Advice regarding washer/dryer placement in oddly-shaped side-entrance hall
My wife and I purchased a new house recently and are knee-deep in the renovation process. The square footage is quite limited for the number of rooms we have, meaning that we've had to get creative with space-saving. One decision we made was to put a stackable washer/dryer in a nook at the far-end of the side-entrance hall, as shown below:
This solution helps make use of what would otherwise be dead-space, but my wife is concerned that the nook is too deep and lacking sufficient clearance for installation/maintenance. Our current washer/dryer combo is about 400lbs total, and the clearance on either end of the nook is about 5 inches. I have a hard time imagining a repairperson pulling the washer/dryer out of the nook, much less getting it through the narrow entrance hallway. Some questions she wanted me to ask:
- Does the nook have enough clearance for installing the washer/dryer? Or is it too deep/narrow for easy access?
- Will this layout create problems for future maintenance/repair?
- Would it be beneficial to install a rear access panel or door on the right-side wall?
- Should we install a pulley system on the ceiling for lifting the dryer? (I have never heard of such a system until she mentioned it)
Curious to hear this subreddit's opinions on our design and also whether anyone has alternative recommendations. FYI The dryer is gas-powered, in case that matters. Thank you!