01
Count the things that need a home
Pick five items that are awkward to put away now. Maybe it is a suitcase, a long dress, a stack of folded linen and two pairs of boots. Measure those first. Then look at how many clothes you hang and how often you use each group. This gives the joiner a more useful brief than a photograph of somebody else’s wardrobe.
02
Try the doors and drawers on the floor plan
Mark the position of the bed and any bedside furniture. Draw the swing of a hinged door and the full depth of a drawer when it is open. Sliding doors can help in a tight room, but check which sections can be reached at the same time. Make sure a drawer can clear the door where the panels overlap.
03
Make room for the awkward bits
Show the surveyor the skirting, switches, sockets, ceiling steps and any access hatch. If you want integrated lighting, decide where it turns on and where its power supply can be reached later. Ask for an internal elevation with dimensions you can check against your belongings before the cabinet is ordered.
04
Put the useful storage within reach
Keep everyday clothes and shoes where they are easy to see. Use higher shelves for things you take down a few times a year. If your storage needs are likely to change, ask which shelves and rails can be moved later. Check one sample of the door and handle in the bedroom’s evening light before you sign off the finish.