If you’re like 47% of Americans, your garage is dominated by clutter to the point you can’t even park your vehicle in it. It often happens slowly – a few boxes of holiday decorations here, an outgrown bicycle there – when all of a sudden, you can’t even use your garage for the purpose it was intended for.
Storage City is here to help you reclaim your garage! Follow our tips for a more organized garage so you can free up some space.
Get Rid of Stuff You Don’t Use
This may be the hardest part of getting an organized garage, especially if you’re someone who has a difficult time letting go of unneeded belongings. However, getting rid of stuff you don’t use is the best first step in freeing up some space. Ridding your garage of excess items will also allow you to better evaluate and organize the stuff you will be keeping. Here are some ways you can rehome your unneeded items:
Make an Online Listing
For items that may be worth some money, you may want to invest some time and list them on an online platform such as Facebook Marketplace. This is a great option for electronics, sports equipment, and tools.
Hold A Garage Sale
This may be the most time-consuming option but will allow you to make a few extra bucks on your gently used items.
Donate
If you don’t have the time, donating your gently used items to a charitable organization is a great way to give back to your community while crossing an item off of your to-do list.
Make a Trip to the Landfill
For the items that are beyond use, your best bet is packing up a truckload and heading for the local dump. Some landfills, such as the Rapid City Landfill, will give you a free visit simply for bringing in a utility bill. Check your local landfill for rates and regulations.
Utilize Wall Space
Using your garage’s vertical space is an easy way to free up some floor space. One way to accomplish this is through installing heavy duty, sturdy shelving throughout your garage. Shelves are great for storing boxes, paint cans, tools, appliances, sporting goods, and other items you may need occasional access to. You can also install hooks and peg boards to help you keep brooms, ladders, hoses, tools, and extension cords out of the way.
Organize with Plastic Bins
Using cardboard boxes to store your belongings has a couple of huge disadvantages. For one, you can’t easily see what’s inside. Two, cardboard boxes leave your belongings more vulnerable to rodents and moisture, which can wreak havoc on your treasured items.
Instead, use clear plastic bins with a secure lid. You can easily see what’s in them, making finding something faster and easier. They are also affordable and widely available at big-box stores like Wal-Mart. Make sure you also label the top of the bin so you can easily identify the contents from all angles.
Set Up Zones
Designating areas in your garage for specific items such as outdoor recreation, lawn care, and seasonal decorations is a great way to organize your garage so you can easily find what you need, when you need it. Assign zones for each category of your stuff and lay out the zones in a way that makes sense for your household (for example, if your family camps often, you may want to keep the outdoor recreation zone in an easy to reach location).
Use a Storage Unit to Streamline the Process
Sometimes there’s so much stuff in your garage to start with that it’s hard to know where to begin! That’s why having access to a storage unit during the organization process can come in handy. As you go through your belongings, pack, label, and move the items you want to keep into the storage unit to free up room in your garage.
If you still have a lot of stuff after getting rid of the items you don’t need, keeping your storage unit may be the ideal choice so you are not overloading your garage and home. Use your storage unit to house the items that you may not use regularly, such as decorations and seasonal clothing. You may have to swap items out of storage and your garage a couple times a year, but it’s much easier than having a whole ton of stuff in one place that you have to dig through.
Creating an organized garage can be a lot of work, but having a plan can take the stress out of the task. With these tips, you’re sure to have a decluttered and better organized garage in no time!
Storage City Self Storage is a locally-owned and operated facility offering clean, secure self-storage units
in Rapid City, Box Elder, and Belle Fourche. We offer climate-controlled and cold storage units that are
fenced in and secured by a gate with code-entry access. Call us at 605-394-9442 today to rent your unit!