Have you ever considered upgrading your garage? Garages are easily among the most neglected parts of the house. Many homeowners often reduce them as parking spaces and a junkyard of forgotten items supposedly stored for future purposes. A homeowner survey by Moen reveals that the garage is the most cluttered part of the house. No wonder a quarter of Americans owning a two-car garage don’t have room to park their cars anymore!
The low regard and zero to no maintenance are often understandable. If you’re not into cars, there’s a higher chance that you only step foot inside the garage when you park your vehicle or dump a new batch of unused stuff. People often forget that their garage is a significant part of their home. With a little effort, you can upgrade your garage with a makeover to make it your home’s best highlight.
6 Tips to Take Your Garage to the Next Level
Here are ideas for organizing your garage and giving it that much-needed upgrade instantly:
Clean everything out
Cleaning your garage is the best first step that you can take to kickstart this organizing project. And this doesn’t mean simply dusting the place off and taking the trash out. Purge the area of every clutter and give your garage a thorough scrub down.
Then decide which items in your garage you should keep and which of them need to go. The good old keep, donate, or toss method can help you efficiently sort through everything.
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels
Get cabinets
The easiest way to organize your things is to store them neatly in cabinets. It keeps everything off the floor and walls, creating a clutter-free garage space.
Generally, you have two cabinet options: custom-fitted storage or free-standing furniture. Custom-fitted cabinets perfectly fit your garage’s specific measurement, so they’re more personalized and offer permanence. On the other hand, free-standing furniture is easier to move around and allows for a convenient redesign of your garage.
If these two are out of your budget, reuse old cabinets. Scourge your home for extra or unused storage furniture. You can also source from thrift shops or garage sales and get high-quality cabinets for a steal.
Maximize your wall surface
Image by Freepik
There are endless storage possibilities to make out of your plain wall. The simplest way is to install open shelves where you can place pretty much everything. You can put storage bins and baskets for items such as screw sets, drill bits for taps, wrenches, and cutters.
You can hang long-handled tools and cleaning materials, such as rakes and shovels, on hooks instead of leaning them on the corners. A pegboard is an excellent option for organizing small and lightweight tools such as clamps, pliers, and hammers.
You can also attach racks to mount bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and other leisure equipment and keep them off the ground.
Make use of the ceiling space
A generous ceiling height means more storage space for you! You’ll be able to install overhead storage like a loft space. Another option is to consider Overhead Garage Storage Racks and install mounted ceiling shelves that are durable and wide enough to accommodate a variety of things. These are ideal spots for storing items you occasionally use, such as seasonal decorations and camping equipment.
Arrange your items in zones
You can have the most organized garage and still forget where to find things. It’s frustrating when you have to check every nook and cranny to get hold of something that you need.
Assign your garage items into different sections. Here are the six garage zones you can follow:
- Transition zone—for items you grab when you get in and out of the house, such as umbrellas, keys, and a power meter for mountain biking.
- Frequently used items—for yard work items such as brooms, axes, and sporting gears often placed near the entryway
- Need it now—for everyday items such as pet food, cleaning supplies, and paper towels.
- Long tall, thin storage—for non-bulky and long-handle items that are hung on the wall, such as rakes and shovels
- Large item storage—for rarely used items usually found in ceiling compartments, such as seasonal decorations and camping stuff
- Workstation—a workbench or storage for your personal interests, including car repairs, woodwork, painting, etc.
Having zones will make organization and storage easier. It will allow you to find things more quickly, too. Don’t forget to label your storage to help maintain it in the future!
Upgrade your garage door
You won’t always get to invite guests to your garage and show off the improvements that you’ve worked on. But you know what makes your entire home immediately attractive from the outside? A good garage door. It’s one of the first things people see when they pass by your house, contributing to a great first impression of your home. You may want to discuss options with your local steel building contractors regarding what the best options for fitting and designs would be.
Because it boosts your property’s curb appeal, a brand-new garage door bumps up your home value. Based on the 2021 Cost vs. Value Report, a garage door replacement tops all other home remodeling projects, with a 93.1% ROI in cost recouped. This is a great investment to consider.
Wrap up
If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your garage, this is your sign to get on it immediately. You’ll find that having a terrific garage space improves your living quality. You’ll have more functional storage spaces that are easy to access and convenient to organize. Here are steps to help you plan your next move on upgrading and organizing your garage that makes your home a better place to live in.
