How to Plan a Laundry Renovation Step by Step

1. Measure the room and note fixed services

Record the wall lengths, doors, windows and existing service locations. Note where the door swings and what needs to remain accessible. This gives you a real footprint to work with and helps avoid planning cabinets across an opening or service. For a practical measuring method, use the room measurement guide.

2. Select appliances before sizing cabinetry

Choose the washer and dryer, or decide which models you are considering, before finalising appliance spaces. The laundry layout guide provides typical appliance-space examples, but the selected model’s full measurements and installation instructions determine the actual requirements. Hoses, taps and connections can add depth behind a washer, and its door swings forward. The front-loader planning guide explains why nominal dimensions are only a starting point.

3. Choose a layout that fits the room

A straight run can place the washer, trough and storage along one wall, keeping plumbing on that wall. Front-loaders under a continuous benchtop can leave a folding surface above the machines. A stacked washer and dryer tower can save bench length in a small room or cupboard laundry. A tall cupboard at the end of the run can hold items such as a mop, vacuum or ironing board. Pick the arrangement that works with your room shape and appliance access.

4. Place the tub and work surface

Decide where the trough will sit in relation to the washer and the available bench. The layout guide describes a typical sequence with the washer, trough and storage under one benchtop. Leave enough bench for the tasks you actually do, such as sorting or folding washing. Check that taps and the trough remain accessible and that appliance doors can open without colliding with nearby cabinets.

5. Add storage around the essentials

Once machine and tub positions are clear, add base cabinets, wall cabinets or a tall cupboard where the room allows. The source guide gives starting library widths for parts such as washer or dryer bays, trough cabinets and linen towers, but these are not universal requirements. Adjust every cabinet to the measured room, exact appliances and chosen fixtures. Consider what needs to be stored so shelves and cupboards are placed where they are useful.

6. Check clearances and connections

Use each appliance’s installation guide for the required side, top and rear clearances, connections and access. Make sure the washer door has room to swing forward and that taps, hoses and drainage are reachable as required. If a dryer is stacked, confirm the appliance and stacking arrangement with its manufacturer’s information. Review the route through the room with drawers and doors open.

7. Review the arrangement before work starts

Check the whole laundry together: appliance spaces, tub, bench, storage and movement through the room. Compare the planned openings with the full appliance dimensions, not just the model’s headline width or height. If an appliance stands deeper than the bench, consider how the layout will accommodate it. Have services and final clearances checked on site with your installer before cabinetry is made.

Bring the plan together

A step-by-step plan keeps the appliances and their installation needs at the centre of the renovation. The guide to laundry layouts that work compares a straight run, under-bench machines, a stacked tower and a tall cupboard. You can try it free in 3D to explore the layout, then confirm the details with your installer.

Allow the appliances to lead the layout

The selected washer and dryer affect more than the openings they occupy. Their doors need to open, services need to be reached and the machine must fit the available depth. If the machines are positioned under a bench, compare their installation instructions with the finished bench and cabinet arrangement. If they are stacked, use the manufacturer’s information for the products and stacking components. Confirm any service changes with the appropriate tradesperson. Taking these decisions early helps the trough, folding surface and storage fit around equipment that is already chosen.

Read the matching planning guide for more detail.