We have decided to build a laundry and mudroom addition. I am SO EXCITED.
We decided to go for that rather than laundry closet.
Either way I won't be doing laundry in my murder basement.
Query: I have 0 use for a utility sink in my laundry life. If something is gross, I hose it off outside. If laundry needs to soak, my washer has a soak function. If things that aren't laundry that need to soak, I use the kitchen sink. Nevertheless, for resale reasons should we:
1. Put a small utility sink in the laundry/mudroom.
2. Put a small utility sink in the creepy basement where my washer/dryer used to be and where my husband will be putting in a workbench.
We had a utility sink in my house growing up. I think it was used occasionally but I don't even know for what. I have never once as an adult wished that I had one, and I've not lived in a house with one.
So I vote skip it if you don't need it. If there is opportunity to add that in the basement, let the next homeowner install one if they want one. I doubt that would be a dealbreaker for a buyer.
So, your only consideration is resale. Do you anticipate selling in the near future? What would the utility sink add to the cost of the addition?
My gut feeling says, if you plan on staying in this house for the foreseeable future and you don't want a utility sink, I'd skip it. If it's a fairly cheap upgrade, I *might* put one in the laundry room because you may find it useful once you have it.
Maybe a middle ground would be having the plumbing run, but not actually connecting to a sink. Thst would make it easier for a hypothetical buyer to put in a utility sink in the future.
Post by fivechickens on Apr 7, 2024 14:37:15 GMT -5
#3
I did not have the builders put a sink in our laundry room but I had them plumb for one just in case. I have lived in this house for 11 years and have not had the thought ‘damn I wish I had a sink in my laundry room’.
So I never had one until this house, and I do love it!!!
Same. I thought I never needed it because I had workarounds that were no big deal. Now that I have one, I’d be sad to not have it. I can soak something and not tie up the washing machine. I can wash off gross things inside even if the weather is nasty. It’s more comfortable to rinse things out in the sink than a bathtub.
I’d never say it’s a need in life…but I am really thankful I have one now!
I think plumbing for one now and leaving the option to add one later is a good idea!
We have a utility sink in the laundry room, which is on the 3rd floor. We have never used it, in 9 years of living in this house. Now that I think about it, we had one in our previous house too, which we lived in for 11 years, and we never used it there either. I think the factor in play is that it's been on the 3rd floor in both houses. If it were on the 1st or 2nd floor, it might get some use. But since it's way upstairs, anything that we would need to wash or do in it, we take care of outside. It's just too far away to want to drag yuck through the house. I agree w/ deadwing , plumb for one but not install.
Re: room size concerns, would you have enough room to ensure that the sink itself is long enough (from the wall to the parallel edge) and the faucet tall enough to fill a receptacle (like a bucket)? Ours is not (our laundry room is the size of a long skinny closet); it'd be really hard to wedge a bucket in there (I would have to move the faucet all the way to one side to be able to fill it).
Assuming you're not planning to sell soon, I wouldn't install one just for resale reasons. But I've never had a utility sink so it's clearly not a priority for me!
I wish I had one. And if we're ever able to buy a house it would be a selling point for me. It wouldn't be a deal breaker, but if I'm trying to decide between two houses that are the same in all other aspects... it would sway me 🤷♀️
I grew up in a house with a utility sink and many animals (both siblings and pets). That sink was needed and well used. After they grew out of their mud phases there were hockey gear phases... Def need a BIG sink for that stank 🤢
Also, I would put it in the mudroom/laundry room. That way you can hose animals off outside, trade clothes for towels in the mudroom and chuck all the nasty clothes into the sink without having to trek them through the entire house.
If you still have ample storage, maybe go for it. I wish we had one but only because we have a split sink so it’s tough to wash bigger things (like trays after a party or something).
We miss having a utility sink so much. Unfortunately to make it work in our current basement would take quite a bit of work and it wouldn't be near the washer/dryer which I think would be less useful.
I would try to work one in, or at least do the plumbing now so it's an easy option in the future.
