be cost effective.
GreenDesigns
4 years ago
You’re taking a 300K remodel and making it a 375K remodel. TV shows are not documentaries. It’s all fake timelines and fake budget and fake drama.
Oliviag
4 years ago
Would you consider instead creating a second small laundry area in the new master addition, if your goal is to have a laundry closer to the bedrooms?
I have two laundries. One upstairs, front loader, adjacent to the master. One in the garage, top loader, for work clothes, rugs, camping clothes and bedding, bulky items, etc.
You're running plumbing lines, anyway. to the bath addition. Maybe use part of the existing closet?
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
4 years ago
I agree that moving stairs is a huge issue and IMO not worth it in your case.It makes perfect sense to walk in from the garage and either go down or int the main floor.Since you are adding on for the master why not think about the laundry near there instead
Katie
Original Author
4 years ago
thanks all for the comments. I was thinking it wasn’t worth it as well but wanted to explore all the options. I considered laundry in the addition but I know that it will end up in baskets & piles in the bedroom. I’d rather have it in its own room where I can shut the door on it, etc. Also, when the kids are older they won’t have to go through the master to do their own laundry.
User
4 years ago
I’d try the bathroom where the bed is now. Don’t care for how it’s boxed out in the corner of the room. That plan needs reworking in the master area to me
Katie
Original Author
4 years ago
I think i’ll do another post on that...that was consideration but we thought it would make the entrance tight and the front faces a busier road, but we are set back and up. But, we would be able to just run the plumbing straight up from the basement rather than under the addition. Further thought needs to go into the addition for sure. Thanks!

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