garage organization: top tips to shape up your space

On its best days, the garage is home to a car or two, in addition to tools and outdoor supplies. Unfortunately, for many families, the garage has become a dumping ground of unwanted tools, garden supplies, toys and outgrown sporting equipment and has become the source of frustration and even embarrassment.

To bring your garage from something you'd rather ignore to one you'd love to show off to the neighbors, we're sharing out top garage-organization tips!

agree on a Vision

The garage can have many different functions, so it's important for the family to agree on the vision for the space. Is it a storage unit? A tool shed? A workshop? A craft studio? A place to park cars? All of those things and more? Depending on how you answer the question will determine how you organize the space.

Garages have many purposes, so agreeing on a vision for the space before you start is essential.

declutter

The starting point for all organizing projects is the same - declutter. Decluttering is looking at all of the items in the space and determining which ones you want to keep.

The easiest way to determine what you want to keep is to pull everything out and then put like items together (gloves with gloves, shovels with shovels, etc.). Then, one by one, go through the subcategories and determine which items you are choosing to keep. Anything that no longer brings you joy or serves you can be recycled, donated, sold or put into the trash.

The decluttering step is crucial because according to a survey by Gladiator® GarageWorks, one-third of homeowners don't know what's even stored in the garage, which means it is likely that some of the items can easily be discarded and will open up some space.

Think outside the box. This homeowner had these bins available so we repurposed them for easy grab.

create zones

Based on what you're choosing to keep, divide your garage into different zones. For example, one area might be home to lawn and garden equipment, while another area is home to sporting goods, toys or tools. Depending upon the items you are keeping and what zones you are creating, the organization solution will be different.

If you have lots of large tools like shovels and rakes, if is very likely you will need a wall organizer to help you get those items off the ground. But, if you're like my client whose pictures are showcased in this post, you might have kids in a variety of sports, so your garage might be a place where you keep lots of sporting equipment. If that is the case, you will need storage solutions that hold hockey sticks, bats, balls and the like.

There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for organizing, especially in the garage.

Creating zones gives subcategories a "home"

contain + label

Since garages are usually home to multiple zones with several subcategories, they often require using a variety of storage containers to help keep items tidy and easy to find.

I love to use open (no lid) bins as for items that need to be taken out frequently. The black ones I used in this post are by Iris USA. They are made of sturdy plastic and I love that there is a place to put a label making it easy to know quickly what is there. It's crucial to label subcategories in the garage as it helps everyone in the family stay on the same page where things go. You can find them linked here

Since the garage can be a haven for dirt, there are definitely some items that need to be stored in covered bins. Again, with this project Iris USA came to the rescue with their strong clasping clear storage bins. My favorites are linked here.

And last, but certainly not least, are the labels. In this garage, I used custom viny labels I made on my Sillouette. Details on the machine and tools as well as a curation of some of my favorite labels are linked here.

Open bins in the garage make things easy to grab in and out.

Well friends, with Spring in full swing and Summer just around the corner, we will be spending much more time outside and that means our sheds and garages will be getting a lot of action. Spending a day or two to organize your garage can set you up for a smooth-sailing Summer where you can focus on what you truly enjoy! To help you with your transformation, I've linked my favorite garage organizing products here.

I look forward to seeing your garage transformations! Tag @neatlittlenest on instagram to show me the amazing before and after transformations.