You have already received a few tips. As a mom of a 3-year-old ... really think about whether you want to do the laundry so far away. Especially in the first year, one load per day is not uncommon. Then hanging it up or using the dryer ... believe me, it’s awful if you have to stand in the damp basement for that. And that with a small child (because they find it really interesting down there). Maybe swap the guest room/office with a utility room. If you want to be really decadent, plan a small room upstairs where the washing machine and so on can go. About the skylight: I know it makes everything nice and bright, but I haven’t experienced a single one that was clean. Those things get dirty so quickly that they’re really no fun.