Tips for Decluttering and Organizing the Garage

While garage organization can be seemingly impossible to obtain and maintain, with some clever design ideas and a willingness to ditch the junk, the garage can become a more inviting and functional space. And when selling a home with a garage, a clean garage always leaves a great impression on a potential home buyer. Here are some easy ways to get things in order fast, which can prevent injuries and allow everyone to find needed tools and stored items with ease.

Make a Plan and Set Aside a Date and Time

Avoid the temptation to just start pulling things out and rearranging on a whim, as this can lead to mixed results without actually getting much organization accomplished. Set a date and time such as a weekend morning, preferably when the temperatures are moderate enough to avoid overheating during the project.

Establish a written plan that includes each task and goal for the project, and be sure to assign the duties to specific people if family or friends plan to help. Don't forget that a certain amount of cleaning will be necessary before putting things away according to the plan. Realistically, expect to spend at least a half day or more to knock the list out entirely.

Remove Everything From the Garage

Garage organization is not a chore for a rainy day, as homeowners need to pull everything out into the driveway to allow for cleaning, sweeping and to get a realistic idea of the size of the task. If putting a coloured coating or protective sealant on the garage floor is on the agenda, now's the ideal time to undertake that project.

However, it will be necessary to have a place to temporarily store items or the garage floor will have to be done in sections. After assessing and sorting out things to keep, items to donate and things to trash, take an inventory of keeper items. Start determining how to group what stays, and plan out the best place to put them.

Get Things Organized Efficiently

Use the list of items that should be grouped together and start moving things back in, keeping in mind what it used most often. Items frequently called upon should be placed in frontal spaces at or below eye level to help avoid accidents when accessing goods on back shelves. Consider installing wall shelves, bike hooks or racks, and pegboards in the Panorama Hills home garage to maximize space and free up floor areas. Don't forget to label boxes and containers to ease finding things quickly.

Organize the Clutter and Store Items Properly

In order to have an organized garage, you need to get rid of all the clutter first. A very easy and useful way to declutter the garage, is to try the three basket rule – place 3 baskets in a room, and label them "Keep", "Discard" and "Donate". Go through everything in the room and separate it into these three categories. 

Another trick you can try to keep your garage organized on a budget, is to store things the smart way. There’s no point of buying storage containers, especially if you have some options lying around. For instance, shoe boxes can be used to store small items in them, like screws, small tools, old notebooks, and a lot more. The same applies for old drawers, jars, cans and other similar items.

Use these easy tips to get the garage in spic-and-span shape to eliminate clutter, reduce the risks of injury, and make the space an area to show off with pride.