There’s a reason garages get loaded up with all the stuff we don’t want in the house and that reason is that no one looks in there when you have dinner parties. So we feel free to cram it to the gills with everything under the sun. I am going to give you the tools you need to not only park the cars in there but know where everything is when you need it.

Step One: Everybody out!
The best way to organize any area is to get everything out of it so you can see what you are working with. Luckily it’s summer so a day of having stuff in your lawn isn’t the end of the world. Start by the garage door with a large garbage bin and a couple of large Rubbermaid totes. Label your totes with signs saying “Donate” and stick a few signs on the lawn (or the driveway) that suit your style (ie “sporting goods”, “winter items”, “kids toys” etc). Now just pick up a piece and put it in the appropriate pile. Throw away broken items or trash, donate things you can’t use anymore but are in good enough condition that someone else can get some use out of them, and sort through the golf clubs, the skis, and the soccer balls.

Step Two: Evaluate the Situation.
Now that the whole place is cleared out look at your beautifully empty garage. Take some measurements and see where your windows are, your furnace, or whatever obstacles are in the way and note them. Look at the floor and the walls to see if they needs to be cleaned or painted. Now that you have the measurements you can figure out how much paint you would need if you were to do either of those things. When in doubt ask your friendly orange-aproned paint mixer just how much you are going to need. Painting the floor is a great way for it to be sealed and will make it easier to be cleaned later on. Garage floor paint is an inexpensive way to cover up those oil spills and it’s very easy to do. You simply clean the floor, roll on a coat or two of the paint and while it’s still wet (you do this as you go) sprinkle on these little rubber bits that help to make it slip resistant (sold at most home improvement stores).

Step Three: What Goes Where?
Once everything is in little piles in the front of the house you can see exactly what you have and what you need to house that stuff. Invest in a few key pieces like heavy duty plastic totes for some long term storage items like the camping gear that gets used a couple of times a year and the winter gear that you don’t need because it’s 80 degrees out. And a shelf system like the Rubbermaid Fast Track which not only allows you to have re-positionable shelves but hooks for tools and bicycles and baskets for golf balls and the like. If you have open rafters or trusses in your garage buy a few sheets of plywood to place on the lower horizontal 2X4 to get maximum storage for things you don’t need access to but can’t part with (as in baby memorabilia from the 80′s)

Step Four: Put it Away
Take your new storage finds out to the lawn and start putting your things in to them. Long term storage items go in the totes to be placed on shelves (like your Christmas lights) and things you need better access to goes on hooks, pegs, and in baskets (like your gardening things and tools). Labeling your totes; “Christmas Decor”, “Halloween Costumes”, “Life Jackets and Water Toys”, “Snow Gear” etc will help you to know exactly what is in each one. I like to use space saver bags to not only save space but to help keep my mittens and hats from getting damp or bugs from crawling on them. You’ll find you can get more in the totes this way and not have to use as many. Give each family member their own little space, dad gets a tool bench, mom gets a planting station, and little Tommy and Susie get their own shelf and/or bin for their balls and squirt guns.

Step Five: Sit back and enjoy!
Take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back. You did great work and now you have a space that you can not only be proud of but find whatever you need quickly and efficiently. It will also help tremendously when or if you go to sell the house because chances are the next homeowner will need some ideas how to keep their garage as clutter free and organized as yours is!

For help and tools to have other nice rooms in your house please visit Your Organized House

Author: Danielle Trapp
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable Multi-cooker

Wheeeee! Yippy! Hurray! Isn’t that what you think when you think about garage organizers? I didn’t think so. But it isn’t all that bad is it. I know some people like to keep all their camping gear, tools, family collectibles, Christmas decorations, food storage, sports equipment, and other miscellaneous goodies in a, shall we say, “creative” storage system. Believe me, I understand.

I know that the space above most bedroom closets is a vast expanse of unused and neglected space right? You have absolutely no idea what you could possibly put there to fill it up. Yeah! And those boxes in the hall that have been there since last Christmas aren’t any big deal. They aren’t really in the way that much. Oh, and of course, the tangled piles of who knows what stored so neatly in the garage are so accessible right? Not! I’m not trying to interfere with anybody’s system of chucking, shoving, and forgetting. It’s a good system. That is, if you don’t mind the risks of not having garage organizers to keep everything ship shape.

Oh there are risks. Let’s say you get home from your ski trip with all your stuff. You’re tired and just want to get the SUV unloaded asap and get in the house where it’s warm. You drop your skis, bags and boots somewhere in the mystery pile, somehow never quite getting around to going back out and truly taking care of them. This is a problem. We all have enough stress in our lives. We don’t need the frustration of discovering our favorite tool or sports item damaged or ruined because something else scratches or otherwise damages it out of carelessness. It makes life miserable next time you go to use your stuff. Gear that is abused just doesn’t last as long or even stay in as good of condition as it could. This ends up costing you more money and frustration. Too risky for me. So, here’s a thought for your consideration: garage organizers are fun. What a revelation! Just makes me all giddy thinking about them.

