Steps to an Organized Garage (Make It Better)
Follow these easy steps for a tidy garage you’ll want to show off to the whole neighborhood.
This is an excerpt from an article published on makeitbetter.com, featuring The De-Clutter Box's Kim Cosentino.
If the state of your garage causes you anxiety (and embarrassment) every time you open the door to park the car, it’s time to reclaim your space.
1. Enlist your troops.
The best way to get the whole family to keep the garage organized? Have them help create the system, advises Westmont-based organizer Kim Cosentino. “When you put your energy into something, you’re more likely to maintain it,” she says. Also, label each corner, shelf or category to remind everybody to put things back where they belong.
3. Think of a department store.
When Cosentino is helping clients revamp garages, she tells them to imagine they’re setting up their own personal department store. “A typical garage has four corners, therefore think of the four broad, but specific, categories of items that are important to your family,” Cosentino says. For instance, if you golf frequently, store golf clubs and other sports equipment in the corner closest to your trunk.
5. Look up.
The most valuable real estate in the garage is on the walls and ceiling. That’s why Cosentino says to deck them out with hooks, shelves and pegboards. “A two-foot plastic shelf unit with five shelves gives you 10 feet of storage space,” she says.
8. Reward yourself.
You’ll be more motivated to finish what you started if you know there’s a treat waiting for you at the end. Cosentino says to stick to a timeframe for organizing the garage, and then reward the family with a pizza party or a trip to the ice cream shop.