Garage Storage and Organization Ideas

In the earlier days, garages were used to only park cars. Enter modern-day life and garages are the go-to places for everything ranging from garage gear to that house-plant you bought but never put “inside” the house.

Being synonymous with a space that recruits a massive variety of storage options, garages require special attention and organization. But, knowing how to store things in your garage at home and having easy access to them when needed, can be a challenge. And, to make this uphill task more comfortable for you, we have the following garage storage tips and organization tips. From wooden shelves to pegboards to storage units- there are plenty of options to make your garage look like Marie Kondo herself organized it!

A. Declutter:

Over the years, your garage becomes home to different odds and ends which you need to take care of before you even begin the organization of your garage. Enter: decluttering. Sorting and cleaning these items is a huge task. You could start by doing the following:

1. Create piles

Set aside one weekend to properly declutter your garage and go through everything that you own. Segregate into what you need to keep, what you want to donate/sell and what you would like to throw out.

2. Organize

Further organize the “keep” pile into different categories like sports equipment, garage gear. By organizing your personal belongings, it helps in arranging the stuff neatly. You can take some hints and see some additional garage cleaning tips, that will help you sail through the cleaning process smoothly.

3. Plan the available space while segregating

Before you start putting stuff into the “keep” pile, plan the area that you have to store the items. Take measurements and draft a plan. Items that are used together, like gardening tools and lawn chemicals, should be stored collectively. The heavy stuff should go in a corner and frequently used items, like bikes, can be placed near the door. Bicycles can also be hung up to create more floor space to park your vehicles. The infrequently used materials can be put in far to reach areas.

4. Take the help of a self-storage unit

Don’t have enough storage space in your garage? Don’t worry and try finding a self-storage unit in your neighbourhood. These units provide space that is safe and secure for storing the items that you do not use regularly. You can also store seasonal items like decorations in a self-storage unit. Finding a reputable self-storage unit is also essential, and you must make sure that the space that they provide is clean. An excellent self-storage company will provide a variety of services including surveillance, dedicated staff, SMS alerts, and experienced movers and packers on hand to help. With so many storage sizes available (5×5, 5×10, 10×10), ensure that you are choosing the right storage space for your extra items.

5. Install extra shelves

It is essential to keep things off the garage floor. By installing extra shelving, it will help the garage look more organized. To implement this, you can install shelves in the garage or hooks and overhead storage. Open shelves are better than closed cabinets as they provide a comfortable view. The extra shelves and hooks will create space for a more orderly and neat arrangement of the stuff in the garage.

B. Acing the Garage Storage Game

Once you have cleaned and segregated the stuff in your garage, you are all set for the arranging the garage storage space. Keeping everything organized and accessible can be challenging, but it is worth every minute you spend on it. Some innovative methods that you could adopt are:

1. Install overhead storage

The available garage space is precious and should not go unutilized even by an inch. The ceiling areas are the perfect place to store large flat items, like ladders (which aren’t that needed in Delhi, are they?) or board games and soft toys that your teenagers don’t play with but you treasure for sentimental reasons. You can also install hanging shelves that can hold your camping gear or other seasonal stuff. These serve as an excellent way to keep things off the floor of the garage. With hanging shelves from the ceilings, you need to exercise precaution in terms of the space that the garage door requires. It must be able to open fully, and the shelves must not be a hindrance in the door functioning.

2. Use a pegboard

Often ignored while organizing, pegboards are perfect for hanging used items in your garage. You can make these at home by attaching hooks and pegs to a thick pegboard and create a display of hardware and other tools. This kind of arrangement is both sturdy and easy to maintain. It also allows you to make the most of the available wall space in your garage.

3. Keep similar items together

Remember the shelves you installed during the cleaning process? It’s time to make use of them now! You can assign each section to a different group of things like pet food, maintenance tools, documents, and so on. Keeping similar items together helps in easing out the process of finding them when need be and also enhances the long-term arrangement of things.

4. Store your tools and equipment correctly:

It is a fact that your garage can be a storage space for almost anything if used the correct way. If you have a lot of sports equipment, the best way would be to sort the gear by the sport rather than storing them in a big group. Similarly, for your hand tools, do not keep them jumbled up in a drawer. Use a pegboard or different arrangement of small baskets to keep them organized. You could also mount belt racks to hang wrenches and other small tools. Likewise, for the gardening tools, it is best to have a vertical storage system in place. Hang the weed whackers, hoses, and other instruments from the walls with hooks or racks. By utilizing your garage space most efficiently would help to keep your gear in shape.

5. Label your documents:

At times, extra paperwork and office supplies find their way to the garage. It does not take them long to form heaps and bundles and take up a large amount of space in the garage. Make sure you shred the unnecessary paper in the garage, and the important ones are correctly labelled and arranged. To enhance the organization of the documents, you can take some hints from for organizing your paperwork.

Garages often end up being cramped and overused in the worst possible way, so make sure you make the best use of the available space, thereby following the given tips. Arrange your items in an orderly manner, and you’ll be amazed at the amount of space you can create! For relevant documents, looking into utility lockers may be essential as these papers can be stored in a secure facility and will not have information released without your consent.