Posted by Neil Adams in Home Maintenance

Among many advantages of living in a house, as opposed to living in apartments, is the option of having a garage. This space is always useful and welcomed and it does not matter whether you are using it for parking your car – which is the main point of having a garage – or as tool storage, shed, or place to put aside things you do not need around the house.

However, this last usage makes most modern garages overwhelmed and cluttered, which is why it is useful to renovate and reorganize them from time to time. When it comes to performing this task, there are a couple of useful tips you might want to know in order to make your work more productive and successful, so here are some things that could assist you.

Step One: The Basics

Assuming that your garage is a mess, just like everyone else’s is, there is no easy way to tackle it thinking it will go easy and smooth. If you want to do a good job, put everything in order and make it right, you have to bring everything out of the garage first.

If you want to have a clear perspective of what you actually have in there, and what space-saving methods you can use, you have to clear the space before you actually start. This will allow you to access all parts of the garage and later figure out what should stay in it and what should go so you do not end up in a mess again.

Step Two: Fixing

Once your garage is vacated and clear, you can inspect the door, the windows and the floor. Maybe some of it needs work done and you were not able to notice that with all the things lying around. Sweep and clear all around, and fix everything that is loose and unsafe. Additionally, if your concrete floor looks shabby and needs scouring, this is the time to intervene. In the end, you can even paint the inside walls for a completely fresh look.

Step Three: Back in Again

After you have installed cabinets and closets you need for all your bigger stuff, it is time for the hard decisions: do you really need seven screwdrivers or will three suffice, and how many pairs of rubber gloves are enough for your gardening activities?

Posing these questions is supposed to make you separate the things you really need from those that are just creating mess, and will ultimately bring you more free space. And while you are doing this, you can start putting things back into the garage and arranging them according to a certain system – sporting equipment, gardening tools, car-related items, camping equipment, etc. – all at the same place.

Step Four: Reorganization

All your cabinets and closets will store the space-consuming things, but what about the small ones, like tools and children’s things? A great tactic you can employ is using vertical space which will allow you to place more things on the walls than you used to before. Mount holders and heavy-duty hooks on the walls to store your brooms, shovels, rakes, etc.

Also, you can try mounting some shelves onto ceiling and keeping light things – automotive tools, extension cords, spare bicycle parts, and so on – out of reach. These DIY projects can be done easily and inexpensively.

Step Five: Repurposing and Enjoyment

Your garage does not have to be used just as a place to keep your car safe, but for so many other things. Creative people tend to work on their hobbies there, car enthusiasts use it to fix their ride, adventurers store their hiking / mountaineering / diving equipment there, people who work with wood turn it into a workshop or a shed, etc.

The purpose of a good garage renovation is to end up with less stuff and more room for the things that are left – and, additionally, more free space for other activities. The suggested steps are certainly not the only ones, so everyone should renovate and reorganize their garages according to their own preferences, budget and needs.

Many cheap and creative solutions are available, from magnetic tool holders to jars for storing screws and nails, so this project can certainly be enjoyable and exciting.



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Neil Adams

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Neil Adams is an Australia based homeowner and DIY enthusiast. His interests are in the fields of furniture making, car maintenance, home remodeling and improvement, environmentally friendly projects, etc. When not in his home office he loves adventuring around Australia and beyond.

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