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We love stuff. This is America, one of the easiest places to collect clutter. There is always an easy and cheap way of obtaining more things. You can go to thrift stores, consignment shops, and yard sales for affordable clothing, decorations, and more. Dollar stores are in nearly every city. Then, there are holidays when people give you stuff for free. Birthdays and Christmas are times when your home is bound to fill up with new possessions.

But eventually, you will run out of room in your home when you have an excess of stuff. If you’re someone who hangs on to items, then you inevitably have to move your overflow items somewhere. That somewhere usually ends up being the garage. Garages are probably the number one place where all of our extra junk goes, so it’s important to know how you can store everything. Improper storage methods can lead to unnecessary clutter and even pest infestations. Let us help you avoid these issues with our top garage storage ideas! 

1. Make Use Of Vertical Space

Garages may not always seem like they have a lot of room. Their width might seem a little cramped, especially when you have a lot of equipment inside. Thankfully, many garages make up what they lack in width with height. There is usually plenty of head space available, meaning you can take advantage of vertical shelving. Metal or wire shelving is durable and holds up well under heavy equipment, so this is usually the best choice for garages. Storage cabinets or cubbies are also good options for making use of vertical space. 

You can also attach a pegboard to your walls as an easy way to organize tools and other small items. Likely, even with a pegboard and several shelves, you will still have plenty of space left over. That is the beauty of going vertical. 

2. Invest In Quality Containers

You can’t have an organized garage without quality containers. You need to choose containers that hold up well to temperature fluctuations, pests, and more. Rubbermaid, Iris, and Home Depot all manufacture high-quality containers that work well for garage storage. 

3. Develop a System

When you start organizing, you need to have a system. If you don’t, you’re not going to be able to find anything after you put everything away. Before you start placing everything in containers, group items together based on similarity. This will make it easy to locate items later. Then, use a sharpie and label all of your boxes to ensure that you know what is in each one. Only then should you start placing storage items on your shelves and within cubbies. 

The garage of a homeowner who is desperately in need of garage storage ideas

4. Don’t Be Sentimental

As you’re going through your items to organize them, you might realize that you haven’t thought about or used some of the items in years. It might be tempting to hang on to these items “just in case” or because someone gave them to you, but sentiment is the enemy of organization. If you don’t need something, get rid of it. It will make organizing and cleaning much easier when you choose some items to get rid of. 

5. Work to Clear the Floor

The more items you can get off the floor, the better. When you can get the floor clear, you will be able to move around your space more freely. The space is sure to feel bigger when you are not tripping over and bumping into things. Sometimes, containers and shelving are not enough to contain all of your garage clutter. In that case, you might need to purchase a pegboard or add hooks and tracks to your wall to hold items. 

6. Have a Plan For the Future

Okay, you’ve gotten everything organized. Now what? Well, you’ll need to think about how you plan to stay organized later. You need to start developing good habits, such as returning items to their proper place when are done using them. Also, be sure not to gather extra unnecessary clutter that will cause your garage to become a mess again. If you truly want to remain organized, discipline is key. 

We Can Do More Than Offer Garage Storage Ideas! 

We hope that our basic garage storage ideas can get you started with your organization journey. But while garage storage is an important part of being a responsible homeowner, there is so much more that needs to be done each year. For instance, you also need to get annual garage door repairs and maintenance to protect this space from damage. Our team offers quality garage door services in Houston. Contact us today to learn more about our services!