ᐅ Is the utility room sufficient to serve as a storage room as well?

Hello everyone,

we are currently planning our house build (without a basement) and have already looked at many floor plans. We are often surprised that the floor plans, especially from prefab home providers, do not include a storage room. We assume the utility room is meant to serve this purpose, but that space already contains the heating system / air source heat pump, photovoltaic system battery, electrical panel, washing machine / dryer. Houses with basements also have a boiler room and a storage room.

When I think about what we keep in our storage room, it seems the utility room would be very crowded. Besides beverages (water + juices about 6 crates, wine, spirits), food supplies, vacuum cleaner, spare gas cylinder for the grill, recycling paper, recycled glass, laundry detergents, hand tools, ironing board, bucket, etc. Not everything will fit in the utility room. If we add a freezer chest, it will get even tighter.

Therefore, we are planning an additional storage room for food and such, so these items can be stored cool and dry. We assume the utility room will not be cool because of the heating system. Of course, this takes up valuable living space, and we are wondering if we might be overlooking something. That’s why we wanted to ask everyone’s opinion on this.

Cheers

Hello, personally, that would never be enough for me. We have a small storage closet on the upper floor for cleaning supplies and similar items, a pantry for drinks and food, and in the basement, there is storage space in two rooms. For all the bins and tools, there is another room behind the garage. The question is, what exactly do you need to store? Do you need frequent access to your tools? Do you have hobbies that require a lot of storage space or whose bags might have odors?

We created extra storage space under the stairs by separating the area with treads and risers. Here we store our drinks, tools, and cat food supply. It’s a bit tight but works.

In the utility room, we have the washer and dryer, and there is still enough room for a drying rack.

The miscellaneous stuff goes up to the attic, and garden tools are kept in a garden shed. (Currently, quite a bit is still in the garage.)

Yes, I believe a large living room sells better than storage rooms.
We are not hoarders; larger items that we no longer need are sold.
But basically, we now have 2 small storage rooms (utility room + mechanical room) plus a large attic – and I think all three fill up very quickly.
Standard floor plans without storage rooms probably mean more stuff ends up in the living areas or the car ends up parked in front of the garage.

We have three storage rooms. 1) The attic
2) The garage, which contains a workbench and similar items
3) The utility room, which houses the washing machine, dryer, coat closet, pantry, and a utility sink.
Additionally, in spring, there is a small wooden shed for the lawn mower, garden spades, and so on.

There is never enough storage space; you are absolutely right that just having the utility room is not enough.
On the other hand, people usually fill up all the storage they have, such as basements, attics, garages, sheds, and so on.
P.S. Gas cylinders should not be stored in enclosed rooms.