Your garage is a disorganized mess and you are running out of room. The towering boxes have become a hazard and you can’t find anything. It’s time to clean it up, but where do you start?
If the idea of organizing your garage gives you a headache don’t feel bad, you are in good company. You can get it done, and get it done quickly if you take the right steps.
Sound impossible? It isn’t, you just have to have a plan. Here are a few steps to get your garage organized this weekend.
1. Develop a Plan of Attack
It can be tempting just to get in there and start working, but this can be disastrous. You must have a plan, otherwise you risk making a bigger mess, getting overwhelmed and giving up halfway through.
Sit down and make a list of your goals. Do you want more floor space in the garage? Do you want to make room for more stuff? Do you want to downsize, but don’t know where to start? Go in with a plan for garage organization and you will be much more effective.
2. Downsize Your Stuff
In most cases, downsizing is inevitable. Most likely, there are items in your garage that you no longer need or use. In fact, there are probably items in your garage that you don’t even remember you have.
You must be ruthless here. If you have a lot of stuff in your garage that can be trashed, you may want to consider renting a dumpster that can be dropped off in your driveway and then hauled off in a couple of days.
As you go through your belongings, you can generally separate them into the following categories:
- Items to be trashed
- Items to be donated
- Items to be recycled
- Items to be kept
Do not let the things that you aren’t keeping sit around. Deal with them first. Haul a load off to the local donation spot, pay a visit to the recycling yard and put the rest in the dumpster. It will feel good when you are done.
3. Go Vertical
When it comes to storage, most people look at floor space. But, you have walls, and those walls should pull their weight. Outfit the walls in your garage with hooks, shelves and cabinets. Smaller items can go up, not down on the floor.
Utilizing all of your space is a great way to get your things organized and keep them handy.
4. Proper Containment
Next, take a look at containers. Sturdy containers that are easy to handle and fit together well are ideal. Cabinets are also good. You want to avoid loose objects and bulky, easily damaged cardboard boxes.
5. Product Placement
One important rule of garage organization is to make sure that you put the most frequently used items front and center. If it is something you need to have handy, place it in an easy to reach spot. Preferably at eye level so that you don’t have to bend or get on a ladder to reach it.
For items that you don’t use often, store them up high and out of the way.
6. Make It Visible
Make sure you label containers, fronts of drawers and cupboards so that it is easy to identify contents. This way you don’t have to open a bunch of stuff to find what you need.
Follow these tips and your garage will be organized this weekend!
If you’re looking for more ideas on organizing your garage, check out our blog post on garage storage solutions!
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