Cost of a Laundry Room Remodel
source: brightcd, Flickr.com
More and more people are renovating their laundry rooms these days, with a focus on upgrading appliances and flooring. And it’s no wonder – why treat the laundry room as a shed or storage closet? After all, if you’re using the room to clean your clothing, why worry about having it drop on the floor and getting dirty? Remodeling your laundry room will not only create an atmosphere of cleanliness but it can make doing the laundry less of a chore.
A typical laundry room remodel involves updating your washer and dryer, redoing cabinets, counters, the sink, replacing the floor and painting the walls. Aside from the cost of the appliances, a remodel like this can cost between $2,000 and $3,000. When consulting with a remodeling contractor, the following are a few suggestions to keep in mind.
Improving Appliances
Many people upgrade their washers and dryers to high-end, energy efficient machines. This will make your clothing cleaner in less time and cut costs on utility bills. In addition, newer appliances come in sleeker designs that will make your laundry room look more appealing.
Location
A recent trend is to make the laundry room more accessible and move it from out of the depths of the basement and onto the main floor, preferably off the kitchen. This is very attractive to prospective buyers and can add to your home’s value. However, this requires hiring a plumber to install the proper piping for your washing machine. Additionally, it’s nice to have a room with a view or at least a window to provide some natural light. This is especially true if you live in a city with a pastoral view like Providence, Rhode Island.
Recognize Your Needs
If you’re redoing the floor, consider tile flooring or some other waterproof material. If you ever hand wash or hang things to dry, or even when you’re just moving wet clothing from the washing machine to the dryer you’re likely to drip water on the floor, so be sure to choose a material that can take it.
Many people think it’s a good idea to install lots of counter space in a laundry room to help with folding laundry. While in theory this is a good idea, in practice, people tend to take the laundry elsewhere and fold it in front of the TV. If you do the same, consider either installing a small television in your laundry room or forgoing the extra counter space. In addition, you should have a hanging rod in the laundry room located near the dryer. If you have a side-by-side washer and dryer you can place the rod above the appliances.
There are a lot of small tasks we do in the laundry room such as applying stain remover, sewing and ironing. Therefore you’ll want adequate lighting to see what you’re doing. If there’s only one socket have an electrician install another one or bring in a bright lamp that you can adjust for your needs.
Whatever options you choose for your new laundry room, be sure to consult with a professional remodeling contractor.
