Many of us have been there.  So many items stacked in the garage, we cannot walk across to the other side much less park a car in there!  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  There are solutions to your storage woes.  Even those with fairly organized garage spaces can benefit from the occasional re-set.  We’ll take you through the steps to transfer your garage from an episode of “Hoarders” to a lean, mean organized machine.

Identify What You Have

Depending on how long it has been since your last garage clean up, garage organizing may be a multi-day event.  Be sure to engage help and have the supplies you need.  Your first step, similar to closet organizing, will be to take everything out and analyze it.  Identify what you have, what you want to keep, what can be donated and what should be trashed.   Identify groups or classes of items;  paints and stains, sports equipment, camping equipment, plumbing supplies, car maintenance, tools, etc.  Part with the items left over from past projects and with odd items that don’t fit a category.  You may even come across items that should be stored inside the house instead of the garage.

Map Out Locations

Once you have everything out of the garage and identified, you can start making designs on what items will go in which area.  Think about how you use the items, how often they are used, and with what other items in the garage they might be used.  For example, seasonal items used once a year can be kept up high while more commonly used items like sporting equipment will be kept within easy reach.  Tools should be kept close to the work bench while recycle bins might be kept closer to the door into the home.

Identify Storage Needs

This is where we come in!  Once you have your piles of items separated and a general idea of where in the garage you would like them kept, Custom Closets and Cabinets will help you assemble the right mix of storage tools to meet your personal needs. We will customize your storage solutions to match your space and your budget.  This may include a combination of open shelves, cabinets, bins, and drawers; plus we’ll take advantage of vertical space with peg boards and hooks.  Additional accessories will ensure every item has its own place.

Keep it Clean

Now that your garage is clean and organized, you’ll want to keep it that way!  Performing maintenance on a regular basis will help reduce the time it takes to clean it out the next time.  Consider a semi-annual or seasonal calendar to schedule your garage clean-up depending on your needs and how often you work in the garage.  What ever your needs, Custom Closets and Cabinets is here to help!