Get Your Garage Back!

You might be one of the millions of people across the nation who has a two-car garage, but every vehicle is parked outside. It’s a reality that the garage becomes a storage space for household items, from 10-year-old bikes to dad’s tool collection. You want to reclaim your garage right now. Parking the cars inside and finding an item without digging for it sounds like a dream come true. Follow these simple tips to getting your garage back right now. It’s time to see the light in your garage.

Empty the Space Out

One of the biggest jobs you’ll tackle is simply starting the project. It’s necessary to pull every item from the space. Don’t leave anything in the garage. Although that handheld toolbox seems unimportant, pulling it out into the daylight is critical to the process. Consider other places things can be stored, maybe some toys in the garage can be put in a toy chest indoors or maybe the lawn mower can be stored in a shed.
Step back and survey all of your belongings. Many of these items may have been long forgotten. A good rule of thumb revolves around time frames. If you haven’t needed or thought about an item after 10 years, you shouldn’t be storing it.

Create a Donate Pile

All of your belongings are now in the driveway or yard. It’s time to dive into the pile. Start with items that can be donated. There are thousands of people in the world who can use your items that are just collecting dust. Select items for donation that are in “gently used” condition. They might be dusty, but from a functional standpoint, they’re quality goods. Children’s clothes and toys often fall into this category.

Organize a Yard Sale

Some items may look too good to be donated. There’s money to be made in this case. It’s time to consider a yard sale in the next few weeks. Create a pile that’s strictly for selling. Organize it into stacks or boxes. Place these items in your main living space. This temporary storage area may sound unusual, but it forces you to have the yard sale as soon as possible. The items will be eyesores in little time when they’re in your living area.

Examine the Walls and Ceiling

Your empty garage looks incredibly big now. Take a look at the walls and ceiling that are open for inspection. Verify if you have any hooks, fasteners or shelves in these areas. When you reclaim the garage, you must use every inch of space. This concept includes the walls. You don’t really want a lot of boxes piled up on the floor once again. Use a stud finder to locate hidden beams behind your walls. These wood struts will be your key to hanging heavy items with ease as you rearrange the garage.

Add in Shelving

With those hidden beams in mind, sketch out what your walls should look like with everything added to them. Bikes, tools and folding chairs can all hang on the walls with the right fasteners. Use your sketch as a way to space everything out to scale. When you add shelves, hooks and pegs to the walls, the process will go very quickly. Without smart planning, you won’t be able to fit everything on the walls or ceiling.
Mix up the organization with shelving that’s easy to access. Use hooks closer to the ceiling for large items. When you make the space accessible, you’ll use it as it’s designed on your sketch.

Purchase Stackable Boxes

It’s inevitable that some items will stack up on the floor. Avoid the mistake of stacking cardboard boxes in various sizes. Purchase sturdy boxes that can be stacked, such as plastic containers with snap-on lids. These boxes are attractive and will last the test of time.

Label and Date Those Boxes

Regardless of what’s inside of those boxes, place a clear label on their exterior surfaces. Add details about their contents and the date you boxed them on. All of this information will help you find things in the future without taking too much time in the garage.

Stay Organized

Your garage is perfectly arranged. You could have a party in the garage if you wanted to because the space is optimized with most items hung against the wall. However, your challenge at this point is to maintain an organized garage. Discuss your concerns with the rest of the family. Tools borrowed from the wall must be replaced in the same spot. If you must store something in the holiday decorations box, open it carefully and place it back where it belongs. It’s possible to stay organized with some effort.

Get Your Garage Back…A Family Project

Making the garage project a family affair is a clever idea. You aren’t the only person who contributes to the clutter. Everyone can make their own decisions about personal items and their final place in the household. Taking your garage back is possible with some effort and organization. Your car’s paint job would thank you if it could.

Guest Author Bio:

Vicky Reddish works as the Marketing Coordinator for Riverwood Cabins. As the Marketing Coordinator, she executes marketing campaigns and strategies, primarily in the digital space. She loves creating and curating content and finding fun ways to engage customers on social media – and to do it as a “job” – it just doesn’t get any better. She’s also an artist and loves taking photos. Vicky lives in the heart of Nashville with her husband, Michael.