Inside or Out Laundry?
 

I have been on two LSV's. One where the laundry was in the house and the other where the laundry facility was in the garage.

I was wondering if people had a strong preference for the laundry unit in the house and the reasons why? Your input is greatly appreciated.

Just asking as it is one more thing to consider when deciding on purchasing a home in TV.

take your choice
 

since you lived in LSVs with both-- which one did YOU like? if you answer that you don't need input.
:thumbup:

Only did laundry in the one on the inside.

I was there for a shorter second visit and didn't have the need to do laundry in the outside facility. I was too busy enjoying myself. :smiley:

Pros and cons to each, 2B:

- Laundry in the garage gives you more useable space inside the house.....but less garage space.

- The interior of the house is climate controlled.......the garage isn't.

- Some washers and dryers are fairly loud when running - might be nice to have them in the garage.

- The dryer will generate a bit of heat as well. Decide where you'd like that heat to be.

Sandy wanted the washer and dryer in the house.........so that was that in our case!

Bill :)

Doing laundry in the garage in the middle of summer is not a pleasant experience. I've been there, done that, and it's one of the reasons we sold that house and bought another.

Even if you were to not consider the unpleasant weather conditions in the garage, something else to keep in mind is you never hear the dryer buzzer. You either have to keep running out there to check, or it stops and your clothes sit there and get wrinkled.

My opinion, having had both options, is to have an inside laundry.

Another consideration favoring inside laundry. If you have front load washer they tend to "breed" mildew unless you let them dry out after running them. Leaving the door and soap dispenser drawer open helps accomplish this, but in a hot/humid garage it would be less effective.

And my opinion is laundry in the garage - that's why we have choices so we can pick which best suits our need.
If you've ever washed a load with a piece of paper or kleenex left in the pocket, which my husband seems to love to do, you definitely appreciate the washer in the garage! You can shake the mess off the clothes and then nag him into cleaning the whole garage while he's sweeping up the mess. Hey, it works for me!!
We put in a ceiling fan above the laundry area which helps in the summer, but it really doesn't take long to get a load out and rush back indoors. Plus, you don't have the lint or the noise. I got a dryer that keeps fluffing after it dries so I don't have to be out there when it's done to prevent wrinkling.
Bottom line, it's all a matter of personal preference.

We just bought a house with an outside laundry....just did not matter to me. Then I started reading about all the complaining about outside laundries. I timed how long it took me to prepare a load ie: shove it in the machine, add soap, softener and close the door. Hit two buttons. 2.5 minutes. My washer has a timer that tells me exactly when a load was to be done. I have a kitchen time. SO not having to run back and forth and I truly believe 2.5 mintues is doable regardless of the weather. Also timed how long it took to throw the stuff in the dryer, which also as a timer. Another 2-3 minutes. Also doable in any weather conditions. If they did not tell me exactly how long it will take, I would just keep a log for a few loads to determine how long each cycle would take. Front load washers can be treated with any number of products to get rid of mildrew. So I just don't see this as a issue. Don't do laundry in the middle of the day.....

The bigger issue for me is not letting myself feel like an idiot for the decisions we made. I find you will always find someone telling you that this or that is a mistake about your home. We got an Anna Maria that we love. Yes it is damned with an outside laundry and my we are dumb for having a bit of grass. We wanted the grass for the dogs. We will pay the water bill and cut back elsewhere if we have to. And oh, by the way, your driveway on the anna maria is way too short, etc. SO here is the crux of it. Buy what YOU love.No home is perfect. Don't second guess yourself like I was doing because I was not being picky enough......Whatever YOU chose that you love is perfect for you!

Have had an outdoor laundry and an indoor laundry. I opted for indoor for a number of reasons. It's comfortable temp wise in the summer as well as the winter. My washer and dryer are both very quiet (both are brand new) so they don't make that annoying noise some washers can make. Never realized how noisy my older ones were because they were in the garage at my other house. When they arrived in Florida, I really had to be selective about the time I did laundry so we could talk or watch tv without having to shout over the sound. Because of the noise they made, hubby and I promised we'd not get them repaired if they "broke." Well, I now have that new and very quiet washer and dryer... ;)

We have lived in two different houses in the Villages.

We had the washer and dryer inside in the first house and now have them in the garage.

We definitely prefer them being in the garage. There is no noticeable noise and there is more space inside.

as a resident on the historic side of the villages, our laundry is reached by going outside of the house and into the utility room at the rear of the carport...at first i thought, yikes! i hafta leave the house to do laundry in the winter!...and then i thought, silly! you're in florida - so what! :smiley: i was just happy that the laundry was on the same floor and not in a basement! lol

hope these responses give you a better idea of what you want/need for your home!

A lot depends on the model.
patio villa with laundry off kitchen is noisy, other ranches etc with laundry rooms (with full door) a little further away from living area are not as noisy.
we have a designer model with laundry room and full door - a lot of people move the laundry and/or a/c to garage and then miss the spacier garage - we like the laundry and a/c where it is, not in garage.
also like previously said, new upscale washer and dryers are a lot more quiet

We have an extended (long) garage and I like having the washer and dryer out there. Doesn't add heat or noise or take up room inside. I find that walking into the garage for a few seconds to load or unload the washer or dryer is not a big deal. Seems more economical. That said, when we become frogs, it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me either way if the washer/dryer were inside or out, although I've gotten used to it and might have a slight preference for it being in garage.

If it's a patio villa, I definitely vote for the garage. Nothing like having your kitchen be 10-15 degrees hotter in the summer cause the dryer is doing its job. YUCK!!! In the larger homes, I think it's a matter of preference, so long as the laundry room is not in the kitchen area and you can close the door to it while you're washing/drying.

I have had the laundry both in and out of the garage. Personally, I prefer the washer and dryer in the garage. Don't want to use house space for it. Also, It only takes a couple minutes to load a washer and dryer. I don't fold in the garage. Also, don't hear it out there.