Do I need a utility room?

Having a dedicated space for doing the laundry had been on my wish-list for a very long time! (Sad but true!)

Years of having clothes draped over a clothes horse, extras hanging over the radiators in the living room…the kitchen…bedroom…bathroom…wherever there was space was so frustrating. It was always in the way, making the room look cluttered, and let’s face it, who wants their smalls on display anyway?! To make matters worse, there was also the dreaded dampness. Condensation puddling on the windowsills. Black mildew growing in the corners of the rooms and up the walls. It was unhealthy and unpleasant. The experts tell us not to dry our laundry indoors but there’s often very little choice in the matter when the weather is wet outside, or likely to be wet, or so cold nothing has a chance to dry there anyway.

Another option is a tumble dryer but they are pretty expensive to run. Listening to the hum and clink of a tumble dryer is like listening to euros going down the drain in my ears! Not to mention the fact that there are lots of items that don’t go in a tumble dryer anyway (or at least, they shouldn’t - *cough*).

Do you need a utility room? If the question is, can you live without a utility room then the answer is, yes, of course you can. It’s not an essential component of a home unlike having a place to sleep, cook or use the bathroom! There are clothes-drying solutions (like heated clothes airers) which will dry clothes quicker and heating, insulation and ventilation can resolve excess moisture issues. But can a utility room make a massive difference to the above laundry-related issues we find in our homes? Could having a dedicated utility space in your home vastly improve the overall living experience in it? My response from my personal experience would be a resounding, YES!

Having a well-ventilated space to do the washing, to dry it, sort it out, without it cluttering up another room, was the ultimate home ambition for me. After living with one for five years, I would say that it would be tough to go back.

Is it worth considering how a utility area might fit into your home? I would say, 100%.