Garages today tend to be the catchall storage area for the overflow of items from your home. In many cases, homeowners no longer store their vehicles in the garage, instead choosing to use it as a workshop, storage unit, or game room. But when garages become cluttered and too full of boxes of “stuff,” it can be hard to keep track of what is out there.
Why Bother Clearing Out Your Garage?
Garages tend to be like basements in that they are susceptible to weather conditions, vermin, and mold growth. Because garages are one of the spaces in a home that occupants spend the least amount of time in, any of these issues can go undetected for extended periods of time, and the likelihood of damage to your belongings and the garage itself is significantly increased.
Spring offers the perfect opportunity to throw the garage door open, air things out, and start clearing some of the clutter. As experts in organizing all areas of the home, we are particularly well-versed in garage de-cluttering and organization. Here are a few questions to ask yourself while spring cleaning and organizing your garage to keep you on track.
1. Where Should You Begin?
Starting with a clean slate is the best way to get an idea of how you want your garage to be organized. To do so, though, everything must be removed from the garage so you can adequately determine how much space you have to work with. Removing all your items also provides an opportunity to assess any water damage, pest infestations, or other issues that can affect your home and belongings. Once the garage is empty, and any necessary repairs have been made, it is time to deep clean the space to prepare it for your intended purposes.
2. What Do You Want Your Garage to Be?
Maybe you’d like to have the option to store your car in your garage once again, or perhaps you would prefer to use it as a workout studio. Whatever you decide, you will need to determine how you would like to set things up. Will you organize sporting goods on one wall and tools on another? Are your washer and dryer located in the garage, and if so, how will that affect how you use the garage space?
3. How do you determine what to put back in the garage?
Depending on what you decided you want your garage’s primary purpose to be, you will have to choose which items to return to the garage (in an orderly fashion), what things to get rid of, and which items to relocate to another area.
Chances are, as you were emptying out the garage you found a lot of things you had forgotten you even had. Unless they hold sentimental value, these types of items are the perfect candidates for getting rid of through donation, yard sale, recycling, or trash. If an item has been out of your sight for so long that you’ve forgotten you had it, that is a testament that you don’t really need that item.
4. How Do You Put a Limit to What You Store in Your Garage?
Remembering what purpose you wanted your garage to serve can help you determine what items get put back in the garage. Items that do not serve a particular purpose, or fall in line with what you want your garage to serve as should be relocated to a donation pile or a more appropriate place within your home.
What if it all Seems Too Overwhelming?
We know that by the time you get to clearing out your garage, a lot of stuff will have accumulated in there and that can make the task seem too big. And that is precisely where we come in. My Divine Concierge specializes in helping homeowners maximize the potential of their homes by providing organization assistance. Call us today if you are finally ready to tackle that garage.