I am not sure when it all started, maybe in 1986 with Lionel Richie’s hit song, “Dancing on the Ceiling”. Perhaps a young child looked up and dreamt about dancing or walking on the ceiling, and though they may never have actually done that, they did realize that the ceiling had potential for other uses, like storage. Maybe someone discovered the use of ceiling space before then, I really don’t know. But I do know that there are a multitude of garage overhead storage options available today.

These options come in a couple of different forms. From shelves that hang, bolted from the ceiling, to pulley systems that you can use to lower and raise a shelf, to special tracks which allow you to hang everyday storage bins. But regardless of what type of garage overhead storage system works best for you, they all have some of the same basic advantages. Here are five reasons why you may want to use your ceiling space for storage.

Whether you own or rent a home, if you have a garage, you have space that you already “own”, so we should utilize all out space in the most efficient way possible. All garages have ceilings or rafters, so it makes sense to use them. Sure, if you have rafter, you can balance some items above them, such as skis or sleds, but a hanging shelf will hold a lot more stuff in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. Many people have so much stuff that they don’t know what to do with, that they go and rent a storage unit. If you already have a garage, this does not make sense. As mentioned above, you are already paying for your living space, why pay more to store your stuff elsewhere? If you can store items in garage overhead storage instead of paying for self storage, you will save money. After all, most garage overhead storage systems can be paid for with the cost of only a few months worth of self storage. Another great advantage of garage overhead storage compared to a storage unit, is that you can access your things at any time without leaving home. Sure, it is not as quick to access as a regular shelf, but it doesn’t take that much effort – definitely quicker and easier than traveling to a storage unit. > If you are like I have been, your indoor closet space is filled to capacity and beyond! Get things like keep sakes and seasonal items out of your closets and into garage overhead storage. They are the perfect storage solution for items that only have to be accessed occasionally. Finally, the best reason to use garage overhead storage is to free up your garage so that your car can fit inside! So many garages become a catch all, that only 32% of people with a two car garage can fit one car inside, and 25% of two car garage owners can’t fit any car into their garage! Winter is coming quick, and you know that you don’t want to have to scrape the frost and snow from your car. Reclaim your garage now, and overhead garage storage is the perfect solution for part of this problem.

So, regardless of the type of garage overhead storage system that you use, it is easy to see that there are reasons why almost anybody would benefit.

When you are setting up your garage storage, there are six important things that you should do for optimal success in access and organization of your garage. Let’s take a look at these six tips and some examples that apply to most of us.

Organize your stuff by topic, just like you would in a filing cabinet. The same principles apply, just on a lager scale. Some common things that you may need garage storage for include: gardening tools and supplies, sports equipment, Christmas and other holiday decorations, regular household tools, and kid’s outdoor toys. Within each category of items, consider how often you need to access each item. For example, among your sporting items, you may have things like racquetball rackets that you use all year long, skis and snowboards that are only used during the winter, bikes that are access spring through late fall, as well as other seasonal sporting items such as equipment for baseball and football which may be accessed off and on during the entire year. Consider all the garage storage options available, and what will work best for each group of items. Looking at the sporting items again, you may want hanging baskets to keep various balls in, and hooks to hang skis and snowboards up high during the off season. For your gardening items, you may want hooks to hang often used tools on the wall, or cabinets that can be locked for keeping fertilizers or bug sprays out of reach from children. These types of cabinets are also good for locking away stains, paints, mineral oil etc. There are also special bike hooks and pulley systems to store them out of the way during the winter. Some good basic garage storage options that can be used in any home are shelves and storage bins. When storing things away, consider how often you will need to access them. Things that are only used once or twice a year can be placed in bins and on high shelves. This is especially great for things like Christmas decorations. If your garage is small and space is at a premium, you can use overhead garage storage options. These nifty solutions allow you to hang bins from you garage ceiling, or there are actual shelves that hang from the ceiling. This is great for seasonal and keep sake items that are only accessed once or twice a year.

Things that you use regularly, should obviously be down low and easy to get at. Garden tools should be near the door, preferably on hooks and shelves where you can easily see what you have and where it is. Regular household tools should be on cabinets or shelves,or hung on pegboards where you can easily see what you have, and should be located next to the door going into the house. This makes it really easy for sending kids out to the garage to grab a screwdriver or wrench.

Label you bins and cabinets so anybody can find anything easily without looking through everything. Put anything that you use back into its proper place when you are done. This may seem obvious, but for some, this is hard to do. If you have kids, you know what I mean. When you take your clothes off at night, put them away or in the laundry. Easy concept, but how often at the end of a week is your child’s room a mess? The same applies to the garage, if you put something away after you use it, you avoid the clutter and mess that so easily takes over a garage.

Well, hopefully these five tips will be helpful. There is nothing magical about them, but if you apply them to your organizing your garage, you will find that your garage storage solutions are successful.