There are some people that think having a utility room is essential but others that feel having their appliances all in the kitchen works well for them. If you are trying to decide whether to buy a house with a utility room or whether to build one on your house, it is worth considering the pros and cons of them.
Space
If you have very little room in your kitchen, then it may be hard to find room for all of the appliances that you need. Having a small space may mean that you only have room for a washer dryer. However, it can be better to have separate appliances if you have the room for them and a utility room could allow you to have a washing machine and a tumble dryer. It may even give you enough space to be able to keep an ironing board up and store all of your washing items including clean and dirty laundry.
Cost
Obviously the cost of having an extra room in your house will be high. You will need to consider whether you can afford a house which has this extra room in it. It could be a very good investment to add a room on to your current property if you can. This means that you may be able to justify borrowing the money to build the room.
Ergonomics
It can make things difficult if you have your appliances in two rooms. You may find that you are having to keep walking a long distance to get all of your chores done and this can be a waste of time. You may have to carry heavy things around a lot too which may not be healthy for you. Consider whether having your washer and dryer and possibly other kitchen items in a separate room will actually make getting your chores done more difficult.
Noise
Having appliances in the kitchen can be very noisy. This is not always a problem, but if the family are trying to have a meal in the kitchen and there is the noise of a washing machine or tumble dryer, it can be rather annoying. If you have a separate dining room, this is not a problem anyway and you can always run the appliances at a different time to when you will be using the room to eat.
Clutter
If you have all of your appliances in one room, then it could mean that you have to find lots of space to put things. You will have to find room for washing waiting to be ironed or washed, for example. If you have a utility room, where you can keep these things, then you will not have to worry about keeping it all so tidy.
Smell
If you have a clothes airer to hang washing on inside when the weather is not good, then you may not like the idea of having it in the kitchen. The cooking smells could penetrate the clothes and they may not seem fresh when you put them away. You may also find that the laundry smells are not nice in the kitchen when you are cooking.
Tim is the Vice President of Online Operations for Cilantro The Cooks, a Canadian retailer of quality cookware, bake ware, and kitchenware products like kitchen knives,aprons,dutch ovens,antifatigue mats. When Tim’s not working, you can find him hiking the beautiful beachside trails of Nova Scotia or doing research for Cilantro The Cooks Shop. Connect with Tim on Facebook.
