Thinking a Laundry Renovation?

If you have a small cluttered space that is not fit for purpose, we have good news. We can help you design a laundry that works for you – so no more dreading laundry day. A well-planned laundry renovation can actually help simplify your life and provide extra storage for linen, clothing and other household products.

Laundry Renovation Tips – What You Need to Think About

When it comes to planning your laundry renovation, there are a number of practical considerations you need to think about, including:

TIP 1: Get your Laundry Layout Right

The layout of your laundry should be practical to streamline your workload and workflow. Think about how you want to use the space and what tasks you will be doing the most often – most likely washing, drying and folding laundry. Things to consider include where your appliances will live – side by side, stacked or wall mounted. We can help you work out the most sensible layout for your space.

TIP 2: Laundry Ventilation is Crucial

Your laundry needs good ventilation, especially if you are running a dryer and/or your room does not have an external window or door. Ideally, you should vent directly outside to prevent an excess of moisture from building up in the home. The most obvious way to vent a room is via a window, but if you don’t have one then you will need to install ducting to the outdoors.

TIP 3: Custom Laundry Cabinetry and Shelving

Custom, built-in cabinetry is a great way of giving your laundry an uncluttered feel, and you can even hide your appliances behind a built in. If you do opt to conceal your appliances just remember to think about ventilation. You will need moisture resistant cabinetry and shelving for a laundry for maximum durability and to ensure no water damage occurs over time. The option is to have stainless steel shelving, which is great to allow linen to dry. The most popular cabinetry options for a laundry include overhead or eye-level cupboards, benchtop cabinets, a tall broom or ironing board cupboard, and base cabinets.

TIP 4: Laundry Benchtops and Workspace

To maximise workspace you can install engineered stone like Caesarstone or Quantum Quartz benchtops in your laundry, to provide a surface suitable for ironing, folding or storage. A lot of our clients opt for engineered stone as it looks fantastic, is non-porous, and really durable – which makes it the perfect laundry benchtop surface for a wet environment. You also have the option of laminate, which comes in a variety of surface styles, and is more cost effective. As long as you do not flood laminate it will hold up just fine in a laundry – and last for many years.

TIP 5: Look at your Laundry Plumbing

You need to think carefully about plumbing in your laundry, especially if you are reconfiguring the layout of your laundry. It makes sense to hide all your washing machine hoses for a sleeker, streamlined look, and have the washer outlet plumbed into your laundry tub under the cabinet. All your plumbing needs to meet the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA), which is the technical standard for all plumbing and drainage work in NSW. We only use the top local tradies, so you can rest assured that everyone who works on your plumbing is licensed by NSW Fair Trading.

TIP 6: Accessories make Laundry Day Easier

An efficient laundry needs the right accessories to help make laundry day – and all the other jobs that get done here – easy. Here you can think about installing things like a drying rack, retractable clothesline, and laundry bins. There are also lots of small storage solutions available to help keep all your laundry accessories neat and tidy.

TIP 7: Legal Laundry Waterproofing

Like a bathroom, your laundry is also classed as a ‘wet area’ so it needs to be waterproofed according to Australian Standard AS3740-201 (Waterproofing of domestic wet areas). This includes the walls adjacent to the laundry basin and the floor.

TIP 8: Practical Laundry Flooring

You also need to think about a waterproofed, which is water-resistant, easy to clean and durable. We advise against installing solid hardwood or laminate flooring as they are all an impractical choice for a wet area. Rather go for tile, which is durable and cost-effective which you can also use behind your benchtop and/or laundry sink/tub.

Project Managing your Laundry Renovation

We project manage your entire project from start to finish, and deliver your renovated laundry on time and to budget.  And as a family business you get to deal directly with us. That means no sales reps or chasing tradies – we coordinate everything and make it happen. Sound good? Let’s get stuck in and touch base on what you need to think about to get your laundry renovation project going.

This page covers what you need to know about a laundry renovation, including:

• Planning your laundry renovation
• Laundry design ideas
• Choosing appliances for your laundry
• What to expect from the process – from our initial chat to job completion

Planning your Laundry Renovation – Think Clever Storage, Efficiency, Simple

Take the time to plan your laundry renovation and the result will be a functional, efficient space with smart storage that maximises what is usually a small room. After we are finished you will actually enjoy using your laundry – sounds crazy right?

The first step is to identify what you want from your laundry by asking:

• What do you use your laundry for – washing, ironing, storage?
• What features do you need – is it more storage and/or bench space?
• Are you adding/replacing appliances?
• Do you need new plumbing or power points?

You could also be integrating your laundry into your kitchen – also called a European laundry, so it could be part of a larger kitchen renovation project.

