Follow these garage decluttering tips so that you can use your garage for what it’s meant for: protecting your car.
Here are my top garage organization tips and tricks that will help you to regain the valuable space in your messy garage.
It’s shocking to think that around half the people who own a home with a garage cannot park their cars in the garage because of all the clutter they have inside!
This is such a shame because having your car in the garage space maintains its value longer. This is because you are keeping it away from extremes of weather.
Plus, it’s much more pleasant to get into your car from the garage on bad weather days.
Follow these garage decluttering tips so that you can use your garage for what it’s meant for: protecting your car.
Install the Right Storage Solutions
After you’ve gone through your stuff and know what you are keeping, put like things with like. Then look for practical storage solutions that really work.
Don’t try to be cheap about this part, as it’s not even that expensive. It’s a lot more expensive not to store the things you care about properly.
Frugal Coupon Living has some great ideas for organizing a garage on a budget..
Garage Organization Utility Shelving
Adding the right type of heavy-duty shelves will prove to be a great asset to your garage storage designs.
However, many people treat their garage as sort of an experiment by throwing shelving in there that is not safe or sturdy.
This is a bad idea because it won’t work right and it’s dangerous. Install the right type of shelves that will hold up to what you’re going to put on them.
Heavy Duty Garage Storage Shelves Black with Wheels
How to Build a Pegboard Organizer for your Tools
Here is a great tutorial that shows us how to make a really useful pegboard organizer that can be used to arrange all your handyman tools.
Garage Wall Organization Ideas
Don’t forget the useful spaces that walls can make. The wall in your garage is a great place to store things. It is a praticulary useful for a small garage as you make the most of vertical spaces.
You can install a pegboard that enables you to put your tools right on the wall, as well as add other types of shelving and solutions directly to the pegboard.
DIY n Crafts has some clever ideas.
Garage Organization Before and After: Examples
If you after some inspiration and some before and after garage clean up ideas then Clean and Sensible has collated some great before and after photographs.
How to Declutter your Garage Quickly
The thought of the time it will take you is often a reason to procrastinate, my suggestion is just to take the bull by the horns and try to get the job done as quickly as possible.
- allow a full day to do the project.
- include family and friends the more the merrier.
- put items into 4 piles keep, donate, sell, dispose of.
- pack up items to be donated and put in the car so it can be taken to a donation center.
- collect together items for a yard sale. Or advertise items for sale in a local paper or Facebook group.
- invest in storage like shelving, plastic storage bins and ceiling rack storage.
- put seasonal items e.g. Christmas decorations and camping equipment up high.
- place frequently used items down low so they are easy to reach.
- sweep and clean the garage floor before putting items back in the garage.
- try as hard as you can to dispose of bulky sentimental items like your children’s yard toys etc.
- check leftover paint cans and discard any unwanted (prehaps you hate that color now!) or spoiled dryed up paint.
- check your collection of spray paint cans, these are often stored when empty!! Or they become blocked and won’t work any more.
Garage Overhead Organization Systems
One of the best garage organization hacks is making the most of the overhead storage in the ceiling space that will be available in your garage.
This space is ideal for sports equipment for example kayaks, skiing and surfboard equipment, which is just so bulky.
You can literally keep everything off the floor freeing up the parking area with overhead garage storage solutions.
Keep a Garbage Bin Close at Hand
One way of keeping on top of garage clutter is to get into the habit of throwing out garbage straight away.
Keep a trash bin and garbage bags in the garage that enables you to toss anything unwanted right to the trash when you need to.
Don’t keep any trash just lying around in there, it’s a strange thing, but I find garbage just seems to attract garbage!!!
Pedal Bin Easy Close Soft Closing mechanism Zinc Plated Metal
DIY Yard Tool Organizer
The Family Handyman has some great tips for organizing all those yard tools. These tool storage ideas are budget-friendly as well.
A Home for Everything and Everything in Its Place
Look at all your stuff and devise homes for each thing. If you have a home for each item, it’s much easier to keep the garage decluttered and organized.
For example, if sports equipment goes on that shelf or in a container, it’s easy to find if everyone tidies it away every time.
Invest in plastic bins or mason jars for small items and keep like items together.
Hint: Labels can help you find the equipment you need..
Consider Adding Seating With Storage Underneath
If you or your kids are often using the garage to get in and out of sporting or wet weather gear.
Consider having a pleasant seating area with practical storage underneath. This can be very helpful as you can keep wet and muddy items out of the home. So the garage can become a useful mud room.
Seating with Storage Underneath for a Garage
Value of Stuff Versus Value of Space
As you go through your stuff in the garage, consider whether the item you want to keep is worth the space it takes up.
For example, if you have your children’s yard toys stored, but the kids have grown up. These really need to go. I’m sure you can find a nice home for them.
Here is a great post that explains why we need to free up valuable space.
Make Use of Studs to Store Sports Equipment
I would recommend a read of this post from Designed to Dwell that has some genius ideas to use the space between the wall studs to store sports equipment.
I really love how the sports balls are organized using bungee straps.
Set Up a Cleaning and Decluttering Schedule
Once you are organized and have found everything item a home, take a picture so that everyone in the house knows what an organized and clean garage looks like.
Then set up a schedule that includes everyone to do a task that helps keep it decluttered at least monthly.
It is so easy to treat the garage as a dumping ground, and you are back again with no space in the garage for the car.
Declutter Your Life has some great tips on how to keep the garage clean and tidy.
Look After Your Car by Parking it in the Garage
It’s nice to have the extra space in your garage to keep things outside of your home.
But it’s also nice to be able to put your cars in the garage to keep them protected and maintain the value.
Garage Living explains why you should keep cars in a garage.
How to Deal with Sentimental Items
One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with clutter is what to do with your possessions that you simply can’t face parting with.
You need to consider the items from your past that are stored in boxes in the garage really aren’t being enjoyed as sentimental mementos, anyway.
Let them go or make a home for them. You’ll be glad you did.
Just an Organized Home can help you come to terms with dealing items you love from the past.
Overhead Storage Rack
My top garage organization tip is to make the most of overhead spaces that are available in most garages.
Garage Bike Rack
If you are a family of bike enthusiasts, a tidy way of storing your bike between uses is a must.
One way is to hang them up by the front wheel. No need to prop bikes up against a wall in a messy heap.
Using Bungee Cords
Here we have a genius DIY sports ball storage solution by The Organized Mama.
Using an old cabinet and bungee cords.
Make the Most of Vertical Space
Using wall storage spaces are garage organization ideas that can be fitted into any garage no matter what size.
Storage Solution for Garden Tools
Garage storage ideas for yard tools. Makes the most of spare floor space.
Garage Wall Shelves
Wall shelves are a garage must. My advice is to install as many deep shelves as possible onto the wall of your garage.
PVC Pipe Ideas
PVP piping is a versatile material for all kinds of storage solutions.
Garage Cabinet Idea
Make the most of the spare wall space in your garage with a practical storage cabinet.
Camping Gear Storage Ideas
It is hard to find storage space for camping gear. You need to find a safe space to store all this gear during the winter months.
Summary
I very much hope you have enjoyed this post and that you have found the tricks and tricks helpful.
Once you have finished decluttering, can you imagine how you will feel as you stand back to admire your organized garage.
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