Organizing, Redesign & Staging

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Spring Organizing For Your Garage

Yes, this is the time of year to get all of the dust out of the garage and clean up the mess you made all winter long. Get organized for spring chores, get all of the tools and equipment ready, and hunt down all of the 'lost' winter fix-it tools.

  1. Plan of attack - Set aside 2 consecutive days for organizing your garage. One day for tearing it apart and putting it back together and the next day for organizing wall space.You will need to take everything out, boxes, bikes, lawnmowers, snow blowers etc.
  2. Dump and declutter - "Just in case" is not a sufficient reason to keep all the items in your garage. Decluttering is just as important in this space as any other in your home. Also, take this opportunity to clean your garage, sweeping out bugs, dirt and more!

  3. Once you have made decisions about what you are keeping, define categories for storage. Categories for your garage might be outdoor toys, hardware, tools, gardening, and automotive. Once you have created your categories, put things that you use the most in easy access and things that are 'sometime' things can go up higher. Don't forget you have storage room above the overhead doors that can be used for long flat things. Use wall and ceiling space to maximize your area. Put up shelves to put boxes on and label them so you can 'look and find' electrical, hardware, peg hooks, etc. However, keep as much as you can off the floor.
  4. Organizing bins, storage containers, etc. - When purchasing organizing products for your garage, retail stores have wonderful and inexpensive products, look in every department for things to use. A piece of pipe is good for hanging things on and very sturdy and unbendable. Garage items can be very heavy and need extra support, you might want to add extra supports or make them out of wood. Metal shelving units are popular, but don't forget to use the wall space at the top of the wall. Shelving can go up here, be out of the way and is great for those things you only use once or twice a year. Sturdy plastic containers with lids that seal are an excellent way to keep bugs and dirt away.

Label everything you have in containers for easy searching. Being able to actually use your garage and find everything without wasting time hunting for it are rewards for your hard labor.
Article Source: http://www.organizingarticles.com