Garage Organization Systems: Organizing Your Garage For Optimum Efficiency

If you’ve ever thrown your hands in the air and wondered how other people find the time to implement proper garage organization systems, then this article is for you. Below is a simple step-by-step plan that you can follow to find the best way to organize the working and storage space in your garage for optimum efficiency and to maximize its space saving potential. Work through the plan step-by-step; if any of the steps don’t apply to you, simply ignore them and move on! Soon, you will have one of the best garage organization systems in the district, and be the envy of your neighbors!

Step 1: Identify the Worst Problem in Your Garage

The worst problem in your garage will be the largest item that gets in the way of you moving around the space. This may be a bike, tool box, garden equipment such as a lawn mower or simply stuff from the house that really needs putting away if you could only find the space to put it! Decide how accessible you need the item to be and choose the best place to store it accordingly. For a bike that you use every weekend, for example, you’ll want to be able to get to it easily. But it needn’t take up space on the floor; most bike or hardware shops sell light bike racks or hooks that are simple to mount on the wall, freeing up a good couple of square feet of floor space.

Step 2: Look at the Wall Space you’re Already Using

Are there cupboards or shelves that are the wrong size for the items you store on them? If so, but the shelves are worth keeping, you may be able to use them more efficiently for other items. In this case, you need to tailor storage space for the items currently on the shelf first, then you can reuse the existing shelving. At this point it’s often a good idea to list everything you need instant access to on a regular basis, which would be best kept on open shelving. Keep the shelves you need, and remove those you don’t. The resulting wall space can be better utilized for other garage storage solutions.

Step 3: Now Identify any Items that Would Be Best Kept in Closed Cupboards

Those things that you want to have dust- or moisture-free or that simply look messy and get in the way at the moment are things you will want to stash away. Buy or make cupboards or cabinets that fit these items well, and mount them on the walls. Heavy items will need to be at floor level to avoid back strain getting at them; space under your work bench would be ideal for these. Alternatively, you could move them out of the garage altogether to an outdoor weatherproof cabinet, which are cheap and easy to assemble at home. Lighter items could go in corner cabinets to the side of the work bench, or even above the garage doors, as they will be easy to get down.

Once you have your garage organization systems in place, it’s really helpful to label each cupboard or shelf so that everyone in the family knows where to replace an item they use. And hey presto, you have an organized garage and a peaceful home life!