5-Step Garage Organization Check-list

Organizing your garage makes for a boring way to spend the day. It’s something you might be putting off and reminding yourself to do soon. The lack of urgency comes from being unorganized in the first place – disorganization sucks away productivity.

However, with an appropriate plan, you can organize your garage without any distress. The key is to clean, sort and dispose of items, and then organize the contents of your garage. If you do each of these steps properly, the result will be a space that’s more convenient to use and less difficult to keep clean.

Look below for a five-step organization checklist that covers all the bases.

1. Take Stock of What You Have

It is important to do inventory before anything else. You can print garage storage inventory forms from the web, which will be very helpful.

Your goal is to make every item in your garage readily available when you need it. This means keeping track of where you put it. Therefore, you should write down everything you have, and mark where it is after you put it away.

You can place the inventory forms on your garage wall. They will serve as a reference point whenever you need to find an item. This way, it will only take seconds to find a small object – even if it’s packed in one of many boxes.

2. Evaluate What You Want to Keep, Donate and Throw Away

You need to make four piles, one for each: dispose, donate, keep and store elsewhere. Everything should be broken down according to one of these groups to make your garage as clutter-free as possible. Seasonal items, like Christmas decorations, should go elsewhere to maximize available space.

By only leaving what you need, you can make sure you organize things in an effective way. Once you are down to the bare minimum, it should become clearer how you can organize your garage to accommodate your workflow as best as possible.

3. Clean, Clean, Clean

It is a good idea to do a deep cleaning of your garage every so often. This will prevent surface clutter from piling up. It is the little messes you ignore that typically end up hurting the cleanliness and flow of your garage.

Is it a nice day out? If so, it’s the perfect time to open your garage door and sweep all the dirt out. Take the pressure washer to the garage floor afterward, and you will be in for a surprise when you see how clean it gets.

However, most of the battle comes from organizing your garage in a way that prevents messes. You can do well with storage systems. They give you ways to organize stuff in cupboards, on shelves and even right on your garage walls.

4. Find the Right Storage Solutions

Now comes time to figure out how you can better organize everything you plan to keep in your garage. This lets you avoid tossing little tools and accessories onto your counters – in fear of them going missing. Thankfully, if you keep track of your inventory and where you organize it, everything can still be within arm’s reach.

The main products that improve garage organization include cabinets and wall accessories. These are not something you want to buy on impulse; make sure you shop around for the right products.

Garage Cabinets

Choosing the right garage cabinets can make all the difference. The most important criteria to consider is the material of the cabinets. Birch plywood is the standard for garage cabinets, although many turn to melamine cabinets, as well. Plywood is more expensive but offers greater construction quality.

Wall Accessories

Your walls need to be put to proper use, or else you are wasting the majority of your garage’s storage space. Garage wall accessories are widely available, but there are many different options. You can get room-wide hangers and other items; pegboards are very popular and can hold anything from bicycles to hand tools.

5. Organize Your Items

After cleaning, sorting and investing in storage savers, start organizing the contents of your garage. This is when you can reference back to the inventory forms and mark where you put each item. Later, just check the sheets, and you will know where to go to collect the item you need.

While organizing, it’s important to focus on building a room layout that works for you personally. Think about how you use the space and which items and tools you use most often. Then you can organize the space and its contents in the most efficient manner, resulting in a better flow and more convenience.

Face your garage organization challenge with perfection in mind. Focus on improving the way you can use your workspace. Think about how you can take away the little inconveniences that you notice right now. Your garage should be set up in the exact way that you find convenient.

Consider adding garage storage solutions to increase your garage organization. Contact us today to learn more!