In 2019, 65% of new homes included a two-car garage. Garages are a must-have for homeowners, despite often being too cluttered to fit the number of vehicles they should.
If you want to reclaim your garage space, it may be time to cut the clutter. To learn how to organize your garage, follow this garage organization guide for ten powerful tips.
1. Start From Scratch
One of the best pieces of garage organization advice is to start from scratch. Remove everything from your garage to a separate area, even if things are temporarily out in the driveway.
Starting with a clean slate provides a fresh perspective and allows you to determine the best use of your garage space. You’ll also be able to see all your items and decide which ones are necessary and which are clutter.
2. Set Aside Ample Time
Garage organization is a big job that you want to set aside plenty of time to complete. This ensures that the job is done well without any rushing. Carve out a full day or an entire weekend in your schedule to dedicate to the task.
Allowing plenty of time will help you create an organizational system that makes sense for your family and is simple to maintain.
3. Enlist Help
When planning on a day to organize your garage, enlisting help with the job will keep you on schedule. Inform other family members of your plan so they can clear their schedules to help.
Need even more helping hands? Seek out help from friends and offer food and drinks as thanks. This is a great way to make organizing more fun while getting the job done faster.
4. Sort Into Keep, Donate/Sell, and Trash
Sorting through years of accumulated items can be daunting, but this sorting method makes the task much easier. With this trick, you’ll create three separate piles to sort items into: one for things to keep, one to donate or sell, and one for items to throw away. Going through everything forces you to take inventory and determine what you need.
As you go through the items in your garage, choose which pile it belongs in. Try to be realistic as you decide. Hold onto the things you use often, while anything extra, broken, or unused should go into the donate or trash pile.
5. Categorize Items
Once you’ve decided which items you’re going to keep, split them up further into categories. Common categories for garage items are tools, sporting goods, lawn care items, car maintenance supplies, and seasonal storage.
Decide which things make sense together in the space and what type of storage they’ll need to help make your decisions. When using bins or shelves, consider a label maker to mark where specific things belong.
6. Keep Things Off the Floor
When things are resting on the floor, it does not look as organized and can promote the build-up of more clutter. Place every item on a shelving unit or hook to keep the floor clean and the space looking organized.
To take the cleanliness of your garage floor to the next level, consider a garage floor coating. A coating will create a great-looking finish while protecting from stains and damage.
7. Make a Floor Plan
Before buying new storage systems for your garage, take the time to create a floor plan to determine where everything will go. Designing a floor plan allows you to find practical spaces for your items, gives you direction when organizing, and helps determine what fixtures you’ll need to execute your plan.
Don’t forget to leave a space for your trash and recycling bins if you store them in the garage.
8. Invest in Storage Solutions
A variety of storage products will come in handy to organize your garage. Shelves, bins, baskets, hooks, and pegboards are efficient storage solutions for garage items.
Shelves along the wall are perfect for holding bins, large items, and boxes. Rest bikes on heavy-duty hooks and hang tools. Open shelving gives you a clear view of what you have, but storage cabinets have more design options to give your garage a sleek look.
9. Use a Workbench
A workbench often consists of a worktop, storage drawers, and pegboards or hooks. Incorporating a workbench into your garage space is not only great for storage but also provides an area to work on projects with everything you need in reach.
When you don’t have a set space to work on things, you’re more likely to create clutter because tools and materials don’t have a place to go.
10. Maintain the Space
Once you finish organizing your garage, maintaining the space is vital to keep things from becoming cluttered again. Put things back where they belong after use, sweep the floor regularly, and get rid of what you no longer use.
If you keep finding items out of their designated area, you may need to rethink your setup and determine why your current system isn’t working. Prevent clutter from returning by spending time once a year going through items to make sure they still serve a purpose.
Organize Your Garage to Create a Successful Space
It’s easy for your garage to become a catch-all space for miscellaneous items in your home. By following these tips to organize your garage, you’ll know how to create a successful space that benefits you and your family.
Need help organizing your garage? Find a Garage Force location near you for more storage solutions and floor coating to help your garage look its best.