A long, long time ago, the garage was the home of the car. Sure, you’d keep your tools and maybe an extra fridge in there, but the car was the main tenant. Today, many cars have never seen the inside of their garages. Their owners relinquish them to the curb to make the morning commute quicker, and the garage is full of… stuff.
Cars are, of course, weather proofed but not impervious to the elements. Sunlight can dry and crack fittings, dirt and grime get everywhere and just one hailstorm can cost you a pretty penny in repairs. So, whether you want to take better care of your daily driver or you just want to make more room in your life, organizing and decluttering your garage is essential not to mention the extra value created from the property.
One of the first steps in organizing your garage is to declutter and get rid of any items that you no longer need – things like old or broken tools, outdated sports equipment and anything else that’s been collecting dust. Anything you still need but use very rarely, you can store elsewhere, but more on that later. Let’s look at some of the best garage storage ideas out there!
Shelving units
One of the most popular options, not just for garages, is shelving units. They come in a variety of sizes and styles, and you can custom fit most to your particular space. The more you store vertically, the more room you have on the floor and the more organized everything will look.
Pegboards and slatwalls
You can use these other types of vertical storage mostly for tools, though slatwalls can fit bigger racks for bulkier items. Their biggest advantage is that you can see everything at a glance, without having to dig through toolboxes. These also come in many sizes, and you can cut them to fit more difficult spaces. As an added bonus, a garage wall covered in pegboard and neatly organized tools just looks cool!
Ceiling racks
There are some items we own that fall into the category of “light but bulky,” for example bicycles, surfboards, skis or kayaks. Storing them right underneath the ceiling is a great way to use every inch of available space. Some ceiling storage systems even have pulleys to make retrieval easier. Whichever you choose, just make sure it doesn’t interfere with the opening mechanism of the garage door.
Door storage
Speaking of garage doors, counterweight and even sectional doors can accommodate light storage like brooms, rakes or shovels. Again, make sure this doesn’t interfere with the opening mechanism and that the stored items are secure when the door is open. This is especially important for doors like the ones mentioned since the tools will hang right above your head! Safety first!
What to do if you still need more free space
You may find that even after decluttering, sorting and furnishing your garage with better storage solutions, you still don’t have enough room. Raise your hand if you’ve ever tried spreading out your extra items across the home, tucking them away in corners in the hopes that they will be less noticeable and that the problem is, therefore, “resolved.”
It just ends up becoming clutter later. If there are items you only use rarely or seasonally, these should go into a storage unit. These are useful spaces that you can rent nearby, that provide the same service as a closet or garage but with the advantage of being much cheaper than the equivalent space in your home.
You can store holiday decorations, sports equipment, lawn mowers and other items that have “off seasons” in such units. The benefit isn’t just in the decluttering – having only your essential and most useful tools in your garage can make it easier to focus on your work, find what you need, and get the job done quicker!
Today, you can find an appropriately sized storage unit in every major city. Furthermore, you don’t have to use them for just storing items. If you want to convert your garage into a workshop, many storage facilities offer vehicle storage at a good rate.
How to Store LEGOs: All the Fun, None of the Clutter
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Nobody warns you that getting into board games usually unlocks a second hobby, the much dreaded one that includes figuring out where on earth to put them. One game becomes a few, expansions start spawning beside their base boxes and before long, board game storage requires as much strategy as whatever is waiting on the other side of those lids.