Do you find yourself “on the outside looking in” when it comes to your garage? The garage was a space created and normalized with the intended use of providing your vehicle(s) shelter and protection, but we all know the extra room is also ideal for storage! At Sorted Out^®, we absolutely believe in taking advantage of the storage opportunities that a garage provides homeowners, but not at the cost of losing your designated parking spot! If lately you’ve been parking your vehicle elsewhere because the mountains of stuff have overtaken your garage, we believe it’s time to reclaim that space, and we are here to show you how!

Your goal is to use your garage as intended, so you want to establish a clear “finish line” objective for this project. Determine how many vehicles need to fit in the garage and the space the vehicle doors will occupy when they’re open. Mark the floor with painter’s tape to clearly define what area/space must remain clear.

Then, the real work begins: empty the garage. Pull absolutely everything out, if possible. If there is simply too much stuff to remove it all, start with one half of the garage (or one bay, depending on how many garages you have). Once empty and clear: clean the floor. Throw away all known pieces of trash and sweep. Depending on how dirty the floor is, you might also consider power washing the space to really give yourself a clean slate.

You want to assess the items you removed from your garage exactly as you would in any decluttering project: sort items into categories and begin a purge. Keep it simple by creating four categories:

• Keep
• Donate
• Trash
• Recycle/Store Elsewhere

Be honest as you sort through your items and place each into one of the four categories. Anything that hasn’t been used in over a year (or 2+ years for seasonal items) should no longer receive prime space in the garage. Review any duplicates and decide if all are needed, or if some can be donated or thrown away to clear space.

Yes! Maximize the room you have for storage by taking advantage of the vertical space within your garage. In this area of the home, a good rule of thumb is to keep the floor as clear as possible. But use wall-mounted shelves, pegboards or slat walls, ceiling racks, and hooks to make a HUGE difference in how effective the space is. Pegboards, slat walls, and hooks are great for items such as tools, bikes, ladders, and lawn/gardening tools because everything is visible and easy to access. Ceiling racks are ideal for rarely used, binned items such as holiday décor, seasonal gear, etc.

Once you have taped out your goal parking space, purged as much as possible, and have the storage elements in place, it’s time to load the garage back up! Again, establish “zones” that the garage will need to service. Common garage zones may include, but are not limited to:

• Parking (non-negotiable, always keep clear)
• Tools
• Outdoor gear
• Seasonal storage
• Trash/Recycling

Identify and map out areas in the garage for each required zone based on your “Keep” items and needs. Clutter will be less likely to creep back up if everything has a dedicated “home”. Group like items together (car care, sports equipment, tools, gardening, etc.) and use clear, labeled, weather-tight bins/totes so you can see contents clearly. (Bonus! These are also great for those with ADHD!)

Again, place and stack bins on shelves – not the floor! If needed or if able, replace bulky garage shelving with taller and narrower shelves. Hang bikes instead of leaning them up against the wall or shelving. You, again, want to take advantage of vertical space by storing folded items (like chairs and tables) on wall hooks.

Mark parking with a tennis ball on a string or a parking guide so you stop in the right spot every time! You can also add rubber parking stops if needed. Make sure to mark the spot so that when the vehicle doors open, they aren’t bumping the wall or any stored items. If you’ve emptied, purged, rehomed, and used the vertical space effectively but still feel tight on space, look at what might be able to be stored elsewhere, or consider if an outdoor shed might be worth the investment.

Now that you’ve reclaimed your parking space, you want to set up a maintenance plan so things don’t pile up again! Use the “one-in, one-out” rule. Once a month, take 10-15 minutes to do a quick garage reset – sweep the floor, make sure everything is put away & properly stored, etc. Have a plan to go through the garage quarterly, or twice a year, to maintain the space. (If you live in a climate with seasonal weather changes, at the start of the next season is a great time for garage maintenance and decluttering!) During this semi-annual maintenance, again review what you have and what can be donated or thrown out.

Our inbox is always open, and we’d be happy to help you tackle your garage project, no matter how many years ago you wrote that space off as the “junk catch-all” and began parking in the driveway or on the street. We understand that a garage is a luxury when it comes to additional storage potential, but your vehicle also deserves a safe space to be parked. Luckily for you, we know how to make both a reality!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Tonia