Are you one of the 24% of homeowners embarrassed to leave your garage door open. (Impulse Research survey) Can you park two cars in your garage? If so, pat yourself on the back because you’re actually in the minority. 25% of people with 2-car garages don’t park in them at all. A third can only park one car, largely due to garage clutter. (U.S. Dept. of Energy study)
If your garage feels more like a weigh station for all your stuff, give yourself and your garage a little extra LOVE and create a space that will give your neighbors “garage envy”?
Not to brag, but I love having people come into my home through my garage and I am very definitely a regular client of Silver Linings. Not only can I park two cars in my garage, I also store personal items, a bike and supplies for the company. Having ADHD means I need to ask for help in those parts of my life which aren’t my strengths. At the same time, having a “clean canvas” makes it easier for me to keep things organized.
If you’re in San Diego where there very are few basements and limited attics, organizing your garage will give you a lot more space – something we need for all the outside activities we get to enjoy.
For a garage your neighbors will envy and you will love, here are some tips to get you started.
- Remember using vertical space gives you more storage area. I found these great shelves on Amazon. They delivered the next day and I was able to assemble them easily with no tools. (Put shelf photo here)
- Be realistic about your lifestyle. Are you storing broken items or gear for someday? If you didn’t fix it during lockdown, perhaps you need to be honest with yourself and sell or donate these items. Try places like BuyNothing (a Facebook group usually localized to an area), www.FreeCycle.org, Craig’s List Curb Alert – for broken items. You’d be surprised what happens when you drag something to the curb, stick a “FREE” sign on it and post.
- If you think an item is saleable, look up an items’ value, try using Google Lens or check out sold items on eBay. One of the best ways I’ve found to sell items is Facebook Marketplace but make sure you’re following safety protocols when organizing a sale.
- This may seem obvious but organize by category keeping in mind what items need to be accessed on a regular basis and which ones are seasonal. If you use an item regularly, store it low – that’s prime real estate.
- For old paints, storing them in your garage will affect the color. If you’ve been storing paint in your garage, find a better place inside or take them to a local paint drop off facility.
- Here are a few things you should not keep in your garage – Paint, Pet Food, Propane, Paper and Photos.
- Go through old bins and consolidate. Once consolidated, label bins for easy access.
- Break the task down into manageable pieces. Start with one wall or even 10 minutes. Many times clients become so overwhelmed, they freeze and do nothing. Make small tasks your goal and reward yourself for your accomplishments.
- Remember PERFECT IS THE ENEMY OF DONE. Sometimes, good enough is good enough.
- If you live in San Diego and you’d like a little assistance to get you started or to accomplish the whole task, contact the Silver Linings Transitions team. We’ve found in as little as 6 hours, we can do enough to get you motivated to finish.
Fun garage facts:
Five famous companies that started in the garage: Apple, Amazon, Disney, Google, and Harley-Davidson.
So did Silver Linings Transitions – kind of. Though we don’t “work” in the garage, we still store some of our supplies and marketing materials in my home garage.
Want to give a unique gift to a loved one for Valentine’s Day? We offer gift certificates.