Blog · 11 October 2026

Overlay renovation plans on your floor plan and compare layouts

A renovation plan is easier to judge on top of the house you already have. Laid over your existing floor plan, at the same scale, you can see which walls move, how much bigger the kitchen really gets, and whether the fridge still fits. Try two or three layouts the same way and the choice gets easier.

Start with the house as it is

You need an accurate existing plan. Scan it room by room with Plotlay Scan, use the plan from your purchase or a real estate brochure (check it against a few tape measurements first: brochure plans are often not to scale), or trace the house over an aerial. Then Square up rooms so walls are straight and the right thickness.

Lay each option on top

Add the option as an overlay: Add overlay → Floor plan, drawing or photo, and choose the PDF or image from your architect, builder or designer.
Pin it at walls that aren't changing. Pick two or three corners that stay put in the renovation (external corners are usually best) and pin them to the same corners on your existing plan. The option now sits at true scale over the house.
Make it readable. Linework hides the white paper so only the lines show; the See-through slider fades it so both plans are visible at once.
Spot the changes. Set the blend to Difference: lines that are the same in both drawings cancel out, and what has moved stands out.

Try layouts yourself

You don't need a drawing to test an idea. Make a drawing layer per option ("Option A: open kitchen", "Option B: extra bedroom"), draw the new walls and rooms on it, and switch between them with each layer's eye button. Each room shows its area as you draw, so you can compare floor space directly.

Check the furniture fits. The Library has beds, sofas, dining settings, kitchen benches and appliances at real sizes; drop them into each option and move them around.
Keep revisions. When the designer sends version 2, Replace image swaps the drawing and keeps it pinned in place. Earlier versions stay in the overlay's Versions list, so you can go back and compare.
Going up a storey? Use levels: one for each floor, with the new upper floor on its own level over the ground floor.

Share and decide

Export a plan sheet per option (hide the other options' layers first) for the family or the builder, or send a read-only share link so they can look at the plan on their own phone or computer. When you're ready to apply for approval, see drawing a site plan for council.