“A well-organized garage leads to stress relief, new opportunities and peace of mind!”
Creating a neat, well organized garage can be a big chore. We know we have to tackle it, we may even have plans for doing so, but we never seem to get around to doing it.
Wait no longer! Use the following information to have the garage of your dreams in no time!
Getting Started
As with most things in life, garage organization is all about getting started. Before getting started, realize you will likely need to clear everything out of the garage in order to truly get it cleaned and organized.If you think you can clear out the garage in one day, great! If not, be sure you have some tarps on hand to cover the items and protect them from rain or sun damage during an extended “event.”
You can also lay tarps down first and set everything on top of them in neatly organized piles (more to come on this). You’ll also need heavy duty trash bags.
Most popular Garage Storage Solutions (takes you to other pages): | |
| Garage Ceiling Storage | Overhead Garage Storage |
| Garage Storage Cabinets | Garage Wall Organization |
| Storage Sheds | Garage Workbench Ideas |
| Garage Shelves | Garage Sale Tips |
| Bicycle Storage | Books and Other Resources |
Getting Organized
The next step in your garage organization project is to group your stuff into the following six categories, aka, piles:
- Things to keep.
- Things to pitch.
- Things to donate.
- Things to sell.
- Things to repair.
- Things that need put away somewhere else (not in the garage).
Visit your local grocery stores and collect cardboard boxes (apple boxes are my favorite). You will need a dark marking pen (I like Sharpie® pens) to label each box as you fill it with items from each of the six categories previously listed.
If you end up needing a lot of storage boxes for your “things to keep” items, I prefer clear plastic totes that make it easy to see what’s inside. Plastic totes can be labeled directly, or you can use removable labels and mark on them.
Garage Storage Solutions
One major road block to garage organization is choosing the right garage storage solutions for all your stuff. There are so many simple solutions, as well as a host of commercially available options.
For example, a few pieces of thick plywood or particle board can be used to make simple wood-framed garage shelves for holding your boxes or plastic totes. If you prefer to buy your garage shelves, there are many wonderful options available.
Garage storage cabinets are also a wonderful option for storing things you plan to keep. There are many commercially available garage cabinets, or you can use old kitchen cabinets or bookcases. Maybe you or a friend have some you have been storing for years!
There are also a good number of overhead garage storage options and garage ceiling storage solutions for those who need a little extra room. From racks to shelving, pulleys to hooks and lifts, there are many solutions worth considering. If you have the inclination and the money, you can even find lifts for lawn mowers, ATVs and full-sized cars.
Don’t put that back in the garage yet!
Before putting anything back into the garage, consider the following:
- Make any repairs to garage walls or hard to reach areas.
- Replace burned out light bulbs that you weren’t able to reach before.
- Thoroughly sweep the floor.
- For unsightly stains, clean the floor using a cleaner especially formulated for removing grease and oil from concrete floors.
- If you really want to make an impact, consider some form of garage flooring such as garage floor paint, epoxy, garage floor mats or custom garage floor tiles.
Get in the Zone
When placing all of your items back in the garage, organize by order of need and how often they are used. There are many great garage storage solutions, including pegboards that are perfect for hanging tools above a well-designed garage workbench.
Always keep seasonal and like items together. Some would refer to this popular garage organization technique as creating “areas” or “zones.” For example, you may have a yard maintenance zone, a winter recreation zone, etc.
Have a Garage Sale
What better way to clear out all of your unwanted items than by having a yard or garage sale. You might even make some extra money in the process!
Put your ad in the local newspaper, even if you have to pay to do so, and give yourself plenty of time to plan the day. Use stickers and clearly write the prices on everything, remembering to be reasonable and prepared to haggle with the neighbors.
If you aren’t into garage sales or you just don’t have the time, no worries. Simply merge items 3 and 4 in your “piles” list and donate everything you don’t need to keep. When it comes to deciding what you should keep and what should go, be ruthless! If you don’t need it now and you haven’t used it in a year, that’s a clue.
Keep it clean!
After having a successful garage sale (or sending everything to Goodwill or your favorite charity or thrift store), enjoy your earnings and your clean garage. Then promise to keep it neat, clean, well-organized and well-maintained by doing a quick once-a-month clean-up.
Enjoy the fruit of your garage organization project throughout the year. All it will take is an hour or two on one weekend per month to do the trick!
Garage Storage and Organization Books
Helpful Resource
This is one of my favorite garage organization books. Yes, I own it and yes, I have read it several times. No book is perfect, but this one is practical and very useful.
What’s in the book?
Garage Organizing Basics: A good overview of your options, from where to begin to analyzing your storage solutions.
Creating Storage Centers: Specifics on how to organize the different areas in your garage.
Beyond The Basics: From what to put on the floor to getting rid of what you don’t want or need.
Need a little organizing help?
After completing your garage organization project, you should consider adding new functionality to your garage with a durable, inexpensive garage screen. Measure your garage door, then check prices for comparison. Learn to Make the Best of your Garage Storage Shelves
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