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Washer & Dryer in the Garage?

17 years ago

When my husband & I bought our first home in Calif. the washer/dryer hookups were in the garage. I remember my childhood home in Calif the washer/dryer was in the garage too. Now living in the south and haven't seen any washer/dryers in the garages, so is that just a west coast thing? The reason I ask is I have a very small pantry & near the kitchen have a stackable washer/dryer and thought if I moved the washer/dryer to the garage I could make that space into another pantry which is very much needed. Just wonder if that would hurt resale since we are in the south and maybe doing laundry in the garage would be strange for some. What do you think?

Comments (16)

  • 17 years ago

    If you have a gas dryer, you really, really don't want to put it into the garage. Gas fumes from a lawn mower, the pilot flame or spark-starter in the dryer, and well, you can guess the rest.

    Ditto for not putting a gas water heater in the garage.

  • 17 years ago

    I've lived in the south all my life and have never ever seen a w/d in a garage. Basement, yes, but not a garage.

  • 17 years ago

    My parents live in FL and they have the W/D in the garage. The dryer is electric. They had a similar problem - the W/D had been in a pantry off the kitchen and it was moved into the garage to make the pantry bigger. It seems to work well for their house design - which is a single level house with no basement.

    BTW - my Mom and Dad keep the garage cleaner than my house. I have never ever seen a garage that clean or that organized. You could drop stuff on the floor and it will not get dirty - it is that clean. I have walked out there in white socks - no dirt on the bottom! I laugh every time I go in there - it is amazing.

    So when I say "garage" - it is a very nice space that just happens to have a couple of cars in it. So the W/D works quite well in there - it is a very nice laundry area. If it were a typical garage complete with the typical mess and oily/dirty floors, I am not sure how that would work as a laundry area.

  • 17 years ago

    We had a W/D in the garage of a tiny beach house we owned in southern california. The "garage" used to be a carport and at some time prior to our purchase, the carport was given sides and a dividing wall so the front was for the car and the back housed the W/D. The alocove for the W/D had bifold doors which opened into our patio. In SoCal, this worked because of the beautiful weather and it didn't seem too funny because it was such a odd little house. However, in a new house, I don't think I'd like to go to the garage to do laundry. I think I would prefer to add shelves to the garage to store the bulk items you were hoping to move to the pantry.

  • 17 years ago

    We're in our "starter" home and currently have our W/D in the garage. The home we're building will have a dedicated LR/mudroom...but I don't MIND having our W/D out in the garage right now. The only thing I don't like is having to hike laundry up/down the stairs in this house. I'd be fine with the W/D being anywhere as long as it's on the same floor as the bedrooms!

  • 17 years ago

    We had a house with the W/D in the garage. We walled it off and put in shelves, so it was both laundry and pantry. It was nice and cool for the pantry and yet kept separate from the messier/working part of the garage.

  • 17 years ago

    In some cases they put the washer, dryer, freezer, whatever outside to help keep the house cool. (Also some fear of leaks.) Really old homes sometimes had little choice but to add hook-ups outside. I remember seeing appliances on the back stoop of a nice older home in SC.

  • 17 years ago

    If you watch an old episode of Tool Time, you'll see Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor had their washer and dryer in the garage. His home is supposed to be in Detroit so I hope it's insulated! We all know this is just a Hollywood set, but my first home in Arizona had them in the garage.
    Also, many of the high-end homes here in NC have a set in the garage. However, they also have them inside on several other floors as well.

  • 17 years ago

    My first house had the w/d in the garage, and I hated it! I am in FL, so it would be extremely hot out there in the summer. Also, the machine were further away so I would forget to go switch the laundry out. My garage wasn't one of those super clean ones, so it just make an unpleasant job more unpleasant!LOL

    I think it would hurt resale unless you are in an entry level home. I personally would not consider a house without a laundry room. But, I have 5 kids and do a ton of laundry!

  • PRO
    17 years ago

    Almost every older home here in FL had the washer/dyer in the garage (unless it was remodel at some time). All new homes that I have ever seen now have a laundry room.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I live in the south (florida). we just bought a house 3 months ago and the washer/dryer connections are in the garage. so yes, this was very typical of homes built in the 70's. The house was completely redone, but the contractor opted to leave the w/d in the garage. Not my favorite, and we'll be looking for a solution, but it works for now. fortunately, he also remodeled the garage, so the floor is painted, we have drywall, etc, and it's not grungy.


  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I live in the South along coast, and in older small homes almost all the W/D are in garage; hate it ....

  • 8 years ago

    What did you put on floor to keep it clean and has anyone in same situation installed a ductless split ac unit to cool off garage ? I use my garage for laundry and for my gardening supplies; impossible scenario ...

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    I think most folks nowadays expect to have a laundry room in the house. Putting it in the garage may very likely reduce the resale appeal.

  • 8 years ago

    Wifey here- Have had both- HATED doing laundry in the garage- even though it was in its own formal 'laundry room'. Laundry for me is a time consuming task. Pretreat, wash/dry/fold/iron/put away. I live rural/horses/dogs, and I seem to get as dirty as the animals do! I did have a washer in the barn for horse/dog laundry and had room in laundry room for a second washer for throw rugs. I think that kept my clothing washer in better shape. I might consider the rug washer in a garage, but never again for clothing, etc. Here in Florida most of the older homes have garage laundry but none of the newer homes.