You are here because you are looking into the idea of updating and renovating your garage into a custom dream space. At Philadelphia Garage, we have all the tools to help you succeed in this endeavor, from floor to walls to ceiling, however, in order to make the transition to a full-custom garage as easy as possible, it is important to first take stock of what you have and what your current situation looks like. Only then can you properly visualize how you want the room to function. If you want to organize your garage, first utilize these five ways to take back space in your garage.
Declutter
Taking the plunge into a messy garage is no easy task. It takes a lot of guts to start on the garage organization journey! You will never be able to visualize the final product if you cannot see the bones of the space itself. You must start with a clean slate. The best way to begin, is to just start grabbing and moving and decluttering. Park the car outside for a day, turn on some music, and dive into all the noise. Start with the big items first and then move into the small trinkets and tools. You will be surprised at how much can be held in a garage space, as well as how little you have used many of the items.
Take an Inventory
Ok, *deep breath,* decluttering is complete and now you are staring at piles of stuff everywhere. You have a pile of garden tools, a stack of boxes you have not opened in years, and a basket of every sports ball known to humankind. Start recording what you have on a piece of paper, categorized again by product use and type. This sheet will help you pick the proper amenities in your custom garage in just a few steps. “Where did all this stuff come from?” you might ask. Years of accumulating takes its toll. Thankfully, you are taking steps to right the ship!
Donate or Dump
The process of donating and/or dumping is an easy one, but is often the hardest one. We, as humans, hate getting rid of items. Try to show no mercy to your clutter. No, the dusty hockey stick your son outgrew three years ago does not matter anymore. Even if he scored 30 goals in one season with it! If you do not see yourself using an item within the next six months to one year, it needs to go. The best way to get over the pain of separating from unused mementos is to find a better place for it. Find a local charity, a Salvation Army or a Goodwill, and take advantage of your tax deductible donations. Rest assured that someone will find a better use for your clutter. If you cannot donate an unwanted item, or if the item is in bad condition, send it to the dump. Your dream garage awaits, and it does not intend on being used as a holding cell for broken or useless pieces of junk.
Make a Plan
Ok, you have handled the emotional part. This is the time when your garage organization tips help you start having fun! Look around your garage at all the space you have created! (the car can probably come back inside now) Step 4 is to activate your imagination and make a plan. Take the list of items you wish to keep in your garage, and think about the best way to store them. Do you need easy access to gardening tools? Do you have storage boxes that you want to keep above your vehicle? What color do you want the walls or floors to be? Draw a diagram of your organized garage space and think about the final product. You’re almost done!
Utilize Philadelphia Garage Tools
The final step of taking back space in your garage has arrived, and this is what we at Philadelphia Garage take the most pleasure in doing: providing the perfect amenities to help you organize your garage to perfection. Our main options are cabinets and organizers that come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. The cabinets use ORG ¾” vertical panels that are commercial grade and long-lasting. They are also fully customizable to multiple colors and materials. Our organizational wall accessories range from wire racks to slatwall to ceiling-hung racks. These are strong enough to hold a bike on the wall and can make use of attachments such as hooks, handles, knobs, and baskets to hold whatever your mind cooks up! Our personal favorite are the ceiling racks, because the area above the car is the most unused space in a garage. We offer professional installation on all cabinets and organizers, with great prices warranties for each product.
Congratulations! You have now taken the five steps to take back space in your garage, and we hope you have learned something along the way. Not only do we hope you learned how to trim the excess fluff of stuff in your garage, but we hope you learned just how useful an organized garage can be. If you need help completing step five, and want to access our custom garage tools, reach out to us and schedule an estimate today!