Mud room vs extra garage space

last year

last modified: last year

I have limited space and I'm torn…. Would you rather have a 3 car garage OR a 2 car garage plus an amazing custom mudroom?

edit: thanks everyone for your input! It seems like the consensus is mostly for the 3rd garage space. I'm mostly looking to see what other people would prefer so that I make the best investment with my money. For me, I want both!

About US: Two adults + 2 kids. We want the garage space but like others here, we are very outdoorsy. We'd like to have the extra space to store a camper van one day plus all our outdoor recreational stuff. BUT, being outdoorsy means that we bring in so much dirt, especially with 2 large dogs. We have a little nook that accumulates so many different types of shoes and jackets and leashes etc.. that I would be nice to just have a large space that holds all this stuff year round + a space for a dog washing station and a fenced off area where the dogs can chill while they dry off and a space that holds in the dirt. We've had garages before that we only used when it snowed, but our needs are different now.

About the house: The house is 3400 sq feet (including basement), 5 bed, 3 bath. (1200 feet is an in-law apartment that we are renting out until our parents need the space). We're adding a two-story garage which will add considerable space, but the house is too close to the neighboring property to allow for everything I want, so as of now we're leaning towards the 3-car garage.

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Comments (9)

AnnKH
last year
100 households are going to have 100 different requirements - and none of them may match your needs.

Things that would impact the decision:

new construction or existing?

what is the climate?

how many vehicles do you own?

If more than 2, how convenient is driveway or street parking?

how many people live in the house?

If you have kids, do they have boatloads of sporting equipment and cold weather gear?

would the loss of a garage stall leave you with enough storage in the garage?

Now, since you asked what I would prefer, I would probably go with the garage stall, since we have a canoe, a kayak, skis, lawn mower, snowblower, workbench, freezer, bicycles, and tools in the garage. All but the canoe fit in our large 2-stall garage, but I wouldn't mind more space. Meanwhile, we currently have a hallway with a closet and a small bench, which is perfectly adequate for the mudroom needs of our household.
BPMBA
last year
I would want a 2-car garage and then split the third space into storage for outdoor things and a small mudroom. But as AnnKH says, we need to know more about you.
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Maureen
last year
last modified: last year
Garage: required storage for sports equipment, winter tires, lawnmower, snowblower, lawn equipment, bikes, garbage/recycle bins, baby carriage, work bench, etc. How much space do you require and makes your lives easier.

Mud room: you can have an amazing custom space no matter its size with good planning. Again, consider functionality: laundry and utility needs, dog washing, number of people in the house and will it be the main entrance for the family or just a drop off room, as space/functionality needs will be quite different.
bpath
last year
I don’t need an amazing custom mudroom. a hall with hooks, and room for boot trays and mitten bins is fine. These days I don’t need a third bay, either, though there wa a time when having a tandem, or maybe a half bay, and a breezeway-style mudroom, would have been nice.

What do you need?
chispa
last year
"amazing custom mudroom" ... but it is just a room you walk through and drop off your stuff, no?

Not sure what else I would put in a 12' x 24' mudroom, which is the size of a proper sized single garage stall.

I vote for 3-car garage and make each stall have a single 9 ft wide door.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
last year
Is this a tract house?
bpath
last year
I mentioned in another thread that I would like what my family called a utility room, with a big double utility sink, storage, and counterspace for homekeeping tools for cleaning, little repairs, potting, maybe pet grooming, etc. Does that count as a mudroom? It could be custom, and gorgeous, most of the time.
Alice
last year
I am considering the same thing! We have a tandem 3 car garage and the 3rd spot which is next to the door leading into the house has always been used as storage anyways. I would also love to have an elevated dog bath in there to quickly clean muddy paws and to not have to Bend down for dog baths in the upstairs tub. Did you make a decision?
Anne Kellet
Original Author
last year
@Alice I didn't! But I'm leaning towards a 3-car garage and just adding really awesome mudroom-like storage to the area.