Monthly Archives: September 2020

Custom Garage Organization vs. DIY Organization

garage organization

Organization and Storage in Your Space

On the subject of garage organization, does size matter? Whether you have the most massive garage ever or the smallest garage imaginable, is garage organization possible? The garage is the one area of a home that is often overlooked, and no, size doesn’t matter. Ample space or small space, chaos is chaos, and organized is organized.  

If you’re the DIY kind of person, you might benefit from garage organization tips. Or if you’re at a loss where to start, custom garage organization may be the solution for you. If you aren’t sure how to get started with your garage organization, keep reading, and find out what advice, solutions, and tips we have to offer from organizational experts. Yes, some people are experts at organizing, including different types of garage organization. 

How do I organize my garage?

For many homes, the garage is a catchall. If we can’t find a place inside the house for something, out in the garage, it goes. It is the junk drawer for the entire house. Why? Well, most likely, you either haven’t organized the inside of your home, or you have it so organized, there isn’t room for some things. Either way, that’s okay because, with good garage organization, you can find a place for anything in the garage. 

Follow these steps for a major garage overhaul and reclaim the garage with restored organization and order: 

  1. First, you need to set aside an entire weekend, preferably with pleasant weather, for Project: Garage Organization. 
  2. Either hire a professional that specializes in garage organization or ask a few family members and friends to help. To do a complete garage organization, if you’re doing this by yourself, you’re going to get overwhelmed quickly. 
  3. Categorize everything in the garage and re-evaluate if there is room in the house for specific items. Typical categories for garage organization are: 
  • Automotive 
  • Camping gear
  • Camping gear
  • Recycling
  • Recreational equipment
  • Seasonal décor
  • Sports

With the categories established, you can determine where the contents need to go, and this is why you want the weather to be good. Take everything out one item at a time and place it under a sign with the above categories listed. Use cardboard boxes or plastic tubs for the sorting process.

  • Donate or toss any item that doesn’t fit into the categories. If you come across any random items or parts that you recall seeing other parts elsewhere, place it in a category closes to fitting it or put it in the donate pile or trash pile. 
  • Now consider a garage layout that is best for your use. Decide where everything will reside based on how frequent you use it and the space you have in your garage. For example, the recycling bin should be located near the entrance to your house, and tools should be placed near the workbench. Think of the space in your garage as valuable real estate, especially if you have a smaller garage.  
  • Build cabinets or place modular storage if needed. After you have that in place, you can determine your garage organization space, and what you’ve set aside to keep, you can determine how many and what containers you need. Vertical space and pegboards, installing wire grids to hold your gardening equipment, and sports equipment will create a more valuable real estate. Don’t forget to look up for overhead space you can utilize by using large hooks or mounting shelves. 
  • With all your cabinetry, pegboards, racks, or shelves in place, time does relocate your items in the keep pile to their new homes within the new garage organization.
garage organization

How can I get more space in my garage?

No matter how little garage space you have, with the right storage techniques, you can make it more efficient to get most of the square footage. The right storage techniques will give you a garage that fits your lifestyle and have some room too. We mentioned the following already, but we have a few additional ideas on how to use these storage ideas: 

  • Cabinetry: Perfect for the garage that a lot of small things like tools laying around, a curse of DIY car mechanics. Keeping them in one area, so they are easy to find with proper garage organization. 
  • Organizers: There are four surfaces in the garage: three walls and the ceiling. The floor needs to be clear, and wall organizers will help you do that. Hang your seasonal garden tools and sports equipment on them and install wall bins to store balls, shoes, and more. Now the floor is clear. Your cars will have ample space. 
  • Overhead: Look up, and you’ll see a place for storage that you probably haven’t thought about before for garage organization. The less-used seasonal items can go there, keep the prime real estate open for those everyday things. 
  • Creativeness: The only limit you have with your garage organization efforts with more storage possibilities is your imagination. Large hooks on the ceiling can get bicycles out of the way and install tilt-out drawers in a wall for accessories, nails, and screws. If there are storage challenges, think outside the box and up in the air!

How do you hang tools in a garage?

A pegboard mounted on the walls into the suds is one of the best storage solutions for hand tools. There are pegs, hooks, and rails available for pegboards, and as you add another new tool, you can add another peg, hook, or rail to store it! 

How much does it cost to organize a garage?

Pricing will depend on the size of the garage, if you hire a professional garage organization consultant, or do the garage organization yourself. Hiring a professional garage organization for a 380 square foot garage can cost upward of $2,300.00 for labor and materials. A DIY garage organization for the same square footage will only have material coast for around $1,500.00. 

What is the best organization system? 

For Best Overall garage organization, the Suncast Freestanding Garage Cabinet at Wayfair has been voted the best all-around solution. It is dependable, versatile, and reasonably priced. For the Best Splurge garage organization system, NewAge Products Pro Series Storage System at Amazon. It is a complete storage system that comes with a variety of cabinets, drawers, and a functional work surface. If you’re on a budget, the Best Budget garage organization is the AmazonBasics 5-Shelf Storage Shelving Unit. Affordable but has the cabinets and overhead racks of the more expensive models. 

garage organization

Closing Words

Knowing how to organize a garage will give you more space, making your life more enjoyable and organized. Use your imagination and think outside of the box, you’ll find you have more room than you realize.