Three Solutions to Your Crowded Garage

If your garage is getting so crowded that you have already given up trying to park your car inside, it might be time to address the situation. A temporary solution, like storing the overload of stuff in the attic, will only go so far. Who wants to climb up those rickety folding ladder stairs to retrieve the box of ornaments for your Christmas tree? Following are three practical ways to deal with a crowded garage.

 

1. Get rid of stuff you do not use

A garage that is so crowded that walking from one side to the other is like navigating an obstacle course, cannot be organized without first doing some cleanup. You must spend some time going through all of the boxes and other things stored in your garage and separate things you need, things you want and things you are willing to let go.
Some stuff, like a broken refrigerator or your collection of 500 plastic drinking cups you accumulated over the last decade, should be taken to the city dump. Other things like an old vacuum cleaner or outdated TV set that still works, should be donated to a charitable organization. If you have the inclination and the time, you can also have a garage sale and maybe make a few dollars while emptying out the clutter.

2. Install shelves, cabinets and hooks

Anything you can do to organize the things you keep in your garage will help reduce the amount of clutter. Wire shelves, either attached to the wall, or in the form of free standing units, can hold cans of paint, insecticide or any number of small or medium-sized items. Wire shelves are preferable to wood shelves because they do not attract dust and stay cleaner.
Locking steel cabinets provide security against theft as well as safety from your young and curious kids. Hooks are good for hanging garden tools and you can even use them to store a bicycle off of the floor. Put your tools on a pegboard mounted to the wall.

3. Consider buying a storage shed

If you have plenty of space on your property, you could free up a lot of space in your garage by installing a storage shed. Take the lawn mower and all of your gardening tools and supplies and keep them in the outside shed. In addition to cutting down on the clutter, you will not have to deal with dirt and leaves covering your garage floor.
Author Bio
Lyndsi Decker is a freelance writer. She is currently promoting self storage units in Victorville and self storage Long Beach. She is also a mother of two and blogs about parenting and the home.