Whether you’re staying in a resale flat or just moved into your spanking new BTO, the service yard area can give any HDB dweller a headache. But don’t despair—there are ways to make the most of your service yard and maximise the limited space in this area. Read on for some of our favourite service yard tips!

Stack your appliances

Image courtesy of ZLC

Our top recommendation for a successful service yard design? Stacking, stacking, stacking. As one of the smallest spaces in the house, the service yard has very limited square footage but tends to offer plenty of vertical space that is often overlooked. Take, for instance, your washing machine and dryer. As long as they are front-loading appliances, they can easily be stacked on top of one another, opening up a whole lot of extra space.

Make room for countertops

Image courtesy of Notion of W

Whether it’s to fold your laundry or to store detergent and fabric softener, countertop space is a definite must-have in your service yard. If your washing machine and dryer are positioned side by side, top them with a wall-mounted counter. If your appliances are stacked on top of one another, consider installing countertops on the opposite side of the room or in the available nooks and crannies.

Use your kitchen

Image courtesy of Prozfile

You can take things even further by transferring your washing machine into the kitchen. If you don’t have a dryer to worry about, you are essentially dedicating the entire service yard to a single appliance, wasting precious space. Once you’ve moved your washing machine, either remove the wall separating the kitchen from the service yard for a larger cooking area or turn the now empty space into an additional storeroom, a tiny home office or even a plant sanctuary.

Incorporate vertical storage

Use the space above your laundry appliances for handy storage, such as cabinets and shelves. If you don’t have a dryer, why not add a drying rack above the washing machine for easy access?

While making the most of your walls for extra storage space is crucial, utilising your ceiling is just as important. We recommend a pull-down laundry rack like the ones by Steigen, which fold up close to the ceiling when not in use, giving you plenty of headroom. If you have a dryer and don’t need a laundry rack, make the most of your ceiling by mounting a few shelves. You can use these to store bedding for guests, beach towels and other items that are not always in use.

Invest in the right appliances

Image courtesy of LG

What’s a super-organised service yard without appliances that get the job done? Opt for space-saving models like the new LG WashTower and always factor in price, efficiency and sustainability when making your choice. Make sure that your washer and dryer come with water and electricity-saving features and that they have a large enough loading capacity for the whole household without occupying too much extra space.

This post was adapted from an article originally published in the November 2020 issue of SquareRooms.