How to Organise Your Garage

Although a garage is a really useful space, many of them end up as clutter-infested zones, making it difficult to find what you need. Although garages are designed for car storage, only 30% of us actually have the space to fit one inside. Organising your garage not only lets you easily find what you need, but it may even free up some space to house your vehicle. Here’s how to achieve this.

Start by decluttering

De-clutter

Many garages contain items we no longer need or use, so a big clean-out every now and then can get this space into tip-top order. According to This Old House, sort items in your garage into three piles: keep, donate or sell, or throw away. Sort the things you want to keep into categories, such as tools or sports equipment, to make organising them easier.

Wall racks and shelving for tools

Wall Racks

Making use of wall space is the ideal way to clear garage items off the floor. A wall rack can be easily installed to store away garden tools such as a rake, spade, brush or shovel. Hanging them up makes it quicker to find the tool you need. Wall racks can also be used to store large items such as a bike, canoe or sports equipment.

Wall Shelves

As well as racks, shelves are a blessing in a busy garage and make it simpler to keep things tidy in the long term. Garage shelving comes in all shapes and sizes, so you can pick the type that suits the area you can afford to set aside and the types of things you want to store away. Choose garage shelving that is sturdy and durable and can hold the weight of your items from a reputable supplier such as https://www.garage-shelving.co.uk/.

Cubby holes and ceiling storage

Cubby Holes

Consider adding cubby holes into your shelving to organise items such as hand tools, nails, screws or paint brushes. It’s often these small things that are more difficult to locate amidst the clutter of a disorganised garage.

Ceiling Racks

It’s not just the walls that are ideal for keeping possessions off the floor of your garage: take advantage of the ceiling, too, by installing ceiling racks for storing away planks of wood or garden canes.

Once you’ve got your garage organised, try to maintain the order so that it is easier to keep on top of in the long run.

Planning the layout before you buy storage

It is tempting to buy shelving first and fit everything around it, but it works better the other way round. Once the garage is cleared, measure the space and list what actually needs to live there, then plan where each group of items will go. Think in terms of volume rather than floor area: walls and the space overhead usually offer far more room than the floor. Leave clear walkways so you can reach everything and, if you still want to park inside, mark out the car’s footprint first.

Free-standing shelving units are often the most practical choice, as they are quick to put up, can carry heavy loads and can be moved if your needs change. Wall-fixed shelves save floor space but depend on the wall and fixings for their strength. When loading shelves, keep heavy and bulky items low, everyday tools and small parts at around eye level, and rarely used or seasonal boxes on the top shelves. Put the things you reach for most often nearest the door, and leave a little spare capacity for whatever arrives next.

Summary

This article gives a step-by-step approach to organising a cluttered garage. It starts with sorting items into keep, donate or throw away piles, then covers using wall racks for tools and larger items, adding sturdy wall shelving suited to what’s being stored, using cubby holes for small items like screws and nails, and installing ceiling racks to store planks or garden canes out of the way.

Questions this article raises

• How often should a garage realistically be decluttered to stay organised?
• What’s the best way to organise a garage that also needs to fit a car?
• Which type of shelving holds up best in a garage’s damp or dusty conditions?