How To Organize Your Garage:
Becoming a more organized person can be beneficial in many ways. Whether that being organized around the house or putting together a schedule for yourself to stay on task. Both, can help make you a more productive individual. In this post, we talk garage organizational tactics. Don’t let it become a catchall for “the extra” stuff. This is, how to organize your garage!
We began our blog with hopes of helping provide ways for people to live a simpler, less stressful life. This is the reason we started this “how to organize” series.
However, as you’ll find within our blogs we don’t just discuss organizational ideas, but also place emphasis on other tactics for stress relief.
This includes fun DIY activities, aromatherapy, exercise, yoga, even meditation practices. In the end, our hope is for you to find peace of mind and some calm in your own lives.
In this post, we again focus on this critical element of organization, specifically for your garage space. This is a sequel to our previous post on how to “clean out” your garage.
Why The Garage Becomes A Cluttered Mess:
We certainly cannot speak for everyone, but oftentimes what happens in the garage is that it becomes an overflow space for what does not “have a place” inside the home.
Furthermore, as time passes, more items continue to clutter your space. Consequently, one day you walk out to the garage, quickly becoming overwhelmed. Maybe you were looking for an item, or maybe you stumbled over some of the mess as you were making your way to the car.
Whatever the reason, at this time, you know it’s time to do something about it, right?!
Recap From Our Previous Discussion:
Because we covered “How to Clean Out your Garage” in a previous post, we’re going to spend this time discussing strictly how to organize your garage.
If cleaning still needs to be done, be sure to head over to that post first!
At any rate, it’s time to get to work. The garage isn’t going to organize itself, so let’s go…
Step 1: “Take Time. Get Help. Plan”
The first piece of advice is to understand the undertaking. Oftentimes, this is usually not a 1-day deal. Depending on how long you’ve let the garage go, this could take several days to a few weekends to complete.
With this is, see if you can recruit some help. Moreover, this can help decrease your workload, and increase the pace in which you complete this large task.
In addition, think about these points before you begin your re-org:
- Firstly, have a plan in mind, or a direction you want to go. Have a day-1 plan, day-2 plan…
- Secondly, don’t be afraid to listen to suggestions. Others may have been through this task, so listen to there ideas.
- Give your team some direction. Have one person doing measuring and another cutting.
- Take breaks every 2 few hours. Rest every now and then, but not too long or you may just not want to get restarted, : )
Step 2: “Categorize”
Another suggestion is dividing the “keep” pile of items in categories, and/or subcategories.
Such as:
- Sports Equipment
- Lawn care
- Seasonal equipment
- Seasonal clothing
- Holiday decorations
- Things that can hang
- Things that can sit nicely on a shelf
- Small items
- Large items
- Items used every weekend vs. items used once a year
Categorizing like this is easy, and it works!
Furthermore, some items may be included in multiple categories. Additionally, some items may not belong in the garage at all.
For example, a bike, may be considered a “large item”, however it may also be an item that can hang, to save space.
These particular items below are not suggested for your garage:
- Paint
- Bedding
- Propane tanks
- pet food, to name a few
Tip: Feel out items that could possibly store better somewhere in your house, vice versa. Maybe there are items that truly should be in the house vs. taking up space in your garage.
Whether you are tackling your entire garage at once, or focusing on individual sections, using categories is beneficial, helping to organize your garage for your style of living.
Step 3: “Location. Location.”
Where in the heck am I going to put all of these items?
Although this is an important question, it’s one that hopefully you thought about in the “planning” stage.
This is the time when we have to start thinking smart. Are you parking the car in the garage? Do you have storage pieces coming in? What is going to fit, where?
There is nothing more frustrating then having a shiny new piece of lawn equipment and spending 2 hours trying to get to it.
Think:
- Was there something in the garage before, that just didn’t fit, or that may need more storage area? Take before pictures!
- Was there something that took up to much space?
- Can I hang something up on hook or shelf that took up to much square footage?
- Can I start small and then work the bigger items in later, or vice versa?
Plan it out, do a quick sketch.
We’re serious, nothing fancy, just to get an idea of how you want to create your space…
Step 4: “Increase the Pace”
At this time you should have everything out of your garage and in separate groups or categories.
These items may be on your front lawn, driveway, porch, or wherever you have space, but you should have an idea of what is going to be stored with what.
Additionally, you have a complete map of your space in your head and in front of you! At this time, start to move things back into the garage.
Alternatively, you may still have some installation to do of cabinets, drawers, modular devices, hooks, racks, or shelving of some sort. If so, clearly complete that first.
Step 4b: Don’t Forget Your Vertical Pace
Truly, you haven’t forgotten this tactic from most of our posts on organization.
Increase the use of vertical pace.
For instance, these items can work in that space:
- Pegboards
- Hooks
- Hanging systems
- Cabinetry
- Overhead stores or hooks designed for the ceiling of your garage (make sure to check weight limits on these and that they are secured in a stable area).
- Shelving or sliding storage racks.
- DIY fishing Rod holder using old PVC piping.
- Stackable bins.
- Storage systems or kits that you can install yourself!
- Corner shelving and/or storage tubes.
Here are a few of our favorite videos that give you some great garage organizational hacks:
Garage Organizational Hacks!
How to Organize your Messy Garage!
DIY Fishing Rod Holder!
Step 5: “To Store or Not to Store”….NOT!
We touched on a few of these items earlier in the post:
- Paint in your garage, overtime can ruin as a result of weather.
- Pet Food – If you have to store this in your garage, make sure it is in a sealed container so other animals or small rodents can’t get hold of it.
- Propane tanks – You run the risk of even just a small leak in the valve could be disastrous!
- Canned Food – Some canned food if exposed to freezing cold temperatures will have a shorter shelf-life. Be sure to read storage instructions on all of these products.
- Refrigerator – As it gets hotter in the summer months, your electric bill will rise as a result. The refrigerator works harder to maintain temperature, using more energy.
- Electronics – When subjected to the cold, they may be effected negatively. Don’t take any chances with these expensive items.
- Bedding – All of these items should be stored in the house if possible. They make perfect spots for animals to build small nests. If possible, place in air tight containers.
- Fragile items.
Final Thoughts!
We hope these organizational tactics and tips will make for a easier flowing and functional lifestyle, inevitably leading to less stress in your life.
Thanks so much for coming and visiting us here at RN to Zen.
Hope to have you again soon. Please share this post on social media of your choosing!