The second step is to list what features you want in your revamped laundry. Most laundries include:

• A washing machine
• A dryer
• A laundry sink/basin/trough
• Storage space in the form of shelving, cupboards or cabinetry
• A benchtop
• A cupboard/s

Choosing Appliances for Your Laundry

If you are using your existing appliances we will factor these into the design process. Or you could be installing new appliances.

We recommend choosing a quality brand that has all the features you want. Also look for a  decent warranty and a model that is energy efficient. All appliances have an Energy Star Rating and Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) rating – with more stars indicating a more efficient machine. This will impact your runnings costs over the long term – so be sure to compare a variety of models before you choose.

Washer/washing machine

For your washer, you have a choice between a top or front loader. Front loaders are more expensive to buy but you can stack them with a dryer, or put it under a benchtop – which helps to save on space. Top loaders use more water and cannot be stacked but come in larger capacity sizes.

You need to think about what capacity suits your needs, how energy and water efficient they are and if they have the features and programs you need. If you are a family of four or more look for a machine with at least 6 kg or more.

Dryer

If you are looking for a new dryer you will have a number of technologies to choose from, including a condenser, heat pump or vented. Vented is the cheapest and most common model, but do need to be ducted outdoors to release all the moisture and heat. Condenser dryers collect all the moisture in a tank which needs to be emptied or piped to an outlet or drain, while heat pump dryers are the most pricey but are more energy efficient than all the others.

If you choose a front loading washer you can stack it with your dryer – and it often makes sense to have the same brand so they fit well. You can also wall mount a dryer to free up floor space in your laundry.

Washer/dryer combo

If you are short on space, live in an apartment, or do not have a large family a washer/dryer combo is a sensible option. Just remember that you can only wash or dry at any one time. A combo is convenient, but they are generally only average when it comes to performance and energy efficiency.

Laundry tub

A laundry tub is great to have for soaking and cleaning soiled clothing in. Like a kitchen sink, a laundry tub needs to be deep and wide enough to let you soak large items like sheets and bed linen. Some of our clients have installed twin tubs, which allow you to have access to a sink while you are soaking. If you are short on space then feel free to remove the tub from your laundry. In terms of tapware, a wall-mounted swing tap with an adjustable spout is a sensible option, and taps with a spray function are also popular for spot cleaning fabrics.

Managing your Laundry Renovation

It’s important you understand every step of the process so you know what to expect. Here is how we work:

• We start with an initial chat to explore what you want to get out your laundry renovation. We then book a consultation and send you a calendar invite.
• An onsite consult is next, which gives us a chance to meet, greet and talk through your laundry renovation ideas. This is when will discuss all the pros and cons of the different options and designs – and where begin to move to a more refined solution.
• We then go away and develop a draft solution for you to review. This gives you the opportunity to feedback, and decide what you want in and out.
• Together we fine tune and revise until you are completely satisfied with your project.
• We can then price your job, remembering that we manage all the works and trades, saving you cash and headaches.
• You then get a presentation – face-to-face or via email. Only when you are completely satisfied we will proceed to the next step.
• This is when you sign paperwork and get a start date for your job.
• We then project manage all the trades and works with minimal fuss.

Renovating in a Strata Building

If you are renovating in a strata building, be aware that you will need to get approval for your laundry makeover or renovation. You normally have to submit your plans to the body corporate, strata committee and/or strata manager. They will assess your submission to ensure it meets the necessary standards and rules set out by the body corporate.

How Much will my Laundry Renovation Cost?

When it comes to planning your laundry renovation project you are going to want to know how much it is all going to cost. Your job is going to be affected by:

• The size of your laundry
• The amount of cabinetry, shelving, and benchtop you install
• The materials you choose for your cabinetry and benchtops
• Your flooring choice
• The appliances you choose, if you are replacing existing

The best way of working the cost of your job is to get in touch so we can visit your home. We can then work out exactly what you want from your laundry and begin to develop a final design and budget.

Suppliers We Recommend

Ready to start getting ideas and looking at products and materials for your laundry reno?

We are based in Alexandria, so are lucky to have access to a huge range of suppliers in the local area, including:

Appliances Online

Bunnings

Reece

Alternatively view our other suppliers list page here.

Laundry Renovation Sydney – Why Renovate With Us?

The main thing we do is take the stress off your shoulders.

How?

By working with you in the planning phase to help work out a detailed budget that takes everything into account. We then project manage your laundry reno from start to finish, and deliver your project on time and to budget.  We also use a network of top notch tradesmen who are all experienced licensed professionals who take pride in the work they carry out.

We also handle everything from kitchen and bathroom renovation, to apartment renovations,  terraces and complete home renovations .