[themify_col grid=”2-1 first”]Now is the perfect time to invest some time in organizing your garage after a busy summer of use. We have helped many clients reclaim their garage and make their daily lives easier.

How do we do it? Read on… then contact us to make an investment in your quality of life!

First, Determine Your Objective and Analyze Your Needs:
• Do you want to park your cars in your garage?
• Do you have a functional workbench area? Is it large enough?
• How many bicycles and other types of large sporting equipment do you store there?
• Do you store a lot of lawn and garden equipment, lawnmowers, a snow blower, and patio furniture in the off-season?
• Are you using your wall and ceiling space effectively?
• Are you storing a lot of large and bulky items that are making your garage less functional and roomy?
Second, Getting Started!
Paring Down Your List of Items To Be Stored:

Start with the “Gross Sort”- these are the “quick and easy” decisions you can make with little thought: trash, broken, unsafe equipment, things you haven’t used in years, old paint (pour in equal parts of cat litter and let dry with lids off, then dispose with your regular trash).

You are trying to get as much cleared as quickly as possible. If you come across items that need to be sorted, (screws, plumbing parts, or boxes of mementos) put them aside for later with like items.

The “SPACE” Method of Organizing

SORT:
As you carry items out of the garage, place them with like items in the driveway.
Examples of categories you can create:
• Workbench/Tool Area
• Sports Gear
• Bikes
• Lawn and Garden Area
• Seasonal Items-Beach and Snow Equipment
• Holiday Decorations
• Household Supplies/Pantry
PURGE:
Now that items are in categories, it’s time to make decisions one cateogry at a time by going through item by item:
• Keep
• Donate
• Sell
• Trash
Ask yourself these questions when trying to decide what to do with an item?
• When was the last time I used it? Have I ever used it? Not in 2 years or more? Get rid of it.
• Is the item in good working condition and safe to keep? If not, get rid of it.
• Is it something that is still useful and relevant? This doesn’t mean you have to keep it yourself. Consider donating it or selling it.
• Do I have a logical place and enough space to keep it? If it’s something that would get very occasional use and your available space is limited, it’s that much harder to justify keeping it and taking up valuable space that could be used for things that you use on a regular basis.
• What’s the worst thing that will happen if I get rid of it?If you can live with your answer, get rid of it![/themify_col] [themify_col grid=”2-1″]ASSIGN A HOME:
Select the most suitable, logical, and convenient place to store the items you’ve decided to keep.
Consider:
• The size, type, and weight of the item
• How often and where the item is used
• The safest way to store the time
• Which location provides easiest access
For example:
• Mops, brooms, cleaning supplies, and recycle bins should be located near the door to the house.
• Tools used most often should be near the workbench.

CONTAINERIZING YOUR ITEMS:
Storage Options for Your Garage:
• Hanging Hooks
• Wall Hanging Systems- We love Rubbermaid’s Fasttrack (see photo below)
• Shelving- free-standing or wall mounted
• Bins
• Cabinets
• Ceiling Lofts
• Floor
A note on Labeling your containers:
It’s crucial to label all containers to make identifying, finding things, and putting things back easier FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY.

EQUALIZE:
Maintain your system going forward. This is the most critical, and most overlooked, step in the organizing process.
• Your system must be convenient and efficient and you must work on the discipline to keep it up.
• You and your family must put things away in their designated homes and resist the old behavior patterns of just setting things anywhere “for now”.
• If you continue to throw things in your garage that you don’t know where else to put, you will defeat your best efforts and your organized garage will not stay that way.
• Evaluate your system continually and determine how it can be improved. If one area is constantly messy, ask yourself do I need more space here? Is this the most convenient location? Make changes before things get out of control.
Conclusion:
With some determination and perseverance, you can have the garage of your dreams and it can stay that way! Stay on top of it, monitor your system, and be ready to make changes where necessary.

Our Satisfied Clients

I just added two rooms to my house thanks to Organized Havens! For two years you could not walk in my garage and now you can dance!!! The car is going in for the winter. My storage room was a disaster and now it is organized and I know where all my things are. It was a pleasure to work with her and her assistant. They make it all so easy. I highly recommend them!
-M.M. Yonkers, NY[/themify_col]

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