Garage Organization 101: Your Step by Step Guide
One of the most valuable storage spaces available is the one we most often take for granted: our garage. While not every home has a garage, we feel confident in saying that most homeowners have this space available to them. So today, we are going to show you just how important that space is and how you can effectively organize it so that all the members of your family benefit.
Are you finding that your garage is chaotic?
Unfortunately, if you thought the mudroom was a catch all, the garage is the catch all magnified! It is so easy to toss anything we don’t need or doesn’t have a place right into the garage. Or, sometimes we toss items that we mean to go through or donate into there as well. It just becomes a pile of all the things we intend to do.
If you find yourself using the garage this way, chances are you have not resolved your organizing challenges inside the home and your garage needs a serious overhaul. You can easily reclaim your space--it is just going to take some time and a little manpower to get it accomplished.
Step One: Set Aside Time
The garage can be a HUGE area to tackle, especially if you have a 3-car or more garage. You are going to need to set aside some substantial time to get through the entire thing. Try scheduling a weekend devoted to going through your space so that you don’t have items sorted into piles for very long.
Pro Tip: Plan for a dry weekend! It may seem silly to say and a “duh” moment but if you don’t think ahead to the weather, pulling out all of your precious items in a downfall is going to be tricky. Check those calendars ahead of time and wait for the dry spell.
Step Two: Remove + Sort
As you begin pulling things out of your garage you are going to want to sort them. Use all the available space to make sure the items stay grouped together, but spread out enough to see on your driveway and in your yard. Some of the most typical garage categories you should see are:
Sports and Recreation Equipment
Camping/Hiking Gear
Automotive Items
Seasonal Decorations
Gardening Supplies
Tools
Keepsakes
You may have a lot more items in your garage than this, especially if your garage has become that dreaded catch-all. But, as you pull and categorize your items, you may be able to relocate some of them into your interior organized areas.
Pro Tip: It’s much easier to tackle your garage organizing once you’ve organized the rest of your house. That is not to say you can’t start with the garage, but after you know how your home is organized, it may be helpful for relocating some garage items back indoors.
Step 3: Create Your Categories
Now that you have everything out in the open, you can begin creating categories for your garage organization. This will mean that not everything will fit into your categories, so you may need to find new homes for items or ditch them completely. You are going to want to categorize your items before purchasing any new bins, baskets, or containers. This will allow you to visually see what you need so that you only purchase necessary items.
Pro Tip: Utilize cardboard boxes as you begin to sort. They are excellent for small to medium sized items and help keep your categories separated visually.
Step 4: Trash or Donate Items
Purging is fun for any area of our homes when we’ve let the clutter really accumulate. The garage is easily one of these areas where you never know what you are going to find. If items do not fit into the categories you created, decide if you really need them. If your items do not fit into your categories and you want to keep them, try to find a similar category or keep them in a visible place so you can decide where to put them later.
Pro Tip: If you don’t need it, ditch it. Your garage should be a functional place for all of your necessary tools, sports equipment, storage, etc. By decluttering and donating items you no longer need, you will not only make the space more functional, but you may find that you pick up a long-forgotten hobby when you unearth things in your garage -- golf clubs anyone?
Step 5: Create a Functional Layout
Visualize your space and the items you need to store back into the garage. Decide where you want each type of item to be stored and how often it will be used. Want some tips?
Try storing recycling near the entrance to your home for easy access.
Tools should be near a workbench or tool storage box.
Parking space is “valuable real estate” so leave room for your vehicle--an investment too many people often leave outdoors because their garages are full.
Other “prime real estate” areas are shelves at eye level or within reach. Keep frequently used items here and put the storage items on high in very high or low areas where they are less frequently accessed.
Step 6: Time for Storage Solutions
Ready to put all of your items back into the garage? Now that you’ve gone through everything and you have a plan in motion, it is time to create solutions for storing everything. Remember, take advantage of overhead storage. You have SO MUCH room in your garage if you think vertically and not horizontally.
Some of our favorite storage solutions include industrial shelving from Costco (Whalen brand) and wire shelving from Target.
For keeping things pest and moisture-free there is no better solution than Iris Weathertight Storage Bins. What we love? These are clear so you can easily see what you are looking for. They come in a wide variety of sizes so you can find a solution for just about any item in your garage. They are stackable and easy to move around and manage all of the things.
Multipurpose Bins from The Container Store are a great solution for grab-and-go items you plan on storing in your garage, such as kid toys or gardening items. These multipurpose bins are great for removing just one bin to get a task done.
Large, easy-to-read labels are what you are going to want in your garage space! We suggest using the Brother P Touch Cube Plus to create the labels for your garage storage bins and containers.
Step 7: Maintain Your Space
Once you’ve invested in your storage solutions, relocated your items to their new homes, and found a system that works you are ready to maintain your space. Like all good organization, maintenance is the key.
You are going to want to set aside time quarterly or semi-annually to revisit the space and make sure clutter is not accumulating again. With systems and labeling in place, you shouldn’t run into much disorganization, but it can happen occasionally. Our final takeaway tips and tricks for successful garage organization?
If you don’t need cans of paint in your garage, keep small amounts in jars for easy color matching
Remember: take advantage of that overhead storage space. There is a LOT of it!
Your garage is intended to be a functional space, so make it functional.
Your car is one of the most expensive items you own. Make a space for it and use the walls and overhead areas for the storage.
When in doubt with your garage organization, you can always reach out to a professional for assistance. The Orderly Space team are experts at garage organization and can transform your messy garage into the functional space it deserves to be.
