If you have been following along on my Instagram or FB page, you have probably noticed I've been helping some of my clients get ready for the spring days ahead by getting their garages in order.
In this client's home, the double garage fits one car, all of their children's outdoor toys and acts as their attic.
For those of you who live in a home with a garage, you know there are many benefits to this bonus space. But you also probably notice it can quickly turn into a dumping ground for the things you will "address later". I don't think there is a better time than the spring to tackle this home organization project. The weather is perfect, not too hot and not too cold; humidity has not yet set in. And if you do it now, you will reap the benefits of this newly organized space all spring and summer long.
First things first - now that you have decided to take on this project, you need to determine your goal(s) for completion.
Do you want to be able to park your car in the garage? Do you need to store off season things here? Do you want it to look visually pleasing to the eye if the garage door is left open? (Let me answer that one for you, YES!) Do you need a system in place for your children's outdoor toys? Do you need a system in place for all of your "toys"? Do you need your tools all in one place so that you can easily locate a hammer when you need one? Would you like to be able to set up a workout spot in your garage? Is your garage overrun with beach equipment (some well past the expiration date) and you need a better system to access what gets used regularly?
Now that you have finalized your goal(s), you are ready to move on to the planning stage.
Take a quick inventory of what products and equipment you already own that will maximize the storage in your garage. Meaning, do you already have shelves in place? Do you own enough plastic bins and totes to help contain different categories of items? Do you want to install bike racks or other storage hooks to get items off of the ground? Do you have work gloves, contractor size trash bags, a push broom and dust pan? How would you like to label the shelves and containers?
This Gladiator Wall system is versatile and all parts can be found at Lowes. If this is a storage system you want, I would suggest having it on hand prior to garage organization
When working with my clients, I do not often recommend going out ahead of the project and buying a lot of organizing containers. The container count and size/type needed will be easier to determine once you have emptied your garage of its contents and know what you are keeping that will need to be contained.
However, I do suggest, if you need big things - like shelving, pegboard or other wall storage hooks, to be sure to have those on hand before beginning your garage. Be sure to hold on to those receipts just in case you need to return unused items when it is all finished.
And for final preparation, you will want to give yourself a full day to complete this project. Some garages take more time and some less, but it is always a good idea to block out the day to make it happen.
To begin: It all comes out. As you are emptying out your garage of all contents, you should be categorizing the items into groups in your driveway/yard. Temporary category labels can be made by writing the general category names on a piece of cardboard and laying it beside each group (for example: Tools, Gardening, Automotive, Outdoor Toys, Water Toys, Yard Games, Seasonal Decor, etc.).
As you are placing the items into their categories, begin your first round of decision-making. If it is in donatable condition, a best practice is to put it directly into your vehicle so that it does not make it's way back into your garage. If one of your goals is to have a yard sale once the garage is organized, a category of "yard sale" will do just fine and this would be the last category to be brought back into the space after organizing.
Contractor size trash bags will be your best friend and anything that is not being kept and is not in good condition can be thrown away immediately.
What to do with your emptied out garage. Turn on some music and dance! Do cartwheels! Seriously, the music may help for this next step, because now you have the fun job of knocking down cobwebs and sweeping it out. If you are feeling extra crazy, you can even break out the pressure washer and give it a good deep clean.
Pegboard is hung up over this old bookshelf to maximize tool storage space.
Now, what are you planning on doing with the wall space in your garage? Pegboard is a great way to organize your loose tools and provide easy access. P.S. It is also easy to maintain. You can even take it a step further and outline the tools you hang up with a black sharpie. This way, it is very easy to see what is missing and to know what belongs in where.
If you have shelving to build, this is the time to do it. In the final step, you will determine where things will "live" in your garage.
Subcategorize, Contain & Label. Now that you have a garage where you could eat off of the floor (just kidding, but seriously, step back for a minute and just appreciate the beauty of this now empty and clean space), you will need to revisit the categories in your driveway. This is the time to do a second round of decision-making. Sometimes, things you decided to keep during that first round won't make the cut for getting a final home in your now clean garage. This is the time to be really selective with what you want to keep. You have gone through all of the effort to take everything out and clean the space; you should honor the effort you have put in and don't allow yourself to hold on to things that will ultimately create clutter.
Within each category, you will create subcategories for the items you keep. For example: Category - Gardening. Subcategories can be Gardening Tools, Pots & Planters, Fertilizers, Seeds, etc.
Chalkboard labels make it easy to wipe clean and change out the labels when needed, as well as bring a cohesive look to overall storage.
Use containers, where possible, to keep these subcategories together and label them to encourage a system that will be easy to maintain. I am a huge fan of chalkboard sticker labels; they are easy to wipe clean and rewrite a category when you need to make a change and they bring a cohesive look to your containers and shelves. I buy the majority of my chalkboard labels at Michaels, but you can find a selection at all craft stores as well as online.
The "Parking Zone" for ride-ons - in this garage, is located on the front wall beside the garage door.
Create Zones in Your Garage. This is the final step! Now that you can see which categories will require shelf/wall space vs. floor space, you will bring in one category at a time and place it within it's "zone". All like items go with like. Keep all coolers and beach equipment together. Are you a camper? Do you go fishing? These categories all use similar items, so it makes sense to pair these categories within the same zone of your garage.
If you are a family with lots of ride-ons (bikes, wagons, scooters, etc.), I suggest leaving space against a wall, near the garage door so that these are easy to access and put away when not in use. I love the idea of using a sturdy tape or even painting a stripe on the floor for where these will live. This will help you to maintain "parking spots" and cut down on having bikes all over your garage.
Final Advice. All organization requires work to maintain. The work can be minimal if you encourage yourself and all who use the space to put back what they get out when they are finished using it. The key to lasting organization is making it a habit. It becomes a chore when putting things away is not done immediately after use and things collect out of place over a period of time. The decision making process you went through at the beginning of this project, needs to remain in the forefront of your mind on a daily basis. As you bring things into your garage, make sure they are in working condition, that they are not an unnecessary duplicate and be sure to place them within their zone.
If you tackle and complete this organizing project in early to mid spring, you will reap the benefits of this newly organized space throughout the beautiful days ahead.
Happy Spring Cleaning and Organizing!
Next up on the blog: A Professional Organizer's Quick Guide to a Successful Yard Sale