You are probably thinking, “give me a break” right? Okay, here’s my deal. We all have stuff all over the place that we think we will remember where it is when we need it, and then when we do we just can’t seem to find it. I have had some experience with this cute little aspect of modern living. Four kids and two pets give me lots to keep track of. Until I discovered the power of garage organizers I would drive myself crazy looking for items I thought I would never misplace, searching for any possible square inch to put just one more thing into. This is not fun. But with garage organizers I walk around with a Cheshire cat grin on my face all day long just knowing how safe and sound all my stuff is. No more worry, no more risk, no more irritation. Just fun!

So go ahead, get yourself some garage organizers and try it out. You know, cabinets, workbenches with shelves and drawers, racks, hooks, and bins. Stuff like that. Heck, why not go all out and get a whole garage storage system. You know, those beautiful matching garage organizers that you’ve been dreaming about. Life is dreary enough. You deserve some fun!

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.

Just when you think you have run out of storage area, because all of your wall and floor space is taken up, somebody comes up with an innovative storage option. Now, I have to admit that I have heard jokes about putting stuff on the ceiling, but I did not really consider it as a serious option. But somebody did. Yes, that is what makes a really good entrepreneur, they take the ideas we joke about and make it a reality, then years later we can say, “I thought of that!” and regret our missed opportunity.

It seems that lack of storage space is a modern problem, you see storage units popping up all over the place, people have sheds and basements full of stuff, and garages packed to the limit. Lets face it, our modern society is filled with pack rats. Some of the stuff we honestly need, some we don’t. But some of the stuff we need, we only have to access occasionally. That is when garage overhead storage options come into play. So what are these items? Here is the list from my garage:

Christmas decorations (or any holiday, if that is your thing)

Seven years of filed paperwork that we are told to keep “just in case” (of what, I don’t know, I think it’s a joke that IRS agents chuckle over occasionally. Of course, if you don’t have the paperwork, then the jokes on you!)

Bikes stored out of the way for the winter, and skis for the summer

Camping supplies

Seasonal clothing

Folding chairs

Food supply

Keepsake items from your childhood

Of course, once someone figured out a way to store things on the ceiling, many other creative people followed, so there is a variety of garage overhead storage options.

The most obvious solution was to attach a hanging shelf to the ceiling. These shelves are most often made of metal, with the shelf portion like a metal grate so that you can see from below what is stored on it. These shelves are available in various sizes and depth so that you can find just right one for your storage needs. Access to this type of shelf is with a ladder or step stool (if you are already tall).

Another overhead garage storage system available uses tracks that hang from the ceiling. The tracks have an “L” shape and two sets of tracks are positioned the desired distance apart so that plastic totes can hang between them. This works great, and is economical, if you already have files or Christmas decorations already stored in plastic totes. Many of these systems have optional utility hooks for bikes and ladders. These are also accessible with a ladder, and though they can hold quite a bit of weight, they usually do not hold as much as the hanging metal shelves.

Now, if you do not like the idea of having to use a ladder to access your items, somebody was clever enough to solve that problem too. There are garage overhead storage solutions that are on a pulley system. Most often composed of a 4’x4’ platform that can be loaded and lifted up to 12’. You just have to make sure that it is located over a clear space so that you can lower the shelf when you need to get something down, such as over where you normally park your car. Also available on pulley systems are ceiling bike and ladder lifts.

So, take a walk out to your garage and look up. Do you see any available storage space up there?

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.

Garage storage has recently taken on a whole new meaning since I moved. Before I owned a garage, I thought all my storage problems would be solved once I had one. Then, once I had one, I came to believe that what I really needed was a larger one. I have since come to learn that that wasn’t entirely true either. Most home owners who happen to have a garage probably know what it’s like to try to make sense of all the stuff in their lives in a normal garage space, only to be frustrated. With sport balls, skis, bikes, holiday supplies, fishing gear, workout equipment, and a host of other items to store, garage owners try all sorts of creative solutions for their storage needs and sometimes still end up feeling like they just don’t have enough space.

Luckily, there are some really helpful, attractive, and effective garage storage solutions. You can find customized storage racks, hooks, bins, and shelves for almost anything these days. Some homeowners opt for simple plywood shelving, while others go all out and get the latest and greatest. Regardless, each garage owner is usually trying to maximize available space for what is usually way too much stuff anyway. Part of the joys of living in a materially successful society I guess. But, even with all these creative solutions to your storage problems, it doesn’t mean that you are going to have enough space for all the stuff in your life. And that leads me to my recent dilemma. See if you can relate.

When I sold my house and moved into a smaller house in another town, I learned right away how much I missed having a garage. But, luckily, the new place comes with a large out building where lots of stuff gets to live. In fact, this raises an interesting problem I hadn’t even thought of at first. I really thought that having a larger space would solve my garage storage problems, but that hasn’t necessarily proven true. Now, instead of trying to figure out how to just effectively store a bunch of miscellaneous things, I am trying to figure out how to also integrate other activities that used to happen in my larger house; things like working out, relaxing in the family room, playing games with the kids, etc. So while I’m glad to have a large space, I