Why Hills laundries run out of room
Most 1980s and 90s homes in Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills and Cherrybrook put the laundry off the kitchen or garage, with a single freestanding tub, a gap for the washing machine and maybe one overhead cupboard. That was fine for a young family with a clothesline. It struggles with:
- A dryer that now lives on top of the machine on a wobbly shelf.
- Sports gear for three kids across two or three codes.
- School bags and shoes coming in through the back or garage door.
- Pet food, leads and towels.
- Cleaning supplies that need to be out of reach of small children.
What a laundry renovation adds
A long bench. Stone-look laminate or porcelain over base cabinets, deep enough to fold on.
An inset sink. A deep stainless or composite tub set into the bench, with a pull-out mixer.
Machines under the bench or stacked. Front loaders under the benchtop, or stacked in a tall cabinet.
Tall storage. A broom cupboard, an ironing board cabinet and shelving for bulk supplies.
Pull-out hampers. Separate bins for darks, lights and sports kits.
A hanging rail. For shirts coming out of the dryer.
A drop zone. Hooks, a bench seat and shoe cubbies near the external door.
Laundry and mudroom
Where the laundry opens to the garage or the side of the house, adding a mudroom zone makes a big difference to how the rest of the home stays tidy. Coat hooks, a bench with shoe storage underneath and a charging drawer for devices all fit into the joinery plan.
Laundries with a toilet or shower
Plenty of Hills homes have a toilet off the laundry, and some have a shower near the back door for after the pool or the paddock. These are renovated to full wet-area standards. It is also a good opportunity to consider an accessible shower on the ground floor. See accessible bathrooms.
Moving the laundry
Some families want the laundry moved into the garage to open up space inside, or relocated upstairs near the bedrooms. Both are possible but involve new drainage, waterproofing and sometimes approval. They are priced separately after a measure.
Together with a bathroom
A laundry and bathroom renovated in one program share the plumber's rough-in visit, the waterproofer's application and cure, and the tiler's set-up. See bathroom renovations and the cost guide.
Call 02 4404 2242 or send us the room details.
Related upgrades
| Bathroom Renovations | The upstairs family bathroom stripped to the frame and rebuilt — new set-out, membrane, tiles and fittings, priced as one job. |
|---|---|
| Ensuite Renovations | Master ensuites from the 1980s and 90s reworked for two adults on the same morning timetable. |
| Small Bathrooms & Powder Rooms | Downstairs powder rooms, guest toilets and compact second bathrooms that take a beating from a busy household. |
| Accessible Bathrooms | Level-entry showers, reinforced walls for rails and safer floors, so a two-storey family home still works for the long term. |
| Waterproofing & Tiling | Membranes laid and certified to the Australian Standard, then tiles set with correct falls — the work that protects the ceiling below. |
Questions people ask before they commit
How much does a laundry renovation cost?
As a 2026 guide, most Hills District laundries land between $10,000 and $22,000. The range depends on the length of cabinetry, benchtop material, whether the tub or machines move, and whether a toilet or shower is part of the room.
Can we stack the washer and dryer?
Usually, with a manufacturer-approved stacking kit and a cabinet designed around the machines. Stacking frees up bench space for folding, which is the thing most families say they are missing.
Is it worth doing the laundry with the bathroom?
Often. The plumber, electrician, waterproofer and tiler are already booked, so the laundry can be slotted into the same program with fewer separate call-outs. The trade-off is being without both rooms for part of the job.
Does a laundry need waterproofing?
Laundry floors and the wall areas around tubs are wet areas under the building code, so they need appropriate waterproofing. Where the laundry is upstairs, or includes a shower, the requirements are higher.