Is your garage a glorified storage room? Is it packed to the gills with unlabeled boxes and bins overflowing with old garage sale items, Xmas decorations, beach toys, and Halloween decor? Is it nearly impossible to find a rake or spade or edger when you want it? Are your tools scattered here and there? Do you have to shove apart stacks of torn and bent window screens to get to your lawn mower or bike or push-chair? Has your garage become so overstuffed you can not even park your car in it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it's about time you organized your garage.

If you can get your garage organized and cleaned, you'd be in a position to put your vehicle inside it. Imagine that! Having a place where your auto's defended from the elements, a place where you can enter and exit your auto and stay dry and warm or cool, depending upon the weather. Aren't these all reasons the garage was built in the 1st place? Not just as a storage place but to really house or garage an automobile? Here are some paths to help reclaim your garage and make the most of it once again.

First, establish the first purpose or needs of the garage and what sorts of things you would like to store there. For example, is the goal of the garage to house or store your automobile or autos and nothing else? Will your garage house a wood workshop or workout area? Does it need to function as a storage area for grass and garden tools, bikes, strollers, scooters, ride-on toys, sports equipment or perhaps off-season yard/house decorations?

It is important to make a list of all the things you want to use your garage for and everything you want to store there. Then, using that information, identify which part of the garage will be used for which function and what kinds of things you would like stored in varied locations within the garage. List any extra tools or materials you might need to accomplish this. As an example, do you need to buy any shelving, storage bins, bike racks, tool organizers, peg boards, hooks, for example. And then what tools, if any, you will need to install these things.

Set aside a specific time to start sorting and specifying items. Setting a specific date and time will help you actually start to do things instead of keeping putting it off. Use containers or delegated areas on your drive to help sort and organize. The key's to empty your garage utterly and sort items with like items. This will give you the opportunity to truly look at how much stuff you have got and help you to identify items that are damaged or no longer wanted and get rid of those things. Make sure to correctly dump any old paint cans and batteries or other unsafe solvents properly. Give your empty garage a good sweeping or cleaning too. You want a nice clean surface to work with.

Now, in organizing your garage, you need to also pay attention to the quantity of available space. If storage is an issue, remember to utilize vertical space. The walls and ceiling are a great way to increase available storage. There are lots of types of shelving from free standing to floating, organization grids, cabinet systems, hanging bin systems and hanging bike racks available to help maximize storage potential.

After sorting items into their respective classes, make efforts to place each category into the garage by not forgetting how much it is utilized. As an example, children toys should be stored within their reach and in a way that makes it easy for them to access and put away those toys. It is also useful to place tiny items in system drawers or if you've more time, you may also create tool kits with correct labels from buckets or jars for your tapes, knives, switches, screws, nails, or anything that you use on a constant basis.

By following the steps above not only will you have a place to store your auto again, you will be ready to know precisely what you have and enjoy the facility to find what you want, when you would like. Imagine your sense of achievement and pride every time you walk into your clean and organized garage and know that you probably did it all on your own.