Without good systems in place, the garage can easily become an unorganized dumping ground for everything from recreational equipment to holiday décor, leaving no place for your cars! Here are our tips for ensuring this space in your house works for you and leaves plenty of space for you to park!
1. Take inventory: The first step should be to empty your garage and sort your items into piles based on categories like lawn care, sports equipment, cleaning/car maintenance, holiday, etc. This will help determine what you need to make spaces for later on!
This is also a good time to sweep out debris, clean up oil, and trash or donate items you no longer use or need!
2. Look Up: The walls and ceiling of your garage are often under-utilized spaces. There are ready-made systems you can install and easily customize to your needs, but depending on your budget, a few well-placed hooks (like this or this) drilled into the studs of your garage can work too! Wrangle things like garden tools, holiday wreaths, and even bikes!
A peg board hung on the wall is also highly efficient in storing everything from small tools to nails, screws, and more! Use baskets like this to maximize storage!
3. Stack it: A wire shelving unit–either on the floor, mounted to the wall, or hung overhead can be helpful for storage and is preferable to enclosed storage cabinets so you can see what you have at a glance.
Stack these shelves with clear plastic bins to maximize space and maintain organization!
4. Name it: Label everything for easy access to tools and supplies by any family member! This is especially important for things you don’t access often such as holiday lights or seasonal products like road salt and fertilizer. You can use a label maker or just create labels by hand and tape them on with clear packing tape so they remain weather-proof!