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5 Easy Ways to Free up Your Garage Space
by Luke Cameron

Description: Tips for organizing and decluttering your garage.

The garage is probably the most disorganized part of a house. Cars are not the only things found there. Sometimes the garage can also act as a tool shed. Yes, you read that right. You can find car repair tools, which is not unusual at all, but you can also find paint, hardware items, boxes of old clothing, worn-out golf clubs, and pairs of shoes that have seen better days. In this case, the garage has suddenly been turned into a stockroom.

Don't you know that there will be around 30 to 40 percent more space in your garage that you can use if you only get it organized? I'm not kidding. An organized garage can be very useful in storing a lot of different items, but you will not able to use the space at its maximum capacity if your garage is the epitome of chaos.

Not to worry! Here are five easy ways to achieve an organized garage.

Group Similar Items Together

It is very important to sort out everything in your garage. Group together items of similar kind - sporting equipment, hardware tools, electrical equipment, old clothing, pieces of unused furniture. You will be amazed how at much stuff you have. Once you have finished sorting, only then will you be able to think of the best plan to organize them. When all the items are grouped together, you will actually see how much space you have and how you will be able to utilize such a space. You will also take into account the items that need to be moved to the attic, to the basement, or to your next garage sale.

Create a Space for Seasonal Items

You may install a special rack or cabinet to hold tools and equipment that are only used in particular seasons. Keep all snow shovels, snow blowers and ice scrapers together. You may also include winter sports and recreational equipment such as snowboards, sleds and skis. On the other hand, items used during warm seasons - such as inflatable tools, beach balls, paddles - are supposed to be grouped together in another cabinet. This will help you find the tools a lot easier no matter what the season may be.

Add Shelves and Cabinets

You may also consider mounting new shelves and cabinets onto walls. This is very helpful in maximizing your space. The key is to create a space that can be very accessible for frequently or regularly used items. This will help you access the tools a lot easier. No need to play hide-and-seek every time you are looking for a specific item.

Appoint a Particular Working Area

If you are fond of do-it-yourself projects, you may also like to create a workshop of sorts in your garage. You can install a table and a bench to be used during home improvement or craft projects. This is a great way of utilizing the space in your garage. Having a specific working area will also make frequently used tools such as hammers, screwdrivers and pliers very accessible.

Place Your Recycling Bins Near the Garage

For easier disposal of trash, keep your trash and recycling bins near the garage. This is a very good trick especially if you are the type of person who keeps things because the trash bins are far away. So every time you work on your project, or find anything that you no longer need, it will be very easy to dispose of it as the trash bins are only a few steps away.

These are five ways that will greatly help in keeping an organized garage. Once you have everything sorted out, it is time to contact a handyman to help you install the cabinets and shelves you need so you will have a place for all the stuff you have sorted out. Remember that the first step is to sort your stuff. If you have done the aforementioned steps, you will definitely notice how much junk you need to throw away and how much space you are actually not maximizing. An organized garage will keep you from playing hide-and-seek with all those items that seemed to have been lost or misplaced.

Reprinted with permission.