Top 10 Tips For An Organised Garage

The garage tends to be a place where the car lives until the amount of gear you have accumulated gets to be too much for the available storage in your house. Eventually, you will (or your partner) will say enough is enough and so it’s time to think about using whatever space you can in the garage so it’s time to start looking for garage shelving:

1. First, decide about the car(s)

The first decision is about the car(s), if you’re lucky and live in the suburbs or have extra space, then as long as the weather is ok, you can leave the car or if you have a double garage and 2 cars like many families. Maybe one car can live outside?

2. Depending on your space

Whichever way things work for you, you’re going to need to make the best of the space you have so that means garage shelves, hooks and ropes. Yes and a ladder, extra lights, etc. The way you set it out depends largely on your decision on the car.

3. Invest in some good quality shelving

Some things are heavy, so are best on the lower shelves, medium on the middle and light up higher,put a lot of stuff on a garage shelf and the weight soon adds up, so go as heavy a duty shelving as you can afford.

4. Keep everything reasonably Accessible

Make stuff easy to find don’t place things on top of each other, it’s better to have narrower shelves, spaced closer together. You shouldn’t have to move stuff to locate anything. If you have a car in the garage, make sure you don’t have to pull the car out to reach your most frequently used gear.

5. Containers, bins and draws

Use clear bins, strong plastic crates and draws for small stuff. Place all the associated gear in the same bin and putting a label on it, helps to keep everything tidy and easy to locate.

6. Tools

Place tools in draws, especially drill bits and small expensive items. Nuts, bolts, screws and nails are best in clear jars with airtight lids.

7. Seasons use

Place things so they are handy for the season when you’ll them. If you have to have the car inside make it so it is easy to rearrange the gear so seasonal stuff is available when needed.

8. Workspace

Create a usable work table for your grinder, vice, drill-press and other tools.

9. Use Your Vertical Space

Often there is lots of room in the ceiling area; it’s a great place to hang large, bulky, light stuff such as fishing rods, nets, bikes, kayaks, wind surfers and surfboards with just a few hooks and ropes.

10. Keep it clean

The garage can be your "man-cave", a place where gear is kept on neat and tidy garage shelves as well as giving you a good space where you can do those jobs and store all the big boy’s toys out of the way but near when you’re not using them.