1. CLEAR OUT
Weed out all the junk you don't need. Keep only what you use; give away what you don't, and throw away what’s broken and taking up precious space.
2. MAKE A PLAN
Treat your garage like any other room in the house. Take measurements and draw a floor plan to help you visualize what will fit and where it can be placed, just as you would for a kitchen or a dining room.
3. CATEGORIZE
Decide what items you'll use often, like garbage bags and cleaning supplies. These things should be the easiest to get to. Next, map out space for seasonal equipment: lawn mowers, weed-trimmers, snow blowers, etc. Avoid planting big items, such as lawn mowers, in a corner where they’ll chew up space. Try to park them under a shelf unit. And be sure to hang ladders, shovels, rakes, and other garden tools on a wall rack off the floor.
Finally, get seasonal space hogs such as snow sleds, kayaks, and bikes off the floor. These items should be relegated to walls or hung from the ceiling. An overhead storage rack or hoist pulley system that will hold infrequently used bulky items can be installed directly into ceiling joists.
4. CONTAINERIZE
Keeping things in containers not only lets you get them off the floor but keeps them clean. Transparent stackable bins conserve space and also allow you to see their contents. Always label opaque containers so you know what’s inside.
5. CREATE A WORK SPACE
Install a work top with overhead lighting and convienient storage for frequently used tools. Its a flexible space the can be used for gardening, hobbies or fixing a childs broken bike and keeps messy jobs out of the house.
6. SAFETY-PROOF
Designate a safe space for hazardous materials like fertilizers, pesticides, paint and fuel, so kids can’t get into them. Sharp or dangerous tools should be hung up out of childrens reach.