the plan shows steps down to the covered patio...what is the floor and roof made out of and how high is the ceiling? if you're wanting to improve the liveability of the house it could be good to consider raising the outside floor to match inside and installing an outdoor kitchen with the washer and dryer under a bench with a solid back and end wall

I would look to open up the laundry to the bathroom like this, you would have a galley kitchen, if the door could be moved to the living you would have more space in both the bathroom and kitchen.

I mean dining room access

Like this

@dreamer and @oklouise

Yes, I like those inspo images and having a sink for ice/outdoor entertaining would be very handy. I've added a picture of the outdoor area that we're considering using for the laundry. Unfortunately, the placement of the bathroom window really limits us in what we can do. The plan would be for the machines to be stacked on a platform that is level with the second step, the step above the watering can (the washing line and pot on the wall would go obviously). The countertop and sink would run across from that, below the window. The other consideration is not compromising the underhouse ventilation, and access to the overflow drain (in the space with the tangle of yellow cord). But I think this outdoor solution is workable and could look ok - though an indoor laundry would be ideal if we could make it work somehow. Thank you both!

@siriuskey Thanks for the sketch! I love your idea and any plan that gives us more bathroom and kitchen space is music to my ears! The wall where you have put the door to the bathroom (where the current cupboard is) is a brick wall, and I'm not 100% it would be easy to knock through that - but maybe it's ok if we're just putting in a doorway as opposed to removing the wall completely. If the heritage listing and the brick wall weren't an issue, I definitely would choose your solution over the ideas that we have come up with.

Broader question - what kind of person would we have come to the house to give us opinions on this topic? Is it a builder? We've had a plumber and a joiner look at what we're doing and be positive about our suggestions, but we're also interested in having someone tell us what is the most economical and practical solution. I contacted one renovation company and they said it was too small a job for them, so I'm a bit lost on what kind of company I should be approaching. Any advice on this would be really appreciated!

Have you had a builder look at it, the brick wall could be load but that can be overcome, and wonderful if you can keep everything inside with a place for everything and give you a better kitchen to boot. You now have these plans to show, kitchen cabinets are 600 deep to allow for cooktop and sink appliances. a newer fridge that is depth concious. you could also have a local Drafts person or architect in to look at your problem cheers

Is this found floor patio not a deck? Need to keep subfloor ventilation so yes would need to elevate laundry to floor level if outside and be waterproof. It looks exposed on side. Are you looking to keep existing kitchen and bathroom or fully renovate?

I hope that power lead is just there when the photo was taken.
If there all the time, can I suggest you get a shorter lead, and secure it on the wall. Sorry..just a concerned citizen.

You are correct. You should raise the area for washing machine and dryer. The photo now shows that this needs more work done to it, to achieve your goal, than just a weatherproof cabinet for washing machines.

Why do you need to stack the appliances. If you put them side by side, then the window may not be an issue.

@dreamer Ha, I was embarrassed by how messy this pic was, that's why I didn't put it in the initial post. Yes, the power lead is absolutely gone - we just moved in a couple of weeks ago and everything in the wrong place! Thank you for your concern :)

I was pretty sure that the measurements didn't allow for them to be side by side, but I'm going to look into that. If we can do that with enough airflow underneath for the ventilation, that would be a good solution. The patio has a roof but the left side of the photo (where the very overgrown grass is) does get wet in rain, so not sure if the side by side machines would work for that reason too.

@Kate Yes, it's exposed on the side. We just wanted to find a laundry solution at this time - we are also planning on updating the kitchen and bathroom this year, but had initially thought that we would do that by just updating cabinets/appliances (and just re-siliconing and freshening up the bathroom). We are not against a bigger renovation but obviously have some cost limitations and are trying to do what makes the most sense.

Euro style cupboard laundries are great. I had a rubbish one with no storage prior to renovating & now I have a fab one. My laundry sits in a small hallway that separates my original formal lounge from the kitchen/dining, in front of my bathroom

@Sophie C. Your Euro laundry is gorgeous and so functional! I never thought I'd get so passionate about laundries but here I am.

Sadly I don't think we have the space for something like yours but I'm keeping it in mind in case we can make it work. Thanks for sharing!

I’d put them at 2. Can connect to bathroom plumbing through wall internally. Ultimately look at incorporating space into bathroom. But live in space a while first.

@Yasmin S you'll be surprised. I have a 2 bed single fronted Edwardian in inner Melbourne, so when I saw your floor plan I thought immediately a Euro laundry could work 🙂