Organize Your Garage to Fit YOUR Needs
Now that you have spring cleaned your home from top to bottom, let’s move your focus outside the home to your garage. Has it been awhile since you were able to park your car in it? If your car does fit, are you tip-toeing around stuff to get to your car door and hoping you don’t knock anything over? If the answer was yes to either of those questions, let’s look at some practical solutions that translate well for any garage space.
Before After
The first step is to clear out the garage from top to bottom. As you remove items place them into three piles. Trash, Keep and Donate or Sell. Really assess the item…when was the last time you used those roller-blades? If it’s been over three years, it’s probably time to let it go. Have some bags and boxes handy for the items you donate and make a plan to drop them off later that day. Try not to bring it back into your home or garage. While the garage is empty give it a good sweep. It is also an excellent time to check your garage door opener for wear and tear. Make a note if you see something that needs repairing.
The next step is to sort the items you are keeping. Grouping them into like categories will help you determine how to organize your garage area. Examples would be: toys and sports equipment, lawn & garden, tools and perhaps holiday items. Now that you have your groupings, take a look at the garage space and create different zones for those items. If your garage is attached to your home you may want to designate that space near the door to be used as a pantry or an area for coats, shoes and school belongings.
Utilize vertical and overhead storage solutions to your advantage. A simple pegboard with an assortment of hooks can hold all your tools. A clever trick to remember what goes where is to trace the outline of the tool onto the pegboard! A solid shelf and some sturdy S hooks can help create a sports zone for bicycles, golf equipment and sports gear that may only get used at certain times of the year. When installing any overhead solution, always make sure they do not impede the opening and closing of your garage door.
Wooden pallets and PVC pipe are two inexpensive ways to corral all your long handled garden tools. A small shelf can hold potting supplies, gloves and smaller gardening implements. As you put things away it’s a great idea to label things. That way everyone knows where items belong.
You’ve worked hard. Take a moment to enjoy the fruits of your labor and the reclaiming of your car’s parking spot. If you have energy left, lace up those roller-blades and take a loop around the block.
This post first appeared on https://www.abedoors.com