Are utility rooms worth it?

Author: Joe Swift  |  Last update: Friday, July 4, 2025

A utility room is a valuable addition to any home. It provides a space to store and organise household items, keeps your kitchen clear, and adds value to your home. When considering where to put a utility room, think about the layout of your home and your personal preferences.

Do laundry rooms add value to a home?

Yes, adding a laundry room can indeed add value to your home. A well-designed laundry room is a highly sought-after feature for many homebuyers, making it a valuable addition to your property.

Is a utility room essential?

Why should you have a utility room? A utility room is known as 'the engine of the home'. It's an apt name, considering it keeps your house running like a well-oiled machine behind the scenes.

What is the difference between a utility room and a laundry room?

A utility room is generally the area where laundry is done, and is the descendant of the scullery. Utility room is more commonly used in British English, while North American English generally refer to this room as a laundry room, except in the American Southeast.

Is a utility room habitable?

Typically, habitable rooms provide the living accommodation of the dwelling. They include living room, dining room, study, home office, conservatory and bedrooms. They exclude the bathroom, WC, utility room, storeroom, circulation space and kitchen (unless it provides space for dining).

What To Consider When Planning Your Utility Room

Is a utility room a good idea?

A utility room is a valuable addition to any home. It provides a space to store and organise household items, keeps your kitchen clear, and adds value to your home. When considering where to put a utility room, think about the layout of your home and your personal preferences.

Do I need planning permission to change my garage into a utility room?

You don't usually need planning permission to convert your garage space into a habitable room. However do check with your local planning authority as listed buildings, detached garages, conservation areas, heritage schemes, rights removal, or making your garage into a separate dwelling will need planning permission.

Can I put a toilet in my utility room?

Sure, it's not a traditional location for that extra toilet, but it makes sense and really works. The plumbing is going to be there already, so it's a case of optimising the space. If there's no foul waste pipe you can install a macerator.

Can you put a fridge in a utility room?

It is usually found adjoining the kitchen, most usefully linking it with the outside, and housing the laundry, overspill kitchen appliances – fridges especially, maybe wine racks a separate sink and elements of a boot room or cloakroom.

Why do people have a sink in the utility room?

Having a sink in the laundry room allows you to take care of those stuck-on stains right by your washing machine, as well as take care of things like rinsing swimsuits to rid them of excess chlorine or salt water or hand washing delicate items.

Where should I put my utility room?

“The best place to position a utility room is off the kitchen, with a door leading to the outside, although this should not be the only access to the kitchen,” Charlie Turner says.

Do utility rooms count as square footage?

Yes! Square footage commonly includes built-in closets, storage rooms, and utility areas like laundry rooms or dedicated storage closets. These spaces contribute to the overall livability and functionality of the house.

What is the purpose of a utility room?

A utility room is an area within the home created for the primary purpose of housing larger household appliances and performing day-to-day tasks, such as laundry.

What room adds most value to a house?

6 Room Additions That Add the Most Value to a Home
  1. Kitchen Bump-Out. We've said it before and we'll say it again: A kitchen is the central gathering space in a home. ...
  2. Second Story Addition. ...
  3. Primary Suite Addition. ...
  4. Extra Bedroom Addition. ...
  5. Bathroom Addition. ...
  6. Sunroom Addition.

How much should I spend on a laundry room?

A mid-level laundry renovation may cost anywhere from $5,000*-$50,000*. On a mid-level budget, you could consider converting part of the garage or adding a laundry room as part of a kitchen or bathroom makeover.

How to increase home value by $50,000?

Adding $50K in Value to Your Home: Top Strategies for Sellers
  1. Curb Appeal Matters. First impressions count. ...
  2. Upgrade the Kitchen. The kitchen is often the heart of the home. ...
  3. Bathroom Remodel. Bathrooms also hold great value. ...
  4. Energy Efficiency Improvements. ...
  5. Fresh Paint and Flooring. ...
  6. Professional Staging. ...
  7. Proper Pricing Strategy.

What normally goes in a utility room?

While utility rooms typically offer space for ironing boards, vacuum cleaners and washing baskets, they can also host multifunctional storage solutions. So, whether you want to store recycling bags, coats, dog leads or lesser-used kitchen appliances, our cabinets make organising your kitchen easier.

What is a utility room vs laundry room?

A utility room generally houses laundry machines, cleaning supplies, and other items for household maintenance. A laundry room has a washing machine, dryer, and sink. Utility rooms are often found in the basement or other out-of-the-way places while laundry rooms are usually found on the main level of the home.

Do you need ventilation in a utility room?

If your home has a utility room with a washing machine or tumble dryer, you should also have some form of ventilation there too.

Do I need permission to add a toilet in my house?

Usually, adding a downstairs toilet to your home does not require planning permission, unless it is part of a larger extension. This does vary depending on where you live, whether your property is within a conservation area or is of historical significance.

Should a utility room have a sink?

Something as simple as installing a sink can take your utility from a space to do washing and store things, to a room that can function as an extension to your kitchen space.

Can a utility room be a bedroom?

You can call any room a bedroom if you want to.

Is a utility room considered living space?

HABITABLE SPACE is space in a building for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilets, hallways, storage areas, closets, or utility rooms and similar areas are not considered habitable spaces.

Do I need permission to brick up my garage door?

Generally speaking, planning permission is not needed to brick up a garage door if the work is internal and doesn't involve enlarging the house. However, if your home is listed, if you live in a conservation area, or you're converting the garage into a separate house, you will need planning permission.

Does a utility room need a door?

Muddy footprints, paw prints and piles of dirty clothes are not what your kitchen is for. That's why any utility room you build should (wherever possible) feature an external door. Then, when your kids, or whoever else for that matter, come traipsing in they can take off their dirty clothes, shoes, etc.

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