Where can I fit a washing machine and dryer?

Most homes in the UK do not have a perfect separate utility room.

You might have a washing machine in a cupboard, a dryer squeezed into a hallway, an airer on the wall and a deep sink you are trying to justify because muddy boots exist.

So before deciding where your utility appliances should go, it is worth being honest about what space you actually have.

A useful utility space is not always a big utility space.

It is a space where the plumbing, electrics, ventilation, doors, storage and daily mess all work together.

In UK homes, laundry appliances usually end up in one of a few places:

• Separate utility room
• Cupboard off a hallway
• Cupboard built into or next to a bathroom
• Kitchen run
• Under-stairs space
• Boot room or back-door area

A washing machine needs plumbing for water in, waste out, power, easy access, space for the door to open and enough clearance to actually load it.

So wherever you are planning to put it, you need to know where the plumbing is coming from, where the waste will go, and whether the waste pipe can still run downhill.

A dryer adds ventilation requirements and moisture to the mix.

A bathroom cupboard can be a great place for a washing machine or dryer in a flat or smaller home. It is the option where you need to be most careful though.

Yes you can have a washing machine in a bathroom, but UK bathrooms have electrical zones, and those zones affect what can safely go where. You can't simply put a washing machine or tumble dryer into any bathroom corner with a normal socket.

If you are planning appliances in or near a bathroom, speak to a qualified electrician before committing to the layout. As a start, a washing machine in a bathroom usually needs to:

• Be inside a properly enclosed cupboard where the electrical connection can safely go
• Use a fused connection unit rather than a standard plug socket
• Have ventilation
• Stay accessible for repairs and replacements in the future

This is the same reason bathroom light switches are often outside the room in UK homes. Bathroom electrics have extra safety rules, so the appliance position and electrical position need to be planned together.

If your utility cupboard is inside or next to a bathroom, it is worth sense-checking the whole room layout too. Bathroom plans are affected by electrical zones, drainage, ventilation, door swings and how fixtures connect, not just whether the appliance physically fits.

Read more on the bathroom layout rules you didn't know you were breaking.

A hallway cupboard can work well, especially if there is no room for a separate utility or multitasking bathroom.

Before putting a washing machine or dryer in a hallway cupboard, think about:

• The plumbing logistics i.e. where the water supply will come from, where the waste pipe will run, whether the waste has enough fall
• How the noise might carry to nearby rooms
• Appliance and cupboard doors, whether you'll block the hallway
• Whether you can actually stand there and load it

The last point sounds very obvious but sometimes you can get carried away with a plan!

A washing machine can fit in a cupboard and still be awful to use if the door opens the wrong way, the hallway is too tight or the laundry basket has nowhere to go.

Stacking a washer and dryer is a great answer in a small space. Two appliances in one footprint.

The things to think about / work out here:

• The total height
• Whether the top appliance is going to be comfortable to load based on your height
• Whether you need a stacking kit (asbsorbs some of the vibrations and locks the appliances together, often with a handy shelf!)
• Doors opening the same way
• Whether the appliances are suitable for stacking check manufacturer's guidance
• Whether the floor can cope with the weight and vibration. If the stack is upstairs or on a suspended timber floor, make sure the floor is solid and level, use the correct stacking kit, and deal with any bounce or vibration before stacking.

The washing machine should go on the bottom because wet washing is heavy and the washer needs plumbing.

A vented dryer needs a route for warm, damp air to get outside. That usually means an external wall, window kit or proper vent route.

A condenser or heat pump dryer does not need the same external vent, but it still needs airflow around it. Put it in a tight, closed cupboard with no ventilation and you may end up with poor performance, heat build-up or condensation problems.

So when planning where to put your dryer, check:

• What type of dryer it is
• Whether it needs an external vent
• How much clearance the manufacturer recommends
• Whether the cupboard can breathe / has ventilation
• Whether you can still access the filter, drawer or condenser

This is easy to ignore because the appliance physically fits. We have seen dryers and washing machines tucked under worktop overhangs, for example, where access to the drawer or filter becomes *awkward*.

Brilliant when they are in the right place, and should be planned around from the start!

Check:

• How far it comes out in to the room
• That it's not going to be in the way of a door / cupboard / appliance
• Whether you can still walk past it
• Whether it is near enough warmth and fresh air to actually dry clothes
• Whether it needs fixings into studs, masonry or added support to take the weight of wet washing

Measure the airer open, not folded flat.

A drying rack that looks neat against the wall can suddenly take over the whole room when it is loaded with towels.

And do not fix it into plasterboard and hope for the best. Wet washing is heavier than you'd think.

Utility spaces also become the room for everything that does not quite belong anywhere else.

Common "others" on the utility room list that you might want to plan around:

• Deep sink
• Dog shower
• Boot storage
• Coat hooks
• Bike storage
• Bins and recycling
• Cleaning supplies
• Ironing board storage
• Vacuum or mop storage

A deep sink is useful for muddy boots, soaking laundry, cleaning paint brushes, watering houseplants and dealing with things you don't want in the kitchen sink.

A dog shower or wash station (popular!) needs more thought. You need to plan:

• Water supply
• Drainage
• Floor fall
• Non-slip flooring
• Splash protection
• Wall finishes
• Practical height that your dog can get up to
• Storage for towels and dog shampoo
• Enough space to actually use it

In plan terms, it is plumbing, drainage, waterproofing, flooring and wall finishes. So it is worth treating it properly.

The things people forget are usually not the appliance itself.

• Ventilation
• Door clashes
• Noise transfer
• Waste pipe fall
• Access to filters and valves
• Where the laundry basket goes
• Where detergent is stored
• Whether the wall can hold a drying rack
• Whether the floor finish can cope with wet boots and wet washing
• Whether sockets, switches and isolators are in sensible places

A utility room is practical, so the plan needs to be practical too!