For what it's worth, the Electrolux has been and still is doing a great job for us. But I have no way of telling whether that's typical or we just got lucky.

As for switching things around, it's not very difficult. If you're lucky, a handyman or a general contractor can do the whole thing.

Or alternatively, ask a plumber. That's the biggest part of the job. But they might insist on also bringing in an electrician, a sheet rock guy and a painter. Adding these extra trades makes things more expensive. That's why a handyman would be nice instead.

Costs can be between a few hundred and the low thousand. Depends on how much work and where you live.

What is taking up so much space? The dryer duct is the fattest part and you could use a telescoping dryer duct to make that part thinner. I have electric, so am unfamiliar with the space requirements of gas. I have mine switched and I think I’m only using 1-2” more. But I have the space I can do that.

I use a washer and dryer on pedestal so I don’t need to stoop down to the floor to load and unload. If there was a pedestal that didn’t get in the way of the dryer exhaust so I could still push the appliances all the way back to the wall, that could be a workaround, but I haven’t seen any washer dryer sets like that. Also, having a few extra feet of dryer exhaust running before it connects to the wall probably is an extra load on the dryer making it slower and less efficient.

If I didn’t care about washing comforters at home, I could just switch to a top loader.

Maybe I'm not understanding your situation, but it sounds like the problem is that the doors to the units open the "wrong" way, so that you have to lift the clothes over the open doors to move them from the washer to the dryer.

That strikes me as an inconvenience, but not much more than that. In your place, I'd just put the washer and dryer where their respective connections are, and work around the open doors. Especially if it were going to cost me several hundred to a few thousand dollars to change it.

But that's me. I guess I'm not all that fussy about such things.

BTW: dryer doors can usually be switched.

We used our washer and dryer in the flipped position for several years. It is really a PITA to have to “jump the hump as we called it” and I understand the OP’s desire. You need a lot more open space in front of the washer and dryer. Even if the dryer door has been switched.

Unlikely you'll need to move the washer connections. Water hose is thin and water valves are frequently at a higher height than washer and dryer. I'm surprised gas connection needs to be relocated also.

Would Not this Address Dryer Depth Problem?

I gained a couple of inches in front of my dryer by installing a dryer exhaust periscope.

My W & D are in reverse order, too but works fine because I have a top load Speed Queen washer and an old dryer with a hopper style door. My son is only one who uses a comforter; the SQ has handled the lighter weight Bed in a Bag queen comforters he buys with no problem. He requested a new comforter for Christmas. It's a more expensive one w/ more stuffing but I don't yet know how the SQ will handle it. Someone may be hauling it to the laundromat... Probably me! Other than having to feed the machine w/ $$ I don't mind an occasional trip; just grab whatever book that I'm reading.

I find comforters just too hot to sleep under so I use queen/ king quilts generally which are zero problem for the SQ.

FYI, there are couple of GE front loaders w/ reversible door.

I have a top loader, and it washes comforters just fine. Its a large capacity. It does have an agitator. I can fit the cuddle soft mattress pad in mine, and it s pretty darn big, and thick. They always come clean. My washer is on the left, and dryer on the right. However, since they put the dryer vent in the wrong spot in this house, if I put the dryer with a tiny short run to the vent, the dryer blocks the outside doorway, so I also have a longer vent pipe on it and have to keep them out a bit from the wall. The washer would push back, but, I like them in line with each other, so it sits out too. Its a big deal to change the vent here, because, the house is solid stone.

I don’t see how a periscope style dryer vent would help if the dryer vent is in the position the washer needs to be.

At the very least, the dryer vent would need to be moved to the dryer side, then install a periscope connector there so the dryer can pushed back a few inches more. If the wall is being cut open to move the dryer vent port, then we might as well move the gas and plumbing connections at the same time.

I don’t see how a periscope style dryer vent would help if the dryer vent is in the position the washer needs to be.

Depends on your set-up. In my basement laundry, the vent terminates in a wall perpendicular to the dryer. Instead of having a 4" vent and the room required to make a 90 degree bend in 4" dryer hose (behind the dryer), the periscope (with a smaller cross section diameter) allowed me to get the dryer 1.5-2" closer to the wall behind the dryer. I had enough space on the side of the dryer to connect the periscope to 4" vent pipe that angles upward w/ an adjustable elbow and then up the wall and outside.

If the vent has to run behind a washer, a periscope would reduce the space needed behind the washer, theoretically. That is if there are no other obstructions such as a standpipe that is coming thru the floor behind the washer (vs being in the wall), etc.

A periscope may help you gain part of what is lost to the space req'd for the dryer exhaust...saying this because you said: The main disadvantage with this setup is that I can’t push the appliances all the way back against the wall because the dryer hose is in the way behind both appliances.

The periscope isn't going to allow you to recover all of that space. In super tight quarters like my laundry room, gaining even an inch and a half was +++.

As linked to above to reduce space behind appliances and wall!

Another thing that you need to keep in mind is that even if you have everything reworked, you still need space for making the vent connection. Here's a link to another product that I considered:

Magvent Dryer Vent

I ended up being able to use less expensive components due to having some extra space on the side of my dryer. The periscope is solidly attach to the back of the dryer; I can couple/ uncouple a short section of flex vent on the side.

Almost every laundry room set-up is unique. It's a matter of ferreting out what works best in your situ. If you can post some photos or a drawings, perhaps we can make some suggestions of what might work best for you.

Just want to say thank you for the discussion and the dryer vent periscope which I had never seen before. I am needing to replace a w/d in a small closet. I have about 34.75 inches of space but am told I need 35 (31 inch dryer + 4 inches for the venting) to be able to fit something other than a compact unit, and this periscope should get me there!

The device pictured in the post immediately above the Periscope Post seemingly will accomplish the similar effect for side by side connections...

How would it be possible to use the dryer vent periscope if the dryer is raised on a pedestal?

The pedestal will not prevent using the periscope. The pedestal plus dryer will be pushed out from the wall the same same distance as would just the dryer without the pedestal.