What's even more problematic is that new North American homes are often constructed with a washer/dryer "conveniently" placed near a bedroom, typically on the upper level, and yet, they are still installed without a drain.
Drain aside (which, AFAIK, would be required by code where I live) I'd love to have the washer/dryer located near bedrooms. Having the laundry off the kitchen, garage, or in the basement creates needless make-work transporting clothes across the house. I don't ever disrobe or dress outside my kitchen, garage, or in my basement. (It would make more sense if the laundry backed-up to the bedroom closets.)
We usually do laundry on the weekends, during the day. It's actually more annoying in the basement, as that's where the familyroom/TV are located (and the wall between the W&D and family room is just single-layer drywall, with the W&D right there).
My washer and dryer are in a washer-and-dryer-sized closet in the hall near my bedroom, but I guess the noise insulation is good enough that I don't hear it when it's running at night.
I’m relatively sensitive to noises (analog clocks are a hard no-go because of their soft ticking; it’s infuriating trying to sleep somewhere that has them). But I barely hear our dryer when it’s running at night, and it’s just on the other side of our bedroom wall. As long as we aren’t doing a load with lots of hard buttons and things (which make a louder clinking sound when tumbling) the dryer is totally fine at night.
The washing machine, not so much. The water lines and spin cycle aren’t particularly loud, but they’re loud and distinct enough that it’s too loud for me at night.