I would plumb, honestly. We had that done when we built this house, and our realtor says it's good that we did. The one I wanted was on backorder, and then we decided to sell so I didn't bother, but I wish I had. Aside from soaking, it was great to make soft pretzels with.
We had a utility sink with our condo and do not have one in our townhouse. We miss it a lot! It's so nice to have a big basin that you can use to clean off something nasty without having to defile the kitchen sink or bathtub.
I should not vote in this poll. We have two on either side of a single wall. One in the laundry and one in the garage. I mostly use the one inside, H used the one outside. Given your issues, I’d vote for the murder basement near to workbench. Should be easy, as no new plumbing will need to be run. $50 cheaply plastic thing for the depot and DIY level plumbing (so easy/cheap if you have to pay for it).
How does everyone wash shoes without a utility sink? I mean I don't have one so I do know how to, but it's a pain in the butt I hate it and dream of having a utility sink lol.
I would skip it in the laundry room and put one in the murder basement. I don’t have a sink in my laundry room and I don’t miss it.
Question, though - since it will be a laundry/mudroom, do you think there could potentially be a need for one outside of laundry uses? In our last house we had the laundry/mudroom combo and I found I’d use the sink that was in there sometimes to do things like rinse off DS’ boots/shoes/etc. (We now have a utility sink in the basement and I do stuff like that down there)
How does everyone wash shoes without a utility sink? I mean I don't have one so I do know how to, but it's a pain in the butt I hate it and dream of having a utility sink lol.
We rarely have to wash off shoes. If they get really dirty/muddy (like soccer cleats) we leave them in the garage and when the mud dries we bang them against the driveway to dislodge the dirt.
I should not vote in this poll. We have two on either side of a single wall. One in the laundry and one in the garage. I mostly use the one inside, H used the one outside. Given your issues, I’d vote for the murder basement near to workbench. Should be easy, as no new plumbing will need to be run. $50 cheaply plastic thing for the depot and DIY level plumbing (so easy/cheap if you have to pay for it).
Yeah I'm here...we have one in our garage, and one in our laundry room, and both get used plenty. Not having one at all would be an issue.
Post by penguingrrl on Apr 7, 2024 15:40:41 GMT -5
We just built a new laundry room and put in a utility sink. I didn’t realize what I was missing until I had it. I use it to soak stained clothes quite a bit. However, hosing things off outside isn’t a practical option in NJ for more than half the year.
I wouldn’t put it in the basement, if it were basement or no sink I would probably choose no sink since I use it more for laundry purposes than anything else, so I don’t want wet clothes dripping up the basement stairs and all the way to the laundry room.
How does everyone wash shoes without a utility sink? I mean I don't have one so I do know how to, but it's a pain in the butt I hate it and dream of having a utility sink lol.
The only time we’ve had to wash shoes is when we step in poop and in that case we use the garden hose.
How does everyone wash shoes without a utility sink? I mean I don't have one so I do know how to, but it's a pain in the butt I hate it and dream of having a utility sink lol.
I have almost never had to wash shoes. The only shoes we had that routinely got gross were cleats when my middle played softball, but we left those outside and just banged the dirt off once they dried. We aren’t outdoorsie people at all, though, so if the weather is bad enough to get shoes dirty we aren’t really out there.
How does everyone wash shoes without a utility sink? I mean I don't have one so I do know how to, but it's a pain in the butt I hate it and dream of having a utility sink lol.
I think we've only cleaned shoes once in recent memory because they got muddy - I used the garden hose to spray them off and then left outside to dry.
I don't know that I would want mud and gunk going down the sink.
How does everyone wash shoes without a utility sink? I mean I don't have one so I do know how to, but it's a pain in the butt I hate it and dream of having a utility sink lol.
What are you walking in that washing shoes is a frequent enough occurrence to justify a utility sink? I'm not sure I've ever washed a shoe. Anything gross in the sole I scrape off outside with a stick.
I would include it if feasible. I don't have one (well, I do but it's in the basement and I hardly ever use it) but I think if we had an accessible one, I would find a lot of uses for it. We're also in early stages of planning a kitchen and mudroom remodel, and I think we'll try to incorporate one in the mudroom.
As a buyer, not having one wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, though.