The garage is one of the most versatile spaces in a home and can easily be used to store old boxes, tools, gardening equipment, golf clubs etc. But this doesn’t mean that it has to look like a breeding spot for chaos. There are various ways to ensure that your garage is neat and organized and there are also various options to assist you in doing so.
Below you will find some tips you can use to help you get organized without spending very much money.
Take charge
Sort it out: The first thing you have to do when you’ve decided to get your garage space organized, is to go through everything and get it sorted. It might be a good idea to take all of the items out of the garage and sort them according to purpose and importance. Where needed also take the time to clean everything that has gone dusty and dirty whilst in storage.
Throw it away: Once you have sorted the items in your garage, you will know exactly what you will be using, need to keep or value thus making it easy to know what you can send to the dumpster or find a new home for. There is no use in keeping stuff you will not be using again. This only takes up space you could’ve used for something else.
Plan of action
Proper planning is essential: One of the main reasons clutter piles up in any area is because no one really plans ahead about where they are going to put the things they buy. Seeing that you have just sorted the items in your garage, you know exactly what you have and can thus easily plan the layout for your new, well organized garage. Remember that there are lots of space against the wall and even in the roof (if your garage doesn’t have a ceiling) where you can put stuff with the help of a bracket or a shelf or two, so try to keep ground storage space to the minimum as this will easily make your garage look cluttered. Use chalk to outline your plan.
Measure it up: Once you have planned your garage and know exactly what you want where, establish what you will need to keep these things in place and carefully measure each space for shelves, boxes, brackets etc. Also measure the gap from the top of the open trunk to the ceiling; you can then hang things above your car.
Use what you have
Before you head off to the shops, first determine what you have in and around the house to use for storage purposes – you will be amazed at the practical, useful things you will find in and around the house:
An old garbage can, can be useful to store lengthy sports equipment like golf clubs, hockey sticks etc. It can also be ideal for storing a rake, spade, mop and broom together neatly.
Small food containers like margarine buckets and glass jars can be very useful to store away and organize small items like screws, nails, etc. Simply attach a label to the outside, so will always know what is inside which container. You can also attach an old spice rack against the wall to store these jars and make them readily available.
Make use of old nails, screws, coat hooks etc. to store tools, fishing rods, lathers, folding chairs, wheat-eaters, umbrellas, brooms, gardening tools, power tools and many other items against the wall. When mounting items against the wall, take care that it is fastened properly and will not fall off the wall easily as this can result in damages and even injury.
Computer printer paper comes in sturdy cardboard boxes that work well for storing all sorts of things like masking tape, sprayers, spray paint, rope, globes, etc. and can be neatly stacked on top of each other in the corner of your garage. Remember to also label these boxes, so you will always know where to find these items.
What else is available:
- Universal storage systems have free standing, light duty racking available to put against the wall of your garage. This system is ideal for storing boxes etc.
- ShelvCraft solutions has various shelving and racking options available for every need, ranging from light weight to heavy duty.
- Addis has a wide range of storage solutions (in various sizes) available, from high quality plastic crates with lids and wheels, to plastic containers for smaller bits and bobs.
- Visit Game and Mica for useful DIY storage solutions like toolboxes to store away your tools neatly and plastic clips you can use for hanging brooms and other cleaning accessories.
- For some grear wood shelves also visit Makrak
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