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Hi

 

Our utility is basic really but just wondered if I'm missing anything. I've had quotes from Howdens, B&Q and Wickes and it's around £850 at the cheapest (Howdens) for units and worktop). The builders will be putting in a stud wall so all the tanks, heat pump stuff will take up the back end of the utility so what space we have left is just around 2.4m in total maximum. I did wonder whether to go for all the smaller height units at the top rather than the taller ones?

 

- Priorities are a large sink which we have already (so we need a minimum of 800 cupboard).

 

- Washer and Dryer

 

The space is only 2100mm in width so we are limited but wanted a muddy entrance. There is no window as but there is a stable door and the glazed door into the hall let's in some light from the roof windows.

 

Colour wise, Howdens Dove Grey gloss (we actually think gloss is easier to clean than matt having had both previously) and a white coloured laminate worktop. We have gone for light colours because it's a dark room.

 

IMG_20201124_111634.jpg

Edited by canalsiderenovation
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I cant see anything wrong with that! Simple, functional, easy. What type of drier are you having? If you have one of those ones that extracts it needs to be near an outside wall I guess for the vent. 

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3 minutes ago, ZacP said:

I cant see anything wrong with that! Simple, functional, easy. What type of drier are you having? If you have one of those ones that extracts it needs to be near an outside wall I guess for the vent. 

 

Nope it's a Miele heat pump one so no extraction needed.

 

I didn't know if the wall units would be too overpowering. A smaller unit was suggested over the sink due to steam from hot water directly above.

 

Utility below - ignore tanks etc as these will be seperated by the studded wall.

 

IMG-20201123-WA0024.thumb.jpg.848de6be14a93b7794d21498360ffc26.jpg

 

1060679274_IMG-20201123-WA00272.thumb.jpg.f4b6120074f6485cc1e0875bec8d7e7c.jpg

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Make sure that your tap is high enough to fill the biggest thing you may want to fill.

Do you need a tall cupboard for brooms and things? (Could do that by moving sink slightly to right and having a shorter worktop on the left).

 

Think about lighting under worktop if you will be doing close work there (eg topping and tailing gooseberries or gutting fish etc).

 

Make sure that the washer and dryer doors open to the outside so you don't have to troll your items round the end of a door to dry them.


Are you having a wash-pulley in it, or drying washing? If so you need an MVHR outlet.

 

F

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10 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Make sure that your tap is high enough to fill the biggest thing you may want to fill.

 

Yes we have gone for a Grohe pull out tap which is quite high which should be sufficient.

 

10 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Do you need a tall cupboard for brooms and things? (Could do that by moving sink slightly to right and having a shorter worktop on the left).

 

That would have been ideal but we need at least an 800 unit for the sink and then 2*600 for the washer and dryer so that only gives us a max of 400 remaining which isn't big enough for a tall cupboard. We will however have some space within the heat pump and we have a cupboard in the hall which had manifolds etc so I think we will end up just using that for mop/broom/vacuum etc.

 

14 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Make sure that the washer and dryer doors open to the outside so you don't have to troll your items round the end of a door to dry them.

 

You've confused me! What do you mean?

 

16 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Are you having a wash-pulley in it, or drying washing? If so you need an MVHR outlet.

 

Yep fan.

 

 

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52 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

around £850 at the cheapest (Howdens) for units and worktop)


I take it that’s via your builder ..?? Howdens are currently doing a contract white or grey kitchen with more units than you need for £299 which is ideal for a utility. Ask him to get that priced up. 

 

 

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15 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

 

You've confused me! What do you mean?

 

 

 

If you are going to move washing from one to the other (obv they will be capacity matched for a full wash?), then you want both doors to open to the sides not the middle.

 

ie LH hinge on the LH machine, RH hinge on the RH machine.

 

Otherwise you have to lean back with an armful of washing to get round the door of the one that opens to the middle.

 

On the other point you could gain space by stacking the washer and dryer. In that case you put the washer above so you are moving wet washing downwards. The corollary would be a loss of worktop. Pros and cons.

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12 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

That would have been ideal but we need at least an 800 unit for the sink and then 2*600 for the washer and dryer so that only gives us a max of 400 remaining which isn't big enough for a tall cupboard.


Howdens do a tall cupboard at 300 wide and 400 wide, so not sure who is telling you what here...!!

 

I’ve just priced up your utility using Dove Grey gloss with rigid cabinets and standard black granite effect worktop and it comes to £380 inc the VAT from Howdens so no idea who is doubling the price for you... 

 

 

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50 minutes ago, PeterW said:


I take it that’s via your builder ..?? Howdens are currently doing a contract white or grey kitchen with more units than you need for £299 which is ideal for a utility. Ask him to get that priced up. 

 

 

 

The builder just gave us his details and told us to go in so all our contact has been with Howdens directly and they won't budge on pricing. We have been negotiating a few weeks now! The range we have been quoted on is the Greenwich gloss. Howdens was significantly cheaper than the other DIY places. I still thought it was a bit expensive if I'm honest..... What is the contract white/grey?

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39 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Howdens do a tall cupboard at 300 wide and 400 wide, so not sure who is telling you what here...!!

 

I’ve just priced up your utility using Dove Grey gloss with rigid cabinets and standard black granite effect worktop and it comes to £380 inc the VAT from Howdens so no idea who is doubling the price for you... 

 

Howdens themselves!! They are useless. Nay idea how I can get them to give us this price?

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Howdens will quote you full list price directly - builder will then go and order it and get list less 30-60% depending on the range and guess who pockets the profit .... 

 

I have an account which gives me a reasonable discount but I suspect it is a bit far to ship from here ..!!!

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Just now, PeterW said:

Howdens will quote you full list price directly - builder will then go and order it and get list less 30-60% depending on the range and guess who pockets the profit .... 

 

I have an account which gives me a reasonable discount but I suspect it is a bit far to ship from here ..!!!

 

Ahhhh right. Guess we are stuck with the normal pricing then because the builder isn't going to pass the discount on to us! See if they will deliver to SY13 ?

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1 hour ago, Ferdinand said:

 

If you are going to move washing from one to the other (obv they will be capacity matched for a full wash?), then you want both doors to open to the sides not the middle.

 

ie LH hinge on the LH machine, RH hinge on the RH machine.

 

Otherwise you have to lean back with an armful of washing to get round the door of the one that opens to the middle.

 

On the other point you could gain space by stacking the washer and dryer. In that case you put the washer above so you are moving wet washing downwards. The corollary would be a loss of worktop. Pros and cons.

 

Yep both 8kg machines. I don't actually know if the machine doors can be reversed. I know the washing machine can't but tumble dryer let me see.

 

I did think about stacking but neither of us are particular tall and I'd value more worktop to be honest.

 

 

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15 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said:

 

Yep both 8kg machines. I don't actually know if the machine doors can be reversed. I know the washing machine can't but tumble dryer let me see.

 

I did think about stacking but neither of us are particular tall and I'd value more worktop to be honest.

 

 

 

Yep. All fine.

 

The doors thing is nice if you can do it, but quite liveable without.

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Arghhhh, just been to site now and the heat pump and tanks is taking up more room than expected as it's not a pre plumbed tank due to the size so we will now only have a maximum of 2100 so looks like it will just be the sink unit and washer and dryer now with a small filler panel and get rid of the 300 unit at the end!

 

Guess it means on the plus Howdens will be cheaper!

Edited by canalsiderenovation
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