Help with Utility room space

[Sophiae]

A year after we started working on the rear extension I am faced with a hard decision to make. 
the arrow shows the designated utility room. 
I remember giving it to the architect saying it needs to be 150cm at least so that I can easily move around it. 
2 years on from design we all realised the architect managed to narrow it to 850mm!!!

so I am in shock to say the least. 
my utility room space isn’t functional so now I have to make up my mind before the builders build a wall.
what should I truly do? Sacrifice the utility room for a larger space between the open plan kitchen/ living area or sacrifice the space to have a utility room? 
 

what is the narrowest I can go with the width of it? It’s about 4m long. 

[TonyT]

Stack washing machine/tumble dryer etc 

and then narrow shelves oh and ditch architect 

 

What stage are you at?

[Discoeye]

Hi, that's a sad story to end up living a reality. Your right that's it space fit for nothing good and if you really want the utility room pinch the space from the kitchen if possible.

I would die for a utility room and on our next house purchase my wife and I have both said if the house has a utility room we will buy it and look at the rest of the house when we move in(tongue in cheek).

[Sophiae]

12 minutes ago, TonyT said:

Stack washing machine/tumble dryer etc 

and then narrow shelves oh and ditch architect 

 

What stage are you at?

This is the plan, but I still need more than 25cm to move around. 
so now what would you say I can make it up to be? 
the extension walls all up, builders are preparing for the insertion of the steel beams. That wall dividing the space between kitchen and utility is still not there. There is no roof or flooring yet. 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Sophiae

[Sophiae]

6 minutes ago, Discoeye said:

Hi, that's a sad story to end up living a reality. Your right that's it space fit for nothing good and if you really want the utility room pinch the space from the kitchen if possible.

I would die for a utility room and on our next house purchase my wife and I have both said if the house has a utility room we will buy it and look at the rest of the house when we move in(tongue in cheek).

Indeed. I was mortified this morning when the UFH designer pointed it out to me.  My head is about to burst from anger. How could they do that to me? 
My project was on hold for a year because the Planning office put my application in the drawers forever, and all this application was for an extra meter for the utility, only to find out it’s taken away from me! 
 

[Discoeye]

I feel your pain. The longer things take to happen the more mistakes seem to evolve. Good luck😄

[saveasteading]

That is like a cupboard squeezed in a leftover space.

You could stack washer and drier at the far end, and the remaining area is then just space for handling washing.

 

We have just built a utility room combined with plant room and are stacking. We decided not to buy appliances that would combine with a special stacking device, because it limits choice now, and in the future.

So we are just  building a worktop over the washing machine and the drier will sit on that.

 

option 2, haul in the architect (small a  for the moment) and demand a solution.

 

option 3. don't build that wall and the sinks etc can go in that space. You have then gained a corner where the door was, and can put in more units with washing machine and drier.

 

option 4, bring the wall into the kitchen to create 1.5m, and lose some of the generous circulation area. You still might put the appliances at the end so the doors can open without blocking the area.

 

The foundations and floors may need revamping if the wall is structural.

 

 

I notice that the architect hasn't even shown a washing machine. Needs embarrassing at the very least.

The word architect cannot be used unless they are registered. Are they?

 

 

 

[ETC]

There wasn’t an architect within a mile of this plan - terrible!!!

[TonyT]

1 hour ago, Sophiae said:

This is the plan, but I still need more than 25cm to move around. 
so now what would you say I can make it up to be? 
the extension walls all up, builders are preparing for the insertion of the steel beams. That wall dividing the space between kitchen and utility is still not there. There is no roof or flooring yet. 

The electrical equipment is on the back wall….

[Sophiae]

So this was what I drew and presented to her prior to her working with the project manager and they both approved the plans and cracked on and got all internal remodelling but with apparent faults I am seeing now. 

[Sophiae]

33 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

That is like a cupboard squeezed in a leftover space.

You could stack washer and drier at the far end, and the remaining area is then just space for handling washing.

 

We have just built a utility room combined with plant room and are stacking. We decided not to buy appliances that would combine with a special stacking device, because it limits choice now, and in the future.

