For many homeowners, the garage becomes a place to store all the things we don’t know where else to put. Over time, the garage becomes so cluttered that it’s hard to get around or find what you need. If this sounds like a familiar situation, it’s time to tackle it. Whether you’re looking to do some simple organizing or a complete garage makeover, below are six steps you can follow to make it a tidy place for years to come.
Set Aside Free Time and Make It Fun
Start by setting aside a block of time to work on your garage. Even if your garage isn’t a total disaster, it will likely take you longer to organize than you think. Ideally, you won’t want to stop in the middle of organizing because you ran out of time, as this will just leave the job unfinished, and who knows when you’ll get back to it.
Also, think about some ways to make organizing your garage a little more fun. Maybe bring out a portable speaker so you can listen to your favorite playlist or podcast. Or bring out your laptop and load up your favorite movie to have on in the background. Making the project a little more fun will help it feel less overwhelming.
Get Rid of the Garbage
Once it’s time to dive into organizing, a good way to start is by simply getting rid of anything you no longer need. You likely have plenty of things that you stored in your garage with good intentions but have lost their purpose over the years. Getting rid of the clutter will make it easier to organize what’s left and free up a lot of space.
Grab some heavy-duty garbage bags and start filling them up with any junk you find. Be ruthless when you’re trying to decide whether to keep something or not. If you haven’t thought about it or used it in the past few years, you likely don’t need to keep it anymore. For items that you don’t need but are still in good condition, consider donating them or trying to sell them online. It doesn’t matter how you get rid of it; just get it out of your garage.
Create Storage Zones
Now that the garbage is out, it’s time to think about how you want to organize what’s left in your garage. A good practice is to create zones in your garage space, each for a different type of item. For example, in one corner of your garage, you might store your holiday decorations, along another wall, you might place your gardening supplies, while another corner has your tools, etc. If it helps, draw a simple layout of your garage on a piece of paper and identify the zones you want to create. Having clear zones will allow you to know where to put everything and help keep things organized in the future.
Make Use of All Your Space
As you’re organizing your garage, do your best to make use of all the space. This means not only storing things on the ground. For example, you might install some shelves or magnetic strips so that you can hang things on the garage walls. You could also purchase some affordable ceiling storage racks and add a lot more storage space to your garage.
Look for creative ways to maximize your garage area. A few shelves or storage racks could go a long way toward getting things off the ground and freeing up more space to walk around. Who knows, if you organize well enough, you might even be able to use the garage for its intended purpose – parking your car!
Buy Some Organizing Supplies
As you’re looking for ways to maximize your space, you’ll likely realize that you need some organizing supplies. Grabbing a few supplies can make a big difference in setting up your space and will encourage you to keep the garage tidy going forward.
Some common organizing supplies include large plastic tubs, shelving, cardboard boxes, wall hooks, and something to label with, such as a label maker or even just some masking tape and a marker. Depending on your ambition level, you may also want to get some cleaning supplies, like extra paper towels, a spray cleaning solution, a broom, etc. As you’re organizing, make a list of what you need to finish the job, then make a quick store run to stock up.
Stick to Your New Layout
Finally, do your best to stick to your new layout. One reason your garage needed organizing in the first place is that you haphazardly placed items in it throughout the years. If you continue doing that, all your hard work will soon go to waste. Take the extra few seconds to place things where they belong when you store them in your garage. In addition, try to set aside some time every few months just to do a quick garage refresher. Spending an hour every few months should be enough to keep your garage in great shape and put off needing another day or organizing for a long time.
