Garage Intervention: From Clutter to Organization

From A Cluttered Garage

BEFORE: In need of a garage storage system?

AFTER: A garage organizer system complete with custom cabinetry, work bench with tool & wall racks.

The magnitude of your garage disorder is affecting everyone in the family! The clutter is beyond needing a simple reorganization and a few garage cabinets. No one in your family can find anything and you can’t even park the car in it.

At this point there only seems to be one solution, a GARAGE INTERVENTION!!!

The project of cleaning and organizing a garage can seem to be totally overwhelming. Once you have accepted your affliction it’s time to figure out what to do about it.

1. Set the Goal: Before you actually begin the process of sorting your Garage out you have to decide what your goal for the garage is.  Do you want it to finally be able to hold your car or cars, do you want to be able to use the new found space as an additional room, or do you want to find everything and be more organized so you don’t have to rent a storage space?  The goal will tell you how you should proceed in the sorting process of placing each item in one of these areas.

• Sort
• Purge
• Organize

2. Trash Bins: It may be necessary to bring a large or industrial size trash bin as you begin clearing out the garage space.  Once you have the bin, begin purging what is unused and not good enough to donate to charity.

3. Temporary Storage: If you have a lot of things to sort through and your garage if full, you might consider renting a large storage container such as a pod. This will provide more space to help organize the stuff you are keeping. It also helps to keep you from having to move things back and forth as you begin clearing an area out.

Many will call in a garage cabinet designer to help develop a storage plan before they purge so that they are able to organize everything by putting it away after they sort and purge. Now the process to become organized truly begins:

Sort: Make an area in the garage for each category and begin placing each item where it belongs.  The “toss” can go directly into your trash bin, don’t look back, chuck it! By placing all the items in areas by category it will help you see where you are and how much storage space you actually need.

Purge: The hardest part of getting your garage under control will be the purging process.  This process requires that you make real decisions.  Do I really need it?  When was the last time we used it?  Is it worth storing for the space it requires?  Purging takes real discipline.  If you don’t do it well, enlist a friend to help you.  The end result will be worth it.

Organize: This can actually be the fun part of the process.  The physically demanding and emotional part the process is over. Putting all the things where they belong can be exciting and rewarding!  Especially when you have built-in cabinets to organize the items in. Determine the best way to store the things that are left.  If you met with a garage designer you will already have a plan to use for organizing the stuff you are keeping.

Favorite garage storage items most often used in a garage organization plan to keep the space organized are:

Plastic bins are great for holiday items, sports equipment, out of season storage, and any other groups of items that are not used all the time.

Slat walls are great to store sports equipment, lawn equipment, jackets, tools, or anything else that is either hard to store or you want to see and have easy access to.  For most types of garden and work tools, slat walls may just be the right method of storage, especially in a narrow area.

Sports racks are a great way to get things like bicycles off the floor.

Storage Cabinets are the best method to keep all those boxes, bins, and miscellaneous items behind doors not cluttering up the floor space, so there is no room for the cars.  Storage cabinets can be classic white, hi tech, stylish or simple.  There are a world of choices depending on your sense of style and your budget.  Whichever you choose they will all provide that great sense of organization and provide the ultimate storage solution.

Work Benches are one of the most requested areas in a garage.  They can be designed to be small and compact or can be a dedicated area to work on projects.  However they are used, they certainly make a garage more than just a place to put the car.

Once your space is clutter free and your garage plan complete, it will be time to breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy you new clutter free garage space!

Check out our NEW GARAGE DESIGNS featured in the garage section of our website!

Special Thanks to Closet Factory of Portland, Oregon for contributing these before and after pictures.