Organizing your garage is one of the trickiest aspects of home ownership. The garage contains a wide variety of things, and few of them are related in function or form. Also, many of the items stored in the garage are large, bulky, or difficult to store. Despite all of this, there are a few key ideas and tools that can help any homeowner make sense of the chaos that is the garage. The following ideas can help you get started organizing your garage.

1. make them obvious

Identify the things you use frequently. If you wear something daily, don’t keep it hidden. Keep it easily accessible and available for use. Take garbage bags, for example, you don’t want to hide garbage bags in an unreachable place. Instead, try hanging small curtain rods or other shapes of rods somewhere within reach of the door and make a “bag dispenser” that is convenient, easy to access, and organized; save, but still available for use. Another thing to keep in mind is the trash cans. When organizing, make sure your trash and recycling bins are easily accessible from the door and have a clear path to the outside.

2. Smart classification

Before you build, buy, or pack anything, it’s important that you sit down and sort through all of the items you are trying to organize. Decide which items can be logically grouped. Items that you often use together or that share a similar purpose should be grouped. Once they are organized, be sure to label them. It will be very difficult to find what you are looking for if you do not write it clearly on the outside of the storage container.

3. Shelves

Shelving is a great way to utilize wasted space and a key player in your garage storage facility. Instead of placing arbitrary shelves throughout the garage, you can use a shelving system to organize your storage containers. For seasonal items and things you don’t need to access on a regular basis, roof storage is a great way to go. An excellent system for this is the top storage shelf. It is best to use transparent containers for this type of storage, as it makes it easier for users to find things when needed. If you need to access your storage on a more regular basis, a wall unit like the steel storage rack works well.

4. Arm storage hook

Bicycles and other large sports equipment are some of the most difficult things to store in secluded places. Wall storage is a great way to set them aside, but keep them accessible during the seasons when you are most likely to use them. Bicycles, kayaks, sleds, and more can be stored with wall mounts for easy access. The multipurpose arm storage hooks can be used for all of these purposes. The arm storage hook is a great option for this.

5. Corner shelf for tools

Many garden tools, such as rakes and shovels, are oddly shaped and difficult to store. There are easy ways to get them out of the way. If your garage has obvious studs on the walls, you can simply create a cordoned off area where tall tools can easily be stored together, but remain accessible. To do this, simply place a few small cross beams, or even a strong cord, perpendicular to the posts, which will create a kind of “basket” in which to store them. This type of storage can also be used for camping chairs, tents, etc., anything that rolls up and fits within the space of the containment system you have created. If this is not your style, or if your garage does not have bare tacks, you can also find a corner tool rack, which will serve the same purpose.

6. Pegboard

A pegboard is a great multipurpose tool that can be used in a garage to organize just about anything depending on the accessories you use with it. Pegboards are reasonable and can be found at virtually any hardware store. Hooks can be added to organize bound extension cords, cups or baskets can be used for small hardware, large pegs can be added to hang larger tools or garden implements; the list is endless. Pegboards are an incredibly versatile item of garage organization.

7. Tape dispenser

If you have a wide variety of tapes, it may help to create a wall-mounted tape dispenser. This not only ensures that your tapes remain useful, but are also easily accessible. This can be accomplished by hanging a wall-mounted paper towel bar or a small wall-mounted box. Either way, the tapes will be helpful and less likely to get fluff.

8. Consistency

This is important. Regardless of how you choose to organize yourself, be sure to continue with the system once you have it in place. When adding something new to the garage, be sure to put it in the proper place. Don’t just drop it on a random shelf, put it in the correct storage container, on the correct hook, etc. “Everything has a place, everything in its place”, as they say.

Organizing the garage can be a daunting task for any homeowner. By putting a few of these garage organization ideas in motion, you can make your garage not only clean and logical, but also attractive and convenient. The benefit to you as a homeowner makes these simple changes worth the effort.