Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: need information on common house use

[Susan Coberly (susandgeorge]

All I can say is ditto to the myriad uses the CH hosts.
Especlally pre-COVID.

Raines Cohen had a set of good suggestions about shareable concepts.

One caveat about Raines' suggestion about the laundry. We have 28 homes
comprised of flats (6 2 bd/ 2 ba upstairs and 6 downstairs under them) and
2 story townhouses ( most 3 bds / 2.5 ba, four 4 bds / 3 ba and two 5 bds /
3.5 ba. While about 1/2 of us use the CH laundry, many have installed
washers and dryers, or washers only, in their homes.

I would suggest building in that ability for a closet that can accommodate
a set of stackable appliances. LaQuerencia has that in all house types. I
would also suggest that the closet have an overflow pan and a floor drain
in case of leaks (not just the drain up in the wall for the drain hose),
because washing machine leaks do happen (LaQuerencia homes don't have
this).

People's minds on this convenience may change over time. I am still using
the CH laundry after 12 years, and installed easily-removeable shelves in
the washer dryer closet in case I or the next owner wants to have laundry
machines in the home.  I haven't given in yet.

While sometimes it may not feel totally "convenient" to do laundry in
the CH there is a different convenience - almost a luxury - in going down
to the CH with 3 loads and getting them done all at the same time. Walking
back and forth is good exercise. One neighbor times it so she can sit and
watch the geese in the flood control basin out back while her load(s) are
churning away inside. And one can visit with others who come in and out to
do laundry or check their mail in the CH hall, or, in pre-COVID times, work
on making a common meal in the kitchen.

Susan Coberly
LaQuerencia aka Fresno Cohousing
Fresno CA