So we are just  building a worktop over the washing machine and the drier will sit on that.

 

option 2, haul in the architect (small a  for the moment) and demand a solution.

 

option 3. don't build that wall and the sinks etc can go in that space. You have then gained a corner where the door was, and can put in more units with washing machine and drier.

 

option 4, bring the wall into the kitchen to create 1.5m, and lose some of the generous circulation area. You still might put the appliances at the end so the doors can open without blocking the area.

 

The foundations and floors may need revamping if the wall is structural.

 

 

I notice that the architect hasn't even shown a washing machine. Needs embarrassing at the very least.

The word architect cannot be used unless they are registered. Are they?

 

 

 

Have a look at my own original drawings. 
I am feeling very very sad and unable to comprehend the mess I am in. 
i can’t believe people have lost their integrity this badly. 
She came very highly recommended. 

[Sophiae]

3 minutes ago, TonyT said:

The electrical equipment is on the back wall….

No electrics yet. Electrician hasn’t started on that area yet. No one is going to do a thing till I sort out the final decision regarding the space. 

[ETC]

Which bits are built and which are yet to be built?

[ETC]

I’m sorry but your original plan is a terrible waste of space! An awful lot of circulation area compared to accommodation.

 

This could have been a simple lovely open plan living area.

[TonyT]

1 hour ago, Sophiae said:

No electrics yet. Electrician hasn’t started on that area yet. No one is going to do a thing till I sort out the final decision regarding the space. 

The washing machine is the electrical equipment on the back wall….

 

so you don’t have to walk around it…

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, Sophiae said:

Have a look at my own original drawings. 
I am feeling very very sad and unable to comprehend the mess I am in. 
i can’t believe people have lost their integrity this badly. 
She came very highly recommended. 

Did you not check and agree the drawings before going ahead?

[TonyT]

Best just stop the build before things progress to far to change

before the plumber , electrician, roofer make a mess too and you spend more money that may be ripped out

[Sophiae]

3 hours ago, ETC said:

Which bits are built and which are yet to be built?

Everything is built except for the dividing wa between the kitchen and utility. 

[Sophiae]

3 hours ago, ETC said:

I’m sorry but your original plan is a terrible waste of space! An awful lot of circulation area compared to accommodation.

 

This could have been a simple lovely open plan living area.

You are right however we are both Autistic and my son has also ADHD. There’s only 2 of us. I needed plenty of open space for him to run around safely instead of going to A&E with broken bones every so often and I can’t stand clutter. 
we hardly ever have people over and theb3rd bedroom is for those events. 
no one seemed to care much when I was planning (family/friends) or even the architects. They all said it was ok. Possibly because they have all been introduced to my son and know his needs. 

[Sophiae]

1 hour ago, TonyT said:

The washing machine is the electrical equipment on the back wall….

 

so you don’t have to walk around it…

I am so sorry Tony. I truly don’t understand what you said. 
i am more of a Visual person. Would you be able to draw what u mean? 

[Sophiae]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Did you not check and agree the drawings before going ahead?

I left it with the project manager who had my original drawing. Him and the architect were suppose to translate it to meaningful space with our requirements. 
i had a few initial meetings and explained all our must haves and the rest was for them to utilise the space to the best of our needs. 

[Sophiae]

1 hour ago, TonyT said:

Best just stop the build before things progress to far to change

before the plumber , electrician, roofer make a mess too and you spend more money that may be ripped out

And do what? 

[Sophiae]

This wall is only 110cms as specified by the Structural engineer who refused to make it any shorter acting within the budget. 

he said he could take it all away but it would have cost us more than double the cost. Wasn’t and still isn’t feasible, hence the existence of it. 

[ETC]

9 minutes ago, Sophiae said:

Everything is built except for the dividing wa between the kitchen and utility. 

You have two choices if the wall isn’t structural.

1. move the wall between the utility and kitchen out to give you the space you need or

2. forget about building the wall (as long as it’s not structural) and incorporating the washing machine and tumble drier into the kitchen layout.

[Sophiae]

3 hours ago, ETC said:

Which bits are built and which are yet to be built?

This was the original built.