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I think best solution is like between mudroom and garage; this way for busy mom's some of the dirtiest clothes can be left in the garage or mudroom and then right into the laundry and they even monitor while feeding babies / kids.
Been there / done that!
and Done!
I loved that location! I could say, "Don't even come in here wearing that." In the summer, you could remove the offending duds in the garage. Colder, the mudroom/laundry room.
I didn't carry large loads of laundry from the second floor. I tied them into an old top sheet and kicked it down the steps. Hanging and folded went up in small lots when anyone was going up.
When the hose connection on my washer on the second floor leaked, we found that the drain was clogged with building rubble. That was a mess. I never thought to shine a flashlight into the drain or run a snake down to see if it was clear.
That's the problem in some parts of California.. not longer much land available in certain cities, so they have no choice but to maximize utilization of land by building 2-story homes.
I don't have a washer and dryer on the 2nd story of my 2 story house, I have it on the main level. So I can't address the issue of noise/ vibration (tho you may be able to do something about that with sound proofing), or the water issue (never had a washer overflow or hose break, and I'm 64).
However, the 1 thing I can say- as you get older, with many aches and pains, or if you ever end up with surgery, etc. Carrying laundry, either clean or dirty, gets very hard going up and down stairs. It seems the stairs get very long and grow with the weight of the laundry basket.
We now have a small dresser near the W & D, and rods, and shelving near the laundry room. That is where all the clothes go now. We still have dressers upstairs, but they hold the stuff that gets used once in a blue moon. I open those dresser, maybe 1 or 2 times a yr.
This may be something you will want to consider depending on your age, health, and/or how long you plan on staying in the house as you age.
If I ever get to design my own house, the washer and dryer would be between my bedroom closet and the master bath, where all the laundry is generated.
I'd love to have that too! i find the newer construction have a drain in the flooring of the laundry room if it's upstairs along with leak proof valve too. My cousin actually have 2 laundry rooms; one upstairs between the children's bedrooms and the loft, and second one is in their finished walkout basement. Pretty genius because 90% of laundry is all clothes which can be quickly transferred to all relevant bedrooms upstairs, bedding, same thing and towels. Basement laundry room is actually used mostly for the pool towels and guests.
My mom's home has a 2 story single family house built in 2004 and has the same paranoia (that she has to be at home while the washing machine is on). It's never leaked. It's rare for most homes to have a bedroom downstairs on a 2 story house unless it's huge.
I'm in an apartment now and the washing machine leaks a little bit of water like once a month with large loads.
You can catch minor leaks with washing machine trays. I've never been in a massive washing machine flood.
All washing machines, especially those on the second floor, should have metal hoses. These hoses are not expensive and keep hose leaks from happening.
If you have a leak in ANY appliance or toilet, you should have your water pressure regulator valve checked. You can buy a tester at Home Depot for about $15. Or call a plumber to do it for you. Too high a pressure coming into the house can not only cause leaks in toilets, ice makers, etc., but can prevent a flood in your house if a pipe bursts when you are not at home because of too high a pressure. Check it out on the internet. A simple fix that can save thousands of $$'s. Our neighborhood of 128 homes did a massive check of these regulators and MANY homes needed new regulators. This was after one home flooded while owners were on vacation for two weeks. A huge, expensive mess. Our houses are 15 years old. If you have a new water heater, your regulator valve may have been replaced then.
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