For many, our garages are not for storing our cars, but for storing our stuff. The garage is an easy place to put your unnecessary items, boxes, trinkets, and the like. It can also be used to store gardening and lawn car items as well. Add all this up, and it is no wonder we don't have enough space to fit an actual vehicle in there. If you are looking to get your car out of the weather and into a garage where it belongs, but have too much stuff in there to do so, let us help! Check out the ways below on how to get the clutter out of your garage with tips, hacks, and ideas to better stage your garage for maximum space.
1. Clean it out: The first step is admitting you have a problem in your garage. The second phase is cleaning it out. This is important because it will help you prioritize what you need to keep in your garage, which will determine what strategies you can use to organize and make more space. If you have small appliances, clothes, lawn equipment, etc., stored in your garage, consider a yard sale or donation site. That can be a quick way to get rid of things you don't need that might help someone else.
2. Shelving: Once the garage is relatively clear of clutter, you can begin installing storage to help organize the rest of your stuff. One of the easiest and quickest ways to do this is with basic shelves. You can organize shelves and have specific items on each level, making it easy to find what you need when you need it quickly. You can also find different sizes of compact shelving to fits the various nooks and crannies you are bound to have in your garage to make the most of the space you have. Just be sure to not over clutter or let the organization of the shelves fall to the wayside!
3. Magnetic knife holders: Kitchen knife magnets can be used for much more than just kitchen knives. If you have a workbench in your garage and your tools are scattered around everywhere, install a kitchen knife magnet on the wall. You can put paint brushes, screwdrivers, needle nose pliers, even cleaned out soup cans to hold small brushes or pens on these magnetic strips. This will remove a lot of clutter, both on your work bench and around the garage, and put it in a centralized, easy to find and see space. Side tip: small magnetic strips are also terrific for holding drill bits.
4. Pegboard: If your garage cleaning party cleared out a bunch of wall space and you have a bunch of tools and materials you still need to store, put some hefty or steel-made pegboard on the wall. The versatility of being able to install hooks anywhere on pegboard means to you can make room as needed for whatever tools you may have.
5. Utilize plastic bins: Plastic covered bins, especially see-through ones, are terrific for storing items in your garage. Not only can they labeled and stacked efficiently, but they have the bonus of taking on fluctuating temperatures better than regular cardboard boxes. Also, any bugs that inevitably make their way into your garage cannot force their way into the bins, keeping them safe from a potential minor infestation.
6. Use the studs: If your garage has partially unfinished walls, make use of the studs to hang heavier items, such as bicycles. You can also attach some boards to the wall and use these little nooks to store other items, such as sports equipment or frequently used outdoor toys. You can also attach two boards to the wall connected by bungee cords to store footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, etc.
7. Additions to your home: If you have the means to do it, you might consider adding on to your garage or build an outdoor shed to hold some of your stuff. Sometimes the garage is simply too small, even after de-cluttering it. In those instances, it might be better to build out the garage some or build a shed. This will increase your space quite a bit, and if you have an outdoor shed in the backyard, you can store your lawn care items there. This makes them more accessible and gets a lot of needed items out of your garage.
8. Leverage our containers: 1-800-PACK-RAT's portable, all-steel constructed containers are the perfect way for you to store the items that you have cleaned out of your garage. With three sizes to choose from, you can pack these containers at your own pace, and leave them on your property or have them stored at one of our secure nationwide warehouses for short or long-term storage.
If you decide that moving is the only option you have to increase the space you need for your family, then consider 1-800-PACK-RAT! We provide both local and long-distance moving solutions, so give us a call today to see how we can help you.