By Jackie Leffner
New season means there is a new opportunity to declutter and organize another area of your home. This is the perfect time of year to start looking at what your garage looks like. Some people like to watch football in their garage, others like to make sure you can fit your car in the garage before winter – either way, time to focus on that area of the home. At Meat and Potatoes Organizing we have organized hundreds of garages to make them practical functional spaces. We thought it would be great to share some of the steps we take at every garage organizing project.
DETERMINE HOW YOU WANT TO USE IT
What are things in your home you know need to live in your garage? How much space do you want in your garage? Here are some ideas:
- Vehicles
- Bicycles
- Gym Equipment
- Outdoor Games
- Beach Gear
- Sports Equipment
- Household Backstock
- Tools
- Household Utilities
- Gardening
- Seasonal Décor
- Memorabilia
TAKE EVERYTHING OUT
Our very first step to every project is to take every single thing out of the space. In order to clean and ensure we understand the full space, we need everything taken out. So, make sure you look at the weather and pull everything out into the driveway. As you find things that do not live in the garage, feel free to put those back in their appropriate homes.
DISCARD AND DONATE
Once everything has been placed into categories, you will be able to distinguish what can be discarded, donated, or stored elsewhere. You should also consider that most garages are not climate controlled, and that linens, flammable items, food, books, and photos should not be stored in the garage unless in weathertight containers. Those items may be better suited for your storage spaces. Take a peek at our other blog posts to help you organize those storage areas.
PUT EVERYTHING AWAY
Your routine will be made ten times easier with a well-organized garage. Think about your flow in the space and where your family may “grab and go” or throw onto the bench if it is available. Once you have put everything away, you get to wait and see if you are able to maintain those systems.
It is important to know that we are constantly updating our organizational systems to ensure they work for everyone in the family. If it does not, it is important to go back to the drawing board to make sure everyone is on the same page. It is okay if you need to rethink and reorganize – make sure that it is practical and functional for your family.
If, after reading this, you are still feeling overwhelmed, give us a call to set up your free consultation! We will walk through your biggest pain points and can schedule a time to come out and work with you to dream about your perfect space and let you know exactly what we can do together to help achieve it!
