The garage. What is suppose to be an area to provide safety and protection to one of your largest investments, for most Americans has become the land of the lost for items that haven’t been used in a long time and chances never will be.
In fact, estimates are that 32% of people can only park one car in their two car garage if at all. And an average of 70% of people enter their homes through their garages. For most garage projects where there is years worth of accumulated stuff which fills up the entire garage, it would typically take 3 organizers, working 6 hours a day for 3 days sorting through everything, putting it back and labeling. That’s 54 hours. Sound like a lot? I challenge you to carve out 4 hours in a weekend and see how much you can get done. I guarantee not as much as you think.
That is not meant to discourage you, but rather give you a hit on the head with a reality check baseball bat and make you aware that without being realistic, your dreams of seeing an organized garage are going to go unfulfilled and you will remain frustrated and feeling stuck.
Let’s look at a typical scenario. You come home after a long day of work to what is suppose to be your sanctuary, and you are greeted by the mounds of clutter that represent past memories that you will properly display one day, sporting equipment that you will take up again someday, projects you will complete someday and repairs that someday you will do. How’s that living in a someday mindset treating you? Ever thought about it that way?
Want to know why you feel stuck? Well, there’s your answer. All of this someday stuff doesn’t leave you living in the now. And that’s where all the real magic happens.
Returning your garage back to the state that it is intended for is possible. The keys to this are properly estimating how long it will take, a plan of attack including the vision of what you want it to look like, the right organizing containers, brutal honesty, some elbow grease and more than likely some additional manpower.
I usually ask my clients how long do they think it will take to do a project just to test their reality levels and I’ll just say this.
Of the countless projects I’ve done, I’ve had someone accurately estimate how long a project will take maybe 3 times. Miss Organized
This is why well intended organizing projects get left undone. People are totally underestimating how long it will take. Not only that, but how emotionally, energetically and physically taxing it can be.
Now if you’re thinking, sure Miss Organized, I am confident I can still do this on my own, well, ok. Then let me give you some helpful hints.
Garage Organizing Tips from Professional Organizers
Shelving is key
It’s all about shelving. I prefer to use steel utility shelves. You can buy them from Home Depot. Here’s a link http://tinyurl.com/psm9jy.
Cabinets are also a great solution but usually cost a lot more than simple shelving. However, you can do cheaper versions like this at Target http://tinyurl.com/otfbst.
Purge Like It’s Your Job
Purge, purge, purge. Chances are the stuff in your garage are items you haven’t used in a long time and never will.
I recommend spending a weekend starting to sort and purging your items and have a donation center come and pick up what you are letting go of. I usually discourage my clients from having a garage sale because the chances of them taking the time to do it are slim and their stuff will more than likely continue to sit there. (And the time put into doing it will far outweigh the money that could be made on it (unless you have helpers).
Create Functional Zones in the Household
Create Zones, which means a Sporting Zone, an auto zone, memorabilia zone, or any others you need to give yourself space for your daily, weekly, and yearly activities. That way whenever you need to look for something or put it back, you can just go right to that “zone” and cut down the amount of time you would spending searching for it.
Think of the relationship of items together. Like the tv game show, $10,000 Pyramid. Things that cut – scissors, razors. Things that bind – bungees, rope. Get it? It’s like and like together. Grouping at the right level of detail (not too detailed, and not too broad).
Containers Contain Categories
I use clear Sterilite containers in the garage to house like items. 66 qt’s usually work best in garages.
Accessing Containers
Put items that need to be accessed most frequently in easier to reach places. The sporting zone should be close to the garage door since those items will be used more frequently than most. Holiday items can go up in the rafters or even an attic.
Managing Uncertainty With Dedicated Overflow Area
Create a overflow area for frequently replaced home items like paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies and batteries. Think of it like the Costco zone.
So go ahead and put on your army fatigues and gas mask and arm yourself with rat traps and bleach and you fight that clutter monster. But if you think you would rather have an army behind you instead, contact Miss Organized and I’ll bring an extra bottle of bleach.