Organize Your Garage Like a Pro

If the only thing you can find in your garage is your car, you’re not utilizing the space properly. Your garage is one of the biggest open spaces in your entire home, and if you use it wisely, you get some real benefits. Here are some ways that you can organize your garage more effectively, which will provide you with a lot of opportunities to enjoy the space that you already paid for.

Sort it all

It might be time-consuming, but go through everything in your garage and group items together according to use. For example, you would want to take all of your gardening tools and organize those into one space in the garage. The same applies for your automotive tools, sports equipment, outdoor furniture and anything else you have in your garage. The more you can group these items together, the easier it will be to find everything when you need a particular item for whatever reason.

Plan your storage

You have a lot of options as far as storing items efficiently, and you want to take a look around home improvement stores to see what’s available.

Different items can be stored in different ways. For example, your longer tools can be stored on hooks, which makes them easily accessible and, of course, visible. Shelving units can be used for items large and small, with smaller items being stashed in crates or bins to keep them together. Remember that you want to organize your garage so that everything you use more frequently is easier to get to. You should, for example, put items that you know you’re going to use right away near the front of cabinets, not the back.

Crates and bins help

Crates and bins are cheap and durable. A lot of people take items that are rather expensive and store them in disorganized piles. Taking these items and storing them together in the same bin or crate and then labeling it for easy organization makes a real difference. The label should always be pointed outward when you put the crate on the shelf, so it’s easier to find when you’re looking for it.

Sports equipment lends itself particularly well to this type of storage. Balls and other awkward gear can be stored in crates safely and without worrying about damage. For longer items such as bats and clubs, there are plenty of longer trunks and bins available, some specifically made for these items. These can extend the life of all of your gear.

Utilize the walls

Pegboard is easy to put up and it makes a great storage resource. You probably want to use shelving, as well, and you want to plan out how you are going to install that shelving. For larger items, you’ll want larger shelving; both wider and longer. Smaller items can be stored on smaller shelves, but crates and bins can keep very small items together, allowing them to be organized easily.

If you have items that are awkward, remember that pegboards are great storage areas. It’s a lot easier to hang a weed trimmer up on a hook than it is to try to lay it on a shelf.

The sky’s the limit

Not literally, of course, but look up when you’re looking for storage. Check the movement of your garage door and, if there are areas on the ceiling where storing items wouldn’t interfere with the garage doors movement, you can use them. Hooks can be used to suspend items like bicycles. There are also storage options for ceilings that you can install easily.

Use smart labels

Make sure that any labeling materials you use won’t fade or run from exposure to the elements. The labels need to be positioned outward so that you can read them easily and anything that is in a bin or a crate should be entered on the label. If you do this, it’s very easy to find any items you might need from your garage.