If your garage is overloaded so much that there is no room to park the car inside chances are you could really benefit from garage organizer systems. When you open the garage door and it looks like there is a perpetual garage sale ongoing it is time for a garage makeover.
For under $500 you can pick up many accessories and storage helpers to do your garage makeover. It is important to free up floor space so the garage can again regain its main purpose of vehicle protection. Begin by sorting through all the items in the room, even if it takes you a week or longer. Gather together a trash can and a couple boxes and be ruthless in sorting.
Put anything that is broken, junk or no longer needed into either the trash or a box designed for selling items, recycling items or donations to others. When you are finished, set the trash out on trash pickup day. Take the items no longer wanted but still in okay shape out for recycling or reselling. Have that garage sale, but get rid of the two categories marked as junk or resell. Make deals or give away items because you want to get rid of it, not keep it. Another box is for items you want to keep and that are useful. Set this box or boxes aside momentarily; set them in the center of the now empty room.
At this point you should be able to see all the walls. If they need attention, repair or painting, do it now. Next go in search of a garage organizer and accessories. Shop at the local improvement store or online for the best ideas and prices. Many items are just a few dollars like hoods and small bins. Rubber tubs with tops are only about $5 each and they can be stacked high. Tubs and bins with covers help keep water and insects out of your stored items.
Consider shelving units, cabinets and wall boards that will accept hooks and peg hangars. There is special pegboard made for this purpose, and slat wall materials that will accept various types of storage accessories. Wide and tall shelving units can hold an amazing amount of clutter in a neatly organized manner. Space out shelves so that there is room for larger tubs on the bottom and smaller ones up higher. Use see through bins for some items and open front bin storage drawers for others. Hanging drawer storage units go onto wall systems or they can be placed atop cabinets.
On the peg or slat walls you hang hooks, shelves, and baskets or bins for items that need to be visible. Tools are stored in easy reach on these walls or they can be stored in their own rolling tool cart. Large lawn and garden tools need some storage areas that have height. They can be hung on the wall units or put into a tall cabinet or closet area. Keep them near to the front of the room so they are more likely to be used. Baskets and bins are great for sports items like soccer and basket balls. Get a small step stool so you can reach higher items as you go upwards in using your space. Purchase a roll up unit to hold the hose or hang the rolled up hose on hooks rather than piled on the floor.
For ceiling storage there are lift up ceiling units that are easy to use. Use all available non-floor space on walls and above the room. An open rafter ceiling can still be used for some types of storage and hooks. Keep bulkier items like buckets, baskets and bikes stored where they will not be in the way. Use cabinets with doors to hide objects and keep the room looking neat and clean. If you have seasonal items keep them either up in the ceiling space storage or labeled and stored near the back of the room.
Plan the garage organization so you have a good workspace because there is always something that needs attention around a home. Use LED strip lights if needed in dark corners. Create a desk area or work station that is well lit and comfortable to use and include a comfortable chair. Be sure to have a trash container near the desk and a large trash can near the front of the garage or just outside it. Dispose of items instead of just tossing them in a pile inside the garage for later pick up that sometimes does not happen quickly.
Now that your garage is organized put the items from the boxes you set in the center of the room onto their designated storage areas. Break down the cardboard boxes and take the cardboard to your local recycling center for disposal. Return and park the vehicle in the now clean and organized garage.
Garage organizing is almost like adding another large room to the home. Garage space is valuable space but many times it is used for a messy and unmanageable pile up of things. Many people cannot even remember what is in the garage or where items might be in the room. With a garage organization systems and ample storage accessories the vehicle can once again enter the space with plenty of room all around it. Protect the vehicle and give yourself extra open space for projects by using garage storage systems.
