Garage Storage Ideas

If you have a wealth of stuff and limited space, implementing some creative garage storage ideas might be the solution to your problems.

Although your cupboards and closets are handy and can offer solutions for task specific storage of items you use frequently, the space in your garage is larger, has the advantage of being close to your vehicles and yard for easy outdoor or travel access, and can store overssized items and things you use infrequently or have as just-in-case extras.

Extra storage will help you expand the available space in your garage, but nothing is going to do the job successfully for long if you don’t get organized.

Start by making an inventory of your garage bound belongings and separating them into four piles. The first pile is for items you use frequently, the second for those you use regularly, the third for useful discards, and the last is for trash. After you’ve completed the inventory, you will be in a better position to know how much wall, cabinet and overhead space you’ll need and how you might strategize organizing it.

The main function of the garage is to house your vehicles. After that, your lifestyle and needs will help to determine the way the extra space will be used. For example, if you have children, you may want a special area to store their toys. If you are into sports, you might decide to organize your sporting gear by type and season, rotating it from one spot in the garage to another as the seasons change. Depending on your tastes and hobbies, you may also have house overflow, like an extra refrigerator for beverages, luggage that needs to be stowed, extra canned food, pet food and even seasonal clothing.

When you start to evaluate your lifestyle and storage needs, it will help you decide how best to organize your garage space efficiently and take full advantage of the garage storage ideas you have in mind.

Once you have an inventory of what you want to keep and have an idea of how you plan to organize it, measure the available space in your garage. This will help you when you start to explore storage options.

If you’re like most homeowners, you keep lots of stuff on the garage floor and ignore the opportunities of all the vertical space near the ceiling. Overhead storage units can get items like sporting equipment, bicycles, and pool equipment off the floor, freeing up walkways. You can add overhead bins and shelves that can handle the weight of lumber and ladders, or cabinets that can safely house your Christmas ornaments or camping equipment.

Once the bulky items are off the floor and you have some room to get around, take a look at a few ways to store lower profile tools and garden implements on the walls with slat or pegboard wall systems that work with hooks. This can be a flexible alternative to bins, because items are easy to see and access, but you can still move them around or completely overhaul your layout without much effort. It’s also pretty easy to see when something’s missing so you can track it down. With the addition of a few wall-mounted bins for items too small to be individually hooked in place, you’ll have access to your tools that’s easy to keep organized.

Once the walls and ceiling are being utilized efficiently, you’ll probably have some extra space for a couple of freestanding cabinets in which to store electrical tools, overflow kitchen appliances, prepackaged food, toys, and gardening supplies. When considering cabinets, look for modular units that let you customize the quantity and height of shelves.

There are a number of retailers that sell complete garage storage solutions that use modular or custom ceiling, wall and cabinet storage designed with your specific space in mind. Whether you use this approach or prefer a do-it-yourself solution, be sure to make your choices as flexible and customizable as possible. As your family changes, your garage storage needs will change too.

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