Organize Your Life: Garage Storage Hacks

There are many benefits to having a garage, such as a place to park your vehicle, storage space, a workshop or a home gym, just to name a few. But it’s easy to suddenly find that your garage has been taken over by all the items just mentioned. If you feel like you need to gear up for a journey just to find that tote of craft paint, holiday decorations or sports equipment, then you might benefit from these garage organization hacks that will help you maximize your space!

How to Organize a Garage for Storage

Whether you need a little storage or a lot, organizing your garage with storage containers and shelves will help you find what you need quickly and easily. The first step to organizing is to use storage totes or containers. Think of all the items you plan to store in your garage, such as seasonal decor, clothing, keepsakes, seldomly used appliances or craft supplies, then select storage containers that can accommodate your items. If you get a variety of sizes, I recommend selecting containers that are the same length but different depths. This will come in handy when it comes time to store the containers.

Once you have selected storage containers, you are now ready for shelving. You can purchase non-permanent garage shelving that you can assemble yourself. This type of shelving can be taken apart and moved throughout your space as needed. Or, you can attach shelves to your garage walls with anchors and shelving boards. As you select the right shelving option for you, keep the sizes of your storage containers in mind to make sure your shelving can support them.

When you have your shelves up and the containers filled with all your items, you can label your containers to make it easier to locate exactly what you are looking for without having to sift through 5 or 6 totes before finding that waffle iron.

Organizing Garage Tools

When you think of items in a garage, tools are probably one of the top things on the list. Whether you only need a few tools or you have one for every job, we have some organization tips that will save space and make finding what you need that much easier.

Let’s start with basic tool sets. If you have a set of sockets, wrenches, a hammer, screwdrivers — the basics — you could use a pegboard to store all your tools. A pegboard is a great way to hang your tools for visibility and easy access, as well as a space saver. You can purchase pegboards at a local hardware store and hang them on a wall in your garage, then apply hooks in the places you want to hang your tools. All your screwdrivers could hang in a row organized by size — now isn’t that a beautiful picture? You can also place smaller items like screws, nuts and bolts in jars and use jar holder pegs to hang them.

If you have all the basic tools plus items like sanders, hand saws and specialty tools, a pegboard is probably not your best route. Your garage could benefit from toolboxes. There are many to choose from to fit every need, such as chest toolboxes that have pull-out drawers and conveniently roll to bring your tools closer. Or maybe stacked toolboxes might be a better fit, offering a variety of storage options for tools of different sizes. Having designated places for all your tools and equipment will make DIY projects and home repairs much easier when you can find the tools you need right away.

Garage Workshop

A garage is a great space for hobbies that may require a workbench, like woodworking or crafting. You can create and organize your own workshop in your garage. Measure out the space you need and then you can build your own workbench or purchase one that fits your needs. Once you have your workbench in place, you can install a few cabinets to store your supplies, add in a work light and a nice rolling chair and you not only have a workshop, but a place to store all the supplies for your favorite hobby.

Creating a Home Gym in Your Garage

Looking for a place to work out at home? You can make your home gym as elaborate as you want or keep it simple. Find an open area in your garage and stage it with your equipment, which can be anything from free weights to a treadmill. Here are a few tips to creating a home gym in your garage and ways to save space:

• Line your workout section with slip-resistant rubber mats if you’re looking for some support while you work out.
• If you have larger equipment like a treadmill or weight bench, consider fold-up options to minimize the space it takes up when not in use.
• Free weight holders will help save space and keep your weight sizes organized for quick weight changes during your workout.
• Hooks can be placed on the wall to hold lightweight workout items like resistance bands.
• Install a TV mount to hang a TV in your workout station because, well, who doesn’t like to watch TV while they work out?

Garage Drop Zone

We all know that feeling of coming home with your hands full and needing some where to put things until you get settled, or a place to leave shoes, jackets and bags. When you come home at the end of a long day or your kid’s sports event, a drop zone in your garage can be very convenient. Imagine having a place to leave those dirty shoes, and if they’re sports cleats, you probably don’t want those stinky, dirty shoes in the house anyway.

You can create your own drop zone that fits your family’s needs with shoe holders, bag hangers or cubbies for items that you will pick back up when you head out again. Creating a drop zone space will help organize that daily clutter at the door. This space can also be a place for you to sit down as you transition from one part of your day to the next.

With these organization hacks, you can make the most out of your garage space. For more organization tips, you can also check out other ways to organize your life, like how to maximize your closet space. And while you organize different spaces in your home, it’s also a great time to consider seasonal home maintenance.