Having an organized garage can give your home a new life. But if you’re like most homeowners, your garage is crammed so full of artifacts that you’re having to send out a search party just to find last year’s Christmas tree. Let’s look at how we can get that heap of stuff in your garage organized so you can find what you need when you need it.
Lose the Trash
Before you can really get to town organizing your garage, you’ve got to get rid of items that are hogging valuable space.
Start by taking an initial walk-through focusing on the top layer of items. Found something you forgot you even had? Bin it.
Expect to encounter your own resistance at the idea of throwing out memorabilia, but keep asking yourself which you’d prefer, an organized garage or a museum? If you’ve found something that you absolutely can’t live without, then really it should belong in the house.
Depending on how much you have, this may take a few cycles. Rinse and repeat until you have a good feeling that the remaining items are safe to keep.
Group Like items
We recommend that you start looking for themes to your remaining items. This will likely include tools, car maintenance equipment, gardening tools, sports equipment and if you have kids, likely toys as well. Starting moving alike items into piles, with less utilized goods moved towards the back of the garage.
What should you do with items that don’t really have a way to categorize them? Remember, you want to easily be able to retrieve items in the future, so storing random items is a no-no. Consider moving them into the house or if you honestly don’t think you’ll be using them, sell or throw them out.
Adding Space
Using equipment can be extremely helpful at adding more space to your garage. Let’s look at what might come in handy.
Hooks: These can be used to hold sports equipment such as golf club bags and bikes. They’re also great for corded items like extension cables and garden hoses.
Peg Boards: For smaller items, we’d suggest using peg boards which you can hang using studs. These are prefect for tools, smaller sporting equipment like racquets and shelves.
Shelves: Shelves are great for holding liquids such as those used for car maintenance or cleaning, but are also perfect for lighter items that take up vital ground space such as coolers.
Cabinets: An alternative, but more expensive option than conventional shelving is to use cabinets. These come with the added benefit of being able to conceal items from sight to give your garage a cleaner look. If you have kids, having a cabinet with a lock can also come in handy such as sharp gardening tools.
Ceiling Storage: If you have an unfinished garage, why not take advantage of your empty ceiling? Having an overhead garage storage system is low-cost and good for bulky or seasonal items.
Organizing your garage can be a rewarding chore and a natural extension to your house. Next time you need to retrieve something, you’ll feel so much better not having to waste time and energy finding the simplest of things.
