How to Organize a Garage

Ever noticed how your garage seems to be home to almost all the possible junk in addition to the one car that fits in? You have so much 'stuff' lying in the garage that you probably don't even remember half of it. Whatever extra or unusable items you find in your house, you go on and dump them in your garage thinking you might use it later. And we all know how often that happens. So, you've finally made up your mind to chalk out a plan for garage organization ideas. You know what you want to do, but you simply cannot think of how to organize it and where to start. Well, you don't need to worry too much because you'll find some great tips right here.

Decluttering your Garage
Organizing your garage may seem like a dreaded chore that will take days to complete, but once you begin, you'll definitely not want to stop. You'll keep going until you are done with the entire garage and you'll realize that you have so much extra space! So just read ahead and learn how you can do it in the most straight forward and easy manner.

Sort
The very first step in the 4 point process to organize your garage is to begin sorting through each and everything that is present in the garage. Take out every little nail and screw, every piece of paper, every tool, every can of paint and other 'stuff' that has been lying in the garage for ages. Empty every shelf, every cabinet, every drawer. Check through all the numerous bags and boxes that are in the garage. Once you've checked everything, begin the sorting process. Make sections for tools, hardware, paint, vehicle parts, gardening equipment and miscellaneous items. The sections can vary according to the kind of stuff that you have in your garage. This is just a basic idea.

Sift
Once you have completed the sorting process, which will take a minimum of 3-4 hours, you can take a small break. Have a lemonade or a beer. But have it in the garage, so you can see the pile of stuff that you have to sift through. After the break, begin with the sifting. Keep some big boxes at the ready. Mark some for trash and some for giving away. Go through each and every section that you have made and find all the stuff that cannot be used anymore. Each time you find something, throw it into one of the big boxes marked as trash. Be brutal. Don't let sentimental attachments make you save that can of paint that you used to paint the house yourself or the first gardening apron that you bought, which is in tatters now. If it's empty or torn, trash it. If you simply cannot bear the thought of giving some stuff away, find a way of recycling it or at least putting it to some use. All the stuff that can be used stays in the garage. The things that you think you won't use again, but can be used by someone else, put in the box marked for giving away.

Store
Once you're done with the sifting part, the majority of the work is done. Give yourself another short break for some snacks and then get back to work. Don't eat something too heavy, else you'll end up sleeping on the garage floor. For storage, you can have some concealed cabinets built in, or you can build a strong loft overhead your car. Have all the tools and pipes hung from hooks on walls to save space. You can do the same with bicycles. If not cabinets, you can at least build some shelves that can store the stuff lying around. Keep heavy items on the lower shelves and lighter ones on the top shelves. Mark or label the shelves, cabinets and drawers according to what they contain. This will make it easier to look for something the next time you have to.

Sell
Now coming to the last step of the garage storage organization process. Remember those boxes you marked for giving away? Well, now is the time to use them. Soft through them and find out some things that are in excellent working condition. You can sell them online. If not online, you can definitely have a small garage sale to sell stuff that you want to. After all this, if you still have things left, give them to a charity.

It is not difficult to learn how to organize a garage. You just need to have a little (or a lot of) patience, some time, and the willingness to get your hands dirty.