The garage is a wonderful multi-purpose space in the home.  It can be used for so much more than storing your car in theory, but in reality, many of us can only dream of storing the car in the garage…

Let’s start with organization—so we can finish with the fun stuff: More Space!

(1) On a nice sunny spring morning, start working in zones by season.

• Place the winter equipment in one corner (shovels, snow blower, salt)
• Move the spring planting gear to another corner.
• Summer items, including furniture, cushions, pool gear, beach gear can go into a corner or on the driveway for now.
• Fall tools, rakes, mulch, covers go in the final corner.
• Miscellaneous items—can go on the driveway for now.
• From now on, when you put things away, they go into their zone.

(2) Sort with the goal of getting rid of things—plan to fill up your curb or call a junk removal company.

• Anything that’s broken, torn, rusted or “might be useful someday” gets thrown away.
• Anything that’s ugly (yes, it’s still ugly) or never worked well (rickety ladder, collapsible lawn chair) can be given away or thrown away.
• The goal is to purge the old stuff—to make space for your new more useful garage space.

(3) Dream a little—what’s missing that you’d love to have?

• A Kid’s Activity Center: the whole family could work on projects in the garage.
• A “Mudroom” Area: A designated area to store coats and jackets, muddy boots, and dog leashes.
• A Workbench: A place for the home projects to live.
• Parking Space
• An Entertainment Refrigerator

(4) Think it through, and decide what will fit in the garage with a little organization.

• Garage Storage Systems have two goals: (1) to get your stuff off the floor into cabinets, onto shelves, or in a loft; and (2) to get your stuff off the floor to hang on installed slat wall.
• Slat wall systems can take care of everything from skis to golf bags, sports equipment, ladders and shovels, beach chairs and umbrellas, poles and posts, the list goes on….
• Smaller items are stashed on shelving, freeing up floor space and counter space.

(5)  You can have the space you always wanted in your garage…for the stuff you actually want to keep. With proper sorting and a great storage system, you’ll find floor space for your car, your kids, and maybe even for a Mudroom, Workbench, or Kid’s Activity Center.