3 Ways to Upgrade Your Garage in a Weekend

The garage is often the place in the home where people dump items that don’t get regular use. But if you’re like most people, your garage may be a bit of a disaster. Following are three ways to upgrade your garage in a weekend.

Annual Clean-Out

Unless you’re super organized, it’s likely that your garage is a disorganized mess. However, we spend so much time cleaning spaces we actually live in that we rarely have the time or energy to focus on the garage. If you take a day or two to do an annual (or bi-annual if you’re feeling ambitious) garage clean-out, you’ll be left with a tidier space.
The best thing to do is to rent a dumpster for the weekend so you don’t have garbage overflowing your everyday trash bins. The rental company will drop off an empty dumpster and pick it up full for a fee—all you need to do is fill it with whatever trash you find in your garage.
Start in one section or corner of your garage and sort items into groups to trash, donate, sell, and keep. Items saved to donate or sell should be in good to great condition and should have all parts needed. Think long and hard about the items you wish to keep. Do you really need 20 plastic pots? Also, some items you may want to keep shouldn’t actually be stored in your garage for safety or quality issues.
When you’ve completed your annual clean-out, quickly get rid of the donate and sell pile. Otherwise, these items will continue to take up space in your garage and you may reconsider your decision to get rid of them.

Dedicate a Space for Everything

Now that you’ve (hopefully) removed a majority of your items from the garage, it’s time to reorganize everything. The best way to do this is to go by the adage, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Bikes should go in a specific area, tools in another area, and sports equipment in its own bin. When you dedicate a space for your items, they’ll be easier to find and store than throwing them wherever there’s room.
Think about the size of your garage and how you use it. If your family bikes often, bikes should be placed near the entrance. As you’re deciding where exactly to put things, move all like items to each section of the garage where you plan to store them. This will give you an idea of what you have and how you’ll need to store it.

Organize Your Garage

Next comes the best part: organization. Think bins, floor-to-ceiling shelves, and overhead storage units. There are numerous garage storage options. You can go crazy and spend a ton of money, or keep it simple with metal shelving and bins.
Lawn and Garden: If you do your own landscaping, you’ll likely want to create a lawn and garden section in your garage. Consider hanging rakes and other tools on the wall. A potting bench with storage can be made or purchased. Use this for smaller tools and bags of fertilizer and soil.
DIY and Tools: If you’re handy around the house, you likely have a growing supply of tools. Create a tool section in your garage and you’ll never wonder where the flat-head screwdriver is. Consider building or purchasing a work bench with storage. A hanging peg board is also a great way to store tools.
Sports Equipment: If you have a budding athlete in your house, chances are there are a lot of balls and other sports equipment sitting around. A sports equipment section, located near the garage entrance, is perfect for kids. You can purchase ball bags that hang on the wall for basketballs and soccer balls, as well as racks for bats or lacrosse sticks. The options are endless
Bicycles and Gear: Bicycles take up a lot of floor space in the garage. Consider ceiling hooks and hang bikes from the garage ceiling. There are also storage options for the wall. Helmets and other gear can be stored in a bin on a shelf nearby.
Miscellaneous Items: Miscellaneous items like Christmas ornaments can be stored in labeled bins on hanging or freestanding shelves. Most home improvement stores sell tall metal shelving units that are sturdy and often have casters so that you can move them around your garage as you see fit. These shelving units are perfect for storing labeled bins. As an added bonus, you can take them with you if you move.
If your garage is a mess, set aside a weekend and work on one or all of the above. You’ll have an upgraded and organized space before you know it.

9 Ways to Get More Work Space from Your Garage

For many homeowners, the garage is not only a space to house vehicles, but it is also the first place one thinks of to store oddball items. The garage is often home to an assortment of things including tools, household items, unused materials, and seasonal decorations. With the garage also doubling as a great DIY workspace, things can get messy in a hurry. With that in mind, here are 10 ways to get more work space out of your garage without having to relocate many items.

1 Ceiling Storage

The ceiling is often an overlooked area in many garages. Adding a storage area in the ceiling is a great way to keep things up and out of the way. If your garage has exposed rafters, then it’s as easy as laying down a few boards or plywood. Keep in mind that access to whatever you store in the ceiling is limited, so only store items that don’t get a lot of use, like seasonal decorations or seasonal sporting equipment.

2 Rolling Benches

While they work great for traditional shops, stationary work benches are not ideal for the garage. For a more versatile alternative, consider a rolling bench instead. With a movable work bench, you can easily keep it hidden when not in use and slide it out whenever you need. If you already have a work bench, then adding casters will accomplish the same goal.
3 Add Wheels
Speaking of mobility, adding wheels to other items in your garage can also help save space. This can include floor cabinets, standing storage units, and tool chests. By making these types of items mobile, you add more potential work space in areas that are normally occupied by bulky units. Better yet, adding wheels is both an affordable and time-saving project.

4 Fold-up Benches

If you’ve always wanted to have a proper workbench in your garage but don’t have the space, then consider a fold-up bench. This will allow the space needed to park a car, while providing a workbench whenever needed. These types of workbenches are not hard to make, and can be finished in little time.

5. Tame the Small Stuff

The smaller items are often the hardest things to keep organized. This includes nails, screws, jars, sandpaper, and extension cords, to name a few. In order to keep these items in check, consider organizing everything into labelled containers. Even better, find stackable storage containers to optimize space.

6. Wall Storage

In addition to the ceiling, adding wall storage in the form of shelves is a great way to organize items and keep things from cluttering up. The more shelves you can add the better, as floor space is key in creating a great work environment. Even more, adjustable shelving offers the option of adding more space whenever your tools outgrow the area.

7. Zones

With the garage serving a multitude of purposes, it is a great idea to divide it up into distinct areas or zones. Not only will this help organize the space but it will make things easier to find. The only trick is sticking to the system once everything is put in its own zone.

8. Clean House

If you truly need more work space in your garage, then it may be time for a thorough cleaning. You would be surprised at the items that are never used, expired, or are no longer needed. This includes old paint cans, dirty rags, and outdated household items. Ditching these items will free up this space for other, more used tools, and create a better organized garage in the long run.

9. Hang Up Large Items

The larger items in your garage, including ladders and wheelbarrows, are some of the biggest space killers. Whenever possible, try and get these types of items off the floor. Ladders can be hung sideways on the wall or the ceiling, while wheelbarrows can also be suspended by the wall.