Did you know that there are only a few people who use their garage as a parking space? Most people who have garage spaces at home are either using it as a place for building crafts or a storage area for items that they no longer use but too valuable to throw away. Because of this, a garage is one of the parts in our homes that is usually left uncleaned and unorganized — unless it’s time for spring cleaning.
How to begin?
Organizing your garage is pretty much the same as organizing other rooms inside the house. The only reason why some people consider it as a tedious task is because of the amount of items stuff in there. Good thing, there are a lot of ways to sort all the clutter, like having your DIY garage cabinets. But before you begin installing anything inside, it’s best to start by clearing out the garage.
You will be surprised to discover several items you never knew you had. As much as possible, set aside an entire day for your garage cleaning. It’s also advisable to have someone to help you out. It can be a great family bonding activity, as well. If your family is there to help, it will also be easier for you to identify which items belong to them that can be thrown away.
How to organize your garage?
Once you have to remove all the items in your garage, you can start by categorizing them. You can use different storage boxes and group them according to their size, purpose, and frequency of usage. It is important to have easy access to the items that you often use. After that, here are some tips that you can follow.
- Start with a floor plan
Nothing beats a well-planned room redesigning. To make sure that all your items will fit in the garage, create a floor plan, and strictly follow it. Just don’t forget to include a walking space in the middle, so it will be easier for you to move around.
- Save floor space
As much as you can, use ceiling storage cabinets in your garage for small items. In that way, you can save some floor space for the bigger items.
- Bins. Shelves.
Utilize all types of bins, cabinets, and shelves you can find. Depending on the size of your stuff, there are different kinds of cabinets and shelves that you can choose from. It can be made of wood or metal. The important part is that it can carry the weight of the items that you will store there.
- Choose open shelves instead
Doors will occupy space. If you use shelves, choose the open ones. In that way, it’s not just easier for you to get some of your belongings, but it will also save you some space.
- Vertical stacking is the key
As much as possible, stack all your garage items vertically. Through this, you will have wider floor space, plus you can utilize the overhead space in your garage.
- Put something you can sit on
You may think that the garage should only be a place to store unused items. But if you want to make it a functional space, you can put desks and chairs in there, as well.
- Locks are essential
The fact that you haven’t thrown those items means they are important. Hence, make sure that you will secure them properly with a durable lock.
- Set up a lighting system
For some reason, the garage is always shown as a dark place in movies and TV shows. Contrary to that, it’s important to set up a great lighting system. In that way, it will be easier for you to locate the items that you need.
- Schedule a monthly maintenance
Make it a habit to clean up and organize your garage. The more frequently you add items in there, the more you have to organize them. You can set scheduled maintenance every month or as often as you need it.
- Move unused items to storage units
No matter how sentimental and precious your belongings are, it doesn’t need to be inside your home property all the time. You may consider using storage units to store these items instead.
Things You Should Not Put in the Garage
To help you know which belongings you should store in the garage, here’s a quick guide list.
- Leftover paint cans
- Paper items
- Unused appliances
- Consumable items such as pet foods
- Other perishable items
These are just a few items that you should avoid storing in the garage. There may be more, it is for you to decide which ones to keep and which ones to throw.
Visit storables.com to discover more ways to organize your garage!
