By Lori Martin, Owner of The Art of Order
If your garage needs an “extreme makeover,” but Ty Pennington has yet to stop by – it’s probably time to tackle the mess yourself. Learn how to organize a garage on a budget, and that junk yard will transform into a useful storage system, a place for your car or your favorite hobby, or all of the above. Here’s how to organize a garage on a budget.
1. Use your driveway for sorting (just park your car curbside). The first step is to de-clutter your garage. Chances are there’s no rhyme or reason to how your stuff has accumulated over the years. So, this is the time to lug everything out of the garage and put it into piles:
- heavy “for keeps” items like ladders and bikes
- tools
- gardening supplies
- chemicals
- other misc. “for keeps” items
- give away
- sell (if you’re planning a garage sale)
- throw away
- storage (Christmas decorations, etc)
- belong inside the home (sentimental items are really at their best when they’re on display in your home or are more easily accessible, etc)
2. Now that the garage is clear of clutter, it’s time to clean that ugly floor! First you’ll want to vacuum or sweep it, and then you’ll want to scrub it down with soap and water or other more powerful cleaning solutions, if necessary. This is also a good time to wipe down the walls, dust the windows, and simply get rid of any cob webs, bugs, grime, or mold that’s been building up.
3. Do a little space planning. Before deciding how to store everything, ask yourself: what will the garage be used for? Will you be keeping one car in it, two cars? Do you need a hobby area with a workbench? Or how about an exercising space? Will you do your laundry here, or hang out with friends? After you’ve determined the function of your garage, it’s much easier to go about reorganizing it.
4. Get the right storage. You may already have a lot of great storage containers on hand. If so, delegate them to your sorted piles. Take inventory of everything you’ll be putting back into the garage, and do the math – how many bins do you need, how many built-in shelves, how many hooks? Instead of just putting everything back into the garage in an unorganized fashion, have a plan in hand. There are plenty of affordable storage containers you can buy from your local hardware store or Home Depot, or places like the Container Store. Here are some suggestions:
- Wire shelving
- Closed storage bins (great for things you don’t need to see day to day)
- Pegboards and hooks - use bungee cords for hanging heavy items
- Built-in shelving
- Hang hooks from the ceiling for storing bikes, ladders, luggage, and other bulkier items – great space saver!
Now that you’ve learned how to organize a garage on a budget, you can take advantage of a room that’s all too often lost and forgotten. However, although you can get your garage back in shape for cheap, the task is definitely a time killer and it has its fair share of frustrations. Remember, for help organizing your home, kitchen, and more, turn to our Austin professional organizing team.
