Imagine an organized garage for a moment. What do you see?
More play time because you have easy access to your toys?
Easy home repairs because you know where the tools are?
Never having to scrape ice or snow off your windshield?
Excitement for your new garden because all your supplies are ready to go?
Sounds pretty nice, doesn't it! You will be amazed how much an organized garage will influence your daily life.
PURPOSE Before we begin, I suggest you take time to explore what the purpose of your garage is for you and your family. Write down all the purposes and keep them handy.
Is it to park your cars?
Toys (adult and kid)?
Storage?
Recycling?
Sports?
Home repair?
Band practice?
Workout area?
All of the above?
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS Here are some general guidelines to follow when working in the garage.
Label on at least 3 sides - This allows you to rearrange the bins/boxes and you will always know what is inside.
Only stack like items together and only two high. This allows you to get things easily AND put them back.
Do it on a nice day so you can bring out items to create space in your garage for sorting.
Plan to get dirty.
Have snacks and refreshments available.
Make it easy to get in and out of the garage (ie: path, key-less entry, etc.)
Find out about your city dump: when is it open? what is accepted?
Create a path for lawn mower, snow blower, trash, etc.
Do NOT store photos, movies, or any items that like room temp.
Properly store hazardous waste.
Take a pre-organizing snap shot to see what is naturally collecting where. Maybe this is where the new home needs to be?
Evaluate if it is worth it. It is tempting to go out and buy new shelving and storage bins before we even begin. However, it is worth taking time to evaluate if the items you are wanting to store are even worth the potential hundreds of dollars you are going to spend just to keep them. I know, that is a tough one to swallow. Just think, this could be a huge money (and space) saver if you decide to let go.
ZONE Zoning is the best way to think about your space. Looking at your "purpose" list mentioned above, you will be able to see what zones are needed. You may also want to map out your garage with the zones in mind so you have an idea of the best home for each area. Here are some suggestions of potential garage zones.
Seasonal: Could include holiday decorations, winter sports, summer sports, etc.
Tools
Sports: You may want to break this into mini-zones based on the sports you participate. Maybe even create zones for the different seasons.
Gardening
Car: This can included car maintenance or car wash supplies.
Camping: We have a bin for back-packing and car camping. It is a lot more fun to get ready for camping when you know it only takes 10 minutes to load the car!
Recycling
Yard Sale: Only have this zone if you are seriously going to have a yard sale soon.
Now that you have your zones, create a space outside in your driveway or yard to allow the sorting process.
You will also want to include items for donation, trash, or recycle. Once sorted, you can bring each zone into their new home.
ODD SOLUTIONS In my research for this article, I found a few odd solutions that I thought you would enjoy.
Toilet paper holder for big rolls of tape
Shoe bag for items that would get lost in a "junk drawer" or even gardening tools
Kitchen cabinets for storage
Hampers to hold bats or other sports equipment
CHECK FOR ENERGY DRAINERS Make a list of the energy drainers in the garage. Is it a squeaky door? Not enough lighting? Decide which one you will act on first and feel better about your space immediately!
GARAGE FURNITURE My hubby, DeWayne, said that one of the benefits of living with a professional organizer is my immediate support for garage furniture. We made sure it was the modular kind that allows us take it when we move and freedom to rearrange the garage. I highly recommend finding garage furniture that you will love using. A garage is just like any other room of the house. Isn't it time we treated it like it?
BONUS I urge you to not forget about your garage and make it another pocket of order in your life so you really can live in all of your space. And here's the bonus...you can apply anything and everything you learned about your garage to the rest of your home.
No comments:
Post a Comment