Having a dedicated laundry room in the house can be an advantage. You can handle all your dirty laundry in one place, keeping other areas safe and hygienic. Generally, you access this room once a week to manage the entire load. Hence, you will likely forget about it when making your renovation list. However, doesn’t it make sense to prioritize this corner where you spend a considerable amount of time? With an updated space, your drab job of washing clothes will become more exciting and easy. So, let’s see what you can do here and how to improve its efficiency.
Planning and designing laundry room renovation
There should be a definite goal behind pursuing any remodeling project. It will help your planning. Think about your options. Do you wish to enhance the room’s aesthetic charm or flow for better functionality? Analyze the existing room condition to understand whether you want to work within the four walls or in an open layout. You should also know the way you clean your clothes. It will allow you to determine if a folding station should be close to the dryer or on its top. Placing hanging rods, laundry baskets, ironing boards or steamers, and other features will depend on this.
If the room lacks natural light, you must make a window or add efficient lighting systems. At the same time, you have to figure out the cabinet design and electrical and plumbing connections. You can also add a stainless laundry sink to enhance your utility room’s functionality and appeal. Since stainless steel is the most durable material of most options, you can pick it up without any hassle. Likewise, other materials in the laundry room should also be resilient to water, bleach, and chemical-based solutions. Suppose you do the flooring. Ceramic, laminate, and vinyl tiles can be perfect for the environment. These need less maintenance.
Another essential feature will be the storage, which can be cubbies, open shelving, or cabinets. You can have a little of everything also. However, room size plays a critical role. Wall cabinets can be reliable if you want to free the flooring area. They are also durable. Some people build base cabinets that take the support of the wall. But these will be vulnerable to damage caused by water overflow from the washer. For a budget-friendly approach, you can embrace open shelves. These are easy to install and look sleek. You can also trust them to be damage-proof.
If you include wood cabinets in the room, these should be high quality. It will be safer to choose hardwood over softwood. To protect against humidity, you can select from alternative surfaces like plywood, veneer, or rubber wood.
Budgeting for laundry room remodeling
Renovating a laundry room is possible within an estimated range of USD $800-12,000, with an average price of USD $6k. In this budget, you can build a 35 sq ft room with laminate countertops, medium-priced lower and upper cabinets, and front-loading washing and drying machines. Know what you can afford from the beginning. It will let you focus on materials and design per the room’s environment. The most expensive items will be flooring, countertops, and appliances. So please give them priority. With the remaining amount, you can buy additional features, accessories, etc.
Suppose you decide to have vinyl flooring in the laundry room. You can expect it to cost USD $2-8 per sq ft. A quart of paint will be accessible for USD $5-10. Depending on custom or stock cabinet designs, you can expect your expenditure to be around USD $2-4.5k and USD $100-280 per foot, respectively. Washer and dryer can cost USD $800-4k. Your utility sink can cost around USD $1k or so. Rely only on the best brands, though. The other key part of the laundry area is the countertop, which can be granite or quartz vs laminate. Laminate material usually costs USD $50-500k per sq ft, while others can charge USD $600-1k sq ft.
Now, the next consideration is the labor cost. You can save a lot by doing everything yourself, except a few complex things. Letting pros take charge of the project will likely exhaust one-third of the budget. There will also be waste removal expenses, no matter who renovates the area. A small dumpster rental will be available at a very affordable price, so take a look. The actual price will depend on container size, type of debris, and location. Hiring a dumpster is a good move to collect all the waste materials in one place hassle-free.
Let’s now have some idea about the labor cost for different works. A plumber may charge USD $45-150 per hour, an electrician USD $65-85 per hour, a carpenter USD $70 per hour, a painter USD $50 per hour, and a flooring installer USD $5-10 per sq ft.
Prepping the laundry room for renovation
An extensive remodeling project will include the removal of cabinets, flooring, sinks, and countertops. You can ascertain areas that fit into your DIY skills and others that fall outside your range. For instance, you would want to hire a professional to demolish walls, move electrical and plumbing, etc. You can remove the sink yourself but only with help from one more person. You can also detach countertops, flooring (vinyl, laminate, hardwood, or linoleum), etc.
Renovating a laundry room is less exciting initially. You will realize its significance when the new room gets ready. The boring and tiring laundry chores will suddenly seem okay. Your irritation level will be much lower or absent altogether. These are the perks of creating a new environment in this busy, mostly otherwise forgotten space. However, this will have a considerable cost. So, you must be careful about what you spend and how. Hire a contractor for intricate and complicated areas without taking any risks. Spending a little more on this area to ensure renovation work’s safety is better. Plumbing and electrical attachments require diligence and skilled hands. Else, the new space would turn into a fire hazard zone. Please pay attention to them and secure the right talent for these jobs.
