Let’s be realistic: your garage is mainly used as a dumping ground for things you have little to no use for. Don’t worry, we have all been there at one point. Still, the moment you realize there’s nowhere to park your car due to the ever-growing mess in your garage, it’s time for some changes.
Luckily, decluttering your space will be much easier than you may think. We’re here to guide you through the process and, hopefully, help you get the entire room organized as fast as possible.
Here are our favorite tips and tricks for transforming your garage into an appealing part of your home you won’t be embarrassed to show to your houseguests anymore.
Table of Contents
1. Decide on a date
Source: unsplash.com
There’s no way around it: you’ll have to spend some time on decluttering if you want it done right. We suggest you designate the exact day in advance, so you aren’t tempted to procrastinate once it’s time to get busy. It’s the first and perhaps the most significant step to make if you want your garage to be tidy.
As long as you keep leaving it “for tomorrow” you’ll never make any progress. In fact, things may get worse! So, take your calendar and find a day when you expect to have some free time at your disposal. You won’t need entire weeks to deal with a messy garage (hopefully we weren’t that late!), but it’s still better to lose all potential distractions beforehand.
Overall, set a date when you’ll have enough free time to declutter your garage and do it in one to three sessions. Dragging it on for days on end will likely lead you to give it up at one point. So, unless you have a gigantic garage, a couple of hours should be enough!
2. Plan the space in zones
Having a clear plan in front of you will make everything so much easier! Divide your space into different zones before you start reorganizing the contents. You should decide the zones based on the different functionalities of the room. For example, if you have tons of gardening tools randomly laying around all over your space, designate a “gardening zone” where you’ll eventually place them. Then, you should plan the “decluttering schedule”. You want to take all of your things outside(especially bigger items), and then start organizing them one zone at a time. Try to determine some loose timestamps to decide how much time you’ll spend at each and every zone you set up. It will help you get through the process much faster.
Make sure to prioritize based on your specific needs. Do you only want easy access to your old comic books, or perhaps you’ll use your garage as a laundry room? Your space has to line up with your daily needs: that’s much more important than just having a tidy-looking garage!
3. Get help from your friends and family
Source: pexels.com
Now, everything will be much easier if you’re not doing it alone. Ask your loved ones if they’re available to help you out. Playing some music and chatting with your friends while you’re cleaning should make the time fly by! Besides, you’ll certainly finish it all faster with their help. Additionally, who knows? Maybe they find something they like that you were planning to throw away! Then we have a complete win-win situation.
So, don’t hesitate to seek assistance from others! Treat them to a nice, home-cooked dinner afterward, or perhaps return the favor one day in the future. Whatever the case, remember that decluttering doesn’t need to be a tedious task as long as you can enjoy the company of your loved ones at the same time.
4. Throw out the junk
Your garage is probably packed with items you don’t need but can’t gift nor sell. These just collect dust at this point, so maybe it’s time to bid them goodbye. The best way to go about this is to make a difference between the junk and the stuff you want to keep while you’re emptying your garage for your decluttering project. Keep the trash on one side and the items you care about on the other.
Now, you’ll probably be surprised when you see how many (unnecessary) things you’ve hoarded for all of those years. Everyone always is. So, once you’ve got it all piled up, we suggest you call a junk removal company such as junkremovalgreeley.com to help you get rid of it (especially if it’s in large quantities). It’s the easiest and the cheapest way to get your garage in order.
5. Use those shelves
If you still have closed cabinets in your garage, we urge you to replace them with open shelves! They’re cheaper, easier to install, and they’ll provide you with better access to your newly organized items. You can also easily “scan” your stuff from shelves, so they’ll keep you a bit more organized in the future.
Besides just shelves though, there’s plenty of storage-saving furniture pieces you may want to look into such as workbenches and pegboards.
6. Rent a storage unit
Source: gobankingrates.com
If after all of your efforts, you still struggle with the lack of space in your garage, we suggest you simply rent a storage unit somewhere in your local area. These are perfect for storing those large seasonal items you only use for half a year.
Of course, depending on where you live, these can be quite expensive. Browse through the local deals to check whether there’s an offer that fits your budget or not. Similarly, driving across the city to access your stuff can be quite inconvenient. Overall, if you can find something cheap while still being relatively close to you, renting a storage unit can be one of the best ways to declutter your messy garage. Otherwise, it’s mostly not worth the money.
Categorize and Label
When tackling garage clutter, a methodical approach can transform chaos into an organized haven. Start by grouping similar items: tools in one corner, sports gear in another, and seasonal decorations elsewhere. Instead of letting items scatter, invest in transparent storage bins or label current containers to easily identify their contents.
This process does more than tidy up and improve the garage organization; it revolutionizes accessibility. By grouping and labeling, you eliminate the tiresome search for tools or holiday decorations, especially those not frequently used. This organizational technique ensures you find items promptly, enhancing the garage’s overall functionality. Embracing this step not only refines your decluttering strategy but elevates your garage into an efficient, easily navigable space.
The bottom line
Decluttering your garage can be a daunting task. Still, it’s something completely doable, as long as you have a good plan to stick to. We hope our tips inspired you to tidy up your space this spring and we wish you good luck in getting rid of that clutter!
