Question for those with a two story home

[tiggerlover]

Warning....this is a fluff post, just me wondering....

Okay, sometimes I do a lot of thinking in my spare time and lately I have been thinking of what I would like in a house (based on some of the things that I don't like about my current house). I was wondering if anyone who has a two story house has a laundry room on the same floor as their bedrooms? I live in a four story home and my laundry room is on the bottom level and my bedrooms are on the third level. It is so exhausting running laundry up and down the stairs and it got me to thinking how great it would be to have the laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms. I have never seen this kind of set-up in a two story home, only in a single story home and wondered if such a set up existed and how the layout would be.

 

[tkyes]

I saw that set up in a model home last year.

The upper level had 2 bedrooms and a laundry room as well as 2 bathrooms.

 

[believe]

Our friends have their's on the second floor. Our's is on the first floor with the kitchen and living room. I once thought the second floor set-up would be nice, but I am rarely up there when I do laundry. I am leaning towards liking it on the first floor then I can work in the kitchen and do laundry without running up and down the stairs between loads. I am rarely upstairs during the day. Of course DH currently does the laundry

 

[peg2001]

There's a couple of problems to what you propose. One is the increase of vibration felt whenever the machines are in use on an upper floor. The second is the increase in possible damage if you ever break a water hose.

Peggy

 

[mickeyboat]

Right now our laundry room is right next to the kitchen on the main floor and our bedrooms are on the second floor. I hate lugging laundry up and down the stairs but it is very convenient when you are cooking dinner or watching tv to just throw in a load. We are remodeling this winter and we are moving the laundry room to the second floor. I think as our kids get older, it will be a lot easier to have the laundry room on the same floor as the bedrooms. I'll let you know what I decide next Spring when it is all done (I hope).

Denae

 

[Bichon Barb]

Most of the homes in my neighborhood have two floors plus a basement. Living area is on the first floor with bedrooms on the second floor. Most of us have our laundry rooms on the first floor--off the garage. Some have their laundry in their basements. I know of one neighbor, that has her laundry on the second floor. That's the way they had it built.

Personally, I'd be afraid of something going wrong and water ending up flooding through the ceiling. Also, you have to consider the noise of the washer and dryer if someone is sleeping.

 

[kaseyC]

Our house in Virginia had the laundry room on the 2nd floor with the bedrooms. While we were building the house we had the option of moving down to the basement but we chose not to. I absolutely loved having the laundry room upstairs. I did not have to lug laundry up and down the stairs. Our new house in IL has the laundry room/mudroom off the garage and I really miss having the washer and dryer up stairs.

 

[Meriweather]

2 story home here. 3 bedrooms up, one down.
Washer/dryer in the laundry room which is off the kitchen and by the back door and garage too.....great for those muddy soaked soccer clothes.....and DH coming in from mowing or working in the shop. Just peel them off there and throw them in the built in hamper.
The rest of the time, I don't mind hauling them down the stairs.
And....it is nice to be doing the laundry downstairs where most of the other household activities are going on.

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

We have had both and it really hasn't been a big deal either way...down the stairs or down the hall the kids still can't get their dirty clothes to the laundry room!

 

[MICKEY88]

don't look at it as lugging laundry up and down steps, look at it as good exercise....

 

[Minnesota!]

ME ME ME! Our house is 2 story. Downstairs is the living area/bath #1. Up is 2 bedrooms/bath #2. There is a "closet" right outside our bedroom. In that "closet" is my w/d. I LOVE IT! I can do my laundry, throw it in the room and then fold it. I mean, it is literally 4 steps from my bed. So, no hauling.

I definately hope that when we move next year we have a similar setup..

 

[CdnDisneyNut]

Bungalow here; however I had a freind while I was in grade school lived in a two story house washing machine was in the basement. There were landry chutes on all levels of the house to the basement. It saves having to carry the landry down to the machine. The kids had to pick up the completed landry and put them away in their rooms.

 

[phorsenuf]

When I moved into this home the laundry was in the basement. The bedrooms on the 2nd floor. Way too many stairs and lugging laundy for me. I have health problems (and a HUGE klutz on stairs)so in time my condition will worsen. We had alot of room in our bathroom on the 2nd floor so we moved the washer and dryer up there. I love it! It is so easy! Yes, sometimes you can feel a vibration if there is something too heavy in it but its no big deal. Yes hoses can break but so can pipes to sinks and toilets can overflow. To me it is a godsend. When I sold real estate in NC almost all the new homes were being built with 2nd floor laundrys and people loved it!
As long as I keep up with the laundry I only have to do a load or 2 a day so it's no big deal. Plus our only bathroom is on the 2nd floor so I'm up there quite often! LOL

 

[mudnuri]

Currently in a single story ranch, laundry is in the basement, in the finished laundry room. Laundry is throw over the 1/2 door at the basement stairs....laundry washed, and folded right there....kids and DH pick up the clothes when done (well, okay DH does the laundry..)

When I was in grade school, a good friend of mine's house had the laundry room in the 2nd floor. It was in the Master Bedroom's "dressing room"...room was really a HUGE walk in closet...like 14x14...rods along the walls, shelf's above, and the washer/dryer/iron on 1 wall. They loved it, as all bedrooms were upstairs...

If we ever build a house, that's the way it will be..in the spare bathroom upstairs with all the bedrooms. I have a new Kenmore Elite washer, and let me tell ya, theres no vibration coming outta that thing, and it's so quiet you can sometimes hear the dryer over the washer!....

Agree with previous poster, pipes break just as often as a hose (not VERY!!)....wouldnt worry about water damage

Brandy

 

[wdw4us]

we have a basement and two storys on top of that. Our large washer is in the basement. We also have a piggy back washer/dryer combo upstairs in our dressing room. This area was previously my fathers apt. When we made it into a master suite I kept the washer/dryer for our use.

Unfortunately the real world has hit and it needs to be repaired but it will be nice once that is done.

As far as the plumbing, I have 3 sinks a toilet and a large shower, leaks can happen with these too, the last thing I want is to take the stairs to go pee in the middle of the night. Be it the washer or the bath, any one of these can spring a leak. I'll deal with that then!

denise

 

[Galahad]

Our current house isn't configured that way. But the house we had in Maryland had 4 BR upstairs and the laundry room. It was closest to the Master BR. No real noise problems at all with the door shut and VERY convenient. I'd recommend it.

 

[KathyTX]

Two stories here. Main living areas, Master bedroom and bath and washer dryer on first floor. Additional bedrooms, bath and living area on second.

I like having the W/D on the main floor- that's where most of the laundry comes from, anyway!

 

[goofygirl]

Well, I have a duplex, not a 2-story house, there's a washer and dryer on both floors since its 2 separate units. The only downside to a washer/dryer on the 2nd floor is that its very noisy on the 1st floor- you can hear the washer/dryer and all the pipes/vents that go with them quite loudly through the walls/ceiling!