When you push your garage door opener what is revealed in your garage?
A) Plenty of open space to park your vehicles protected from the elements?
B) Neatly stored bins of holiday décor, sports equipment and a tidy workbench?
C) We have a garage? We can’t see it anymore-quick close the door before someone sees it!
Why does such an important part of our homes have the potential to turn into a dumping ground filled to capacity?
Delaying our decisions: Sometimes belongings come into our lives and we aren’t sure what do with them or where to place them in our homes. We often store them in the garage as a “temporary” holding place or think we “might need it someday.” When we do this over and over the number of unmade decisions can be overwhelming so we give up and clutter takes over.
A recent or not-so-recent move: We move into a new home which is a big job. We get enough of our belongings into the home so it is functioning well and then just never seem to find the time and energy to unpack those last few boxes. What’s in those boxes that you are living without anyway?
Inheritance: Sometimes we inherit someone else’s belongings due to a death, move or illness. It can be difficult to figure out how to incorporate new items into our own homes that may already be full. Leaving the items in boxes in the garage really isn’t the way most of us would choose to honor the person who owned them though. Don’t feel obligated to keep everything you have been given, it’s ok to choose your favorite items that most make you think of that person. Bring those items into your home for use or display and pass on the rest.
Plain ‘ol too much stuff: We tend to hold on to old toys, old bikes, outgrown sports equipment, broken items we thought we would fix, camping gear, holiday décor, the list goes on and on.
With so many ways to end up with a stuffed garage, what can be done to make better use of your prime real estate?
Decide how to use your space: Before you attack the garage know what your goals are for garage use and storage; sit down and make a list. Do you want to park cars inside or work out on your gym equipment? Do you want to create a recreation area with a pool table?
Deciding what you want to store in your garage will help you know what needs to be removed altogether. Do you want to store holiday décor, tools, camping gear? What doesn’t make the list needs to take a hike.
Purge, purge, purge: Either choose a sunny day and empty the garage or break down the job and purge a section at a time. Place ‘like items’ together such as all tools together, all sports equipment together and all holiday décor together. This will allow you to see how much you have and make it easier to let go of overabundance.
Be sure to have bags or boxes labeled and ready for your sorting session. You may need garbage, donation, sell and give-a-way labels. Have a donation truck scheduled to make a pick up after your cleanout.
Once you get your belongings down to what you know you are going to keep it’s time to get it back in the garage. How to you make the most of your space?
Storage bins: Invest in storage bins to keep like items together, put a label on the outside and it will be simple to find what you need.
Look up: Don’t forget about the ceiling. You can really expand your usable space by using storage racks that hang from the ceiling. You can find them at your local hardware store or at www.hyloft.com. Add-ons are available to purchase that will hold skis or bikes.
Use your walls: Use all available wall space that you can access. Hang brooms, rakes, shovels, backpacks, coats and bike helmets.
Shelving: Add simple shelving as high as you can to your walls to hold your bins and any loose items. Shelving gets items off the ground and increases your storage capacity.
Invest time organizing your garage and you can be proud the next time you push your garage door opener!
www.EfficientOrganizationNW.com
