Did you realize that simply moving your laundry room could drastically change your ability to remain in your home for longer? It can!
Last month, in one of my client consultations – family was concerned their mom had to move. She wasn’t managing well, her knees were getting weaker, she could do less things around the home – so they were concerned. As I met with the mom, we quickly discovered that her knees were weak from going up and down the stairs. She was so tired managing the stairs, she had no energy for anything else. When I brought up the idea of moving the laundry room – we suddenly solved a lot of concerns. Suddenly staying at home seemed manageable!
A key element of universal design is having all main home spaces on the main floor – a kitchen, the living room, a bedroom, an accessible bathroom and LAUNDRY ROOM.
If your laundry room is in your basement, this might be a large task. So let’s chat about what is involved to move your laundry room from a basement to your main level to maintain independence for aging well.
Before you get started, you might want to hire an experienced contractor who can help you with this move of laundry equipment. It’s not as simple as just moving the machines, you want to be sure you safely set up your new laundry room.
3 Considerations to Move Your Laundry Room
Do You Have the Space
Do you have a room, a closet or empty space that could accommodate your washer and dryer? Is your space better suited to a stackable washer & dryer unit? Do you have a vinyl or water resistant floor in this space for possible leakage? Can you close a door to this space to minimize noise?
Do You Have the Ability to Vent the Dryer
Your space either needs an exterior wall that you can create a hole into for your dryer vent. Your contractor might also be able to vent the dryer out of the roof if going out the side of the home isn’t practical.
Do You Have Access to Plumbing and Electrical
Remember that you need water and a drain for your washer. You’ll also need suitable electric outlets and possibly change a breaker in your panel for this dryer. You will need permits for both electric and plumbing alterations in your home.
Keeping independent with laundry while aging can have some challenges. Creating a best laundry room set up can help you prepare for the future.
You’ll want to carefully consider your machines. Look for front load machines that can be raised on pedestals so that the openings are closest to your waist height. If you are considering stackable machines, make sure you can reach the controls and reach the bottom of the top machine.
You want a 5 foot turning radius so you can turn around with a laundry basket or even bring a walker into the room. Having space to fold and prep laundry may need to be another consideration.
If your home can’t accommodate changing the location of your laundry room to the main floor, then you’ll need to do some planning how you will manage laundry when it is too difficult for you to do. I hope you at least take a closer look at your home to see how will manage your laundry room for aging well.
