ᐅ Utility room as small as possible – under the stairs?

Hello everyone,
we are building a small house with 125m² (1,345 sq ft) without a basement and would like to keep the utility room as small as possible. The following equipment needs to fit into our utility room: fuse box, hot water storage tank, electricity meter/water meter, heat transfer station, possibly a water softener, and potentially preparations for photovoltaic systems. Additionally, a decentralized ventilation system is planned.
Could the technical equipment be installed under the stairs (which are planned near the entrance)?
Or could the equipment be divided and partly placed under the stairs and partly, for example, in the laundry room on the upper floor?
We would appreciate any ideas.
Best regards, Roni

Hello Roni,
if you want to fit all of that in there, you will need a large staircase. Also, keep in mind that specific minimum clearances must be maintained around water and electrical distribution panels.

A heat transfer station sounds like district heating. A friend of mine has one too. It’s about 1x1 meter (3x3 feet) mounted on the wall, plus a buffer tank for domestic hot water with approximately 1 square meter (11 square feet) of floor space.

My ventilation system is 0.6x0.6x0.4 meters (2x2x1.3 feet) on the wall, but you’ll also need enough space for silencers, distribution units, etc.

My inverters are also wall-mounted (1x1 meter / 3x3 feet), and the water softener requires about 1 square meter (11 square feet) of floor space as well.

So it’s a bit more than what I would imagine fitting under a staircase.

Maybe you have a floor plan so we can take a look at it?

And don’t forget, a number of pipes run upwards from there, and they can’t go through the staircase.

Hello Roni,
where do you plan to accommodate the washing machine, dryer, vacuum cleaner, and so on, if you don’t even assign space for the essential technical installations?
Where is the technician supposed to work when carrying out inspections? At which point should the pipes enter the house from outside?
Where should the main water shut-off valve be located?

I suggest you visit a show home and pay attention to how the technical installations are integrated.

You need to have clear access in front of the fuse box, and there must be space behind it so it can safely move backward if it swings open ^^ (ideally the entrance door would be behind it). I think 5-6 square meters (54-65 square feet) is the minimum space required. If you want to save space, it’s better to avoid having a window there, as that area would also serve as a surface for wall-mounted fixtures.

I agree and also believe that it should be at least 5-6 sqm (54-65 sq ft).

While installers still won’t be able to dance waltzes inside, the extra cost for contortionists is eliminated. Not to mention the distancing rules that should (or must) be followed.