The garage. Do those two words make you want to cringe? If so, you’re not alone.
Does the thought of digging out the lawn mower and yard tools make you want to give up and call a yard service? Is it too much work to locate the camping gear for a quick summer weekend getaway? Has your car (probably the second-biggest investment you’ve made) been relegated to the driveway so you can store “stuff” worth a fraction of that cost?
In a recent survey, the National Association of Professional Organizers asked which room was the most disorganized. Some 38 percent of those responding said it was the home office, while the garage came in second at 19 percent.
In my experience, these are the two rooms that are the most difficult and time-consuming to organize.
Perhaps you can relate to some of the reasons why a garage enters a state of chaos:
- You moved and the things that did not find a place in the new house have decided to make their home in the garage—whether or not you really need them.
- When you aren’t sure what to do with something, you toss it in the garage.
- You’ve inherited a bunch of stuff you don’t know what to do with.
- You’re a pack rat and can’t let it go because you might “need it someday” or you “paid good money for it.”
- You just have too much stuff!
Some garages may desperately need a Dumpster and a major overhaul; others may need only a bit of refining. Whatever the size of your project, you need a plan.
Your plan should include:
- How you will use the space
- What will be stored
- Who will participate
- When you want the project finished
- Armed with a plan, you’re almost ready to get started, but you will need some supplies
- Garbage can/bags
- Recycle bin
- Lots of boxes of various sizes—for donations and to help you sort
- A sense of humor and a willingness to make decisions and let go!
Notice that I’ve not asked you to purchase anything at this point … but if you must, purchase several plastic bins in various sizes. These can be used to help you sort and later to store items for visible, quick access.
If your garage mess requires the assistance of a trash bin and some Advil, plan to spend a lot of time sorting. You will need to make many decisions about what will stay and what will go. Initially, you may benefit most from doing a macro-sort and deciding what is trash and what’s a treasure. A treasure is anything you keep that still serves a useful purpose or is truly a treasure in the form of memorabilia. Trash—well, I don’t need to define that one for you. Just remember, as you are sorting: clutter results from decisions not made.
A macro-sort can be very helpful when you have years of accumulation. It also can be done in phases; you certainly don’t have to do it all in one day. Just by eliminating the things that no longer serve a purpose in your life, you will have freed up space to store the stuff you need and use. While you are working on the sorting process, create a list of the categories of things you will store in your garage. That might include yard equipment, tools, camping gear, sport activity gear, holiday decor, painting supplies, car supplies, the Costco stash, earthquake supplies, garbage and recycling bins, refrigerator, freezer, kid’s toys, etc.
After you’ve sorted, you’ll be able to see the volume of each category and it will become clearer as to how you should use your garage space. Design your space so that the items used frequently are in the most accessible places. Don’t forget to look up—there are many storage opportunities up high for items not used more than once or twice a year.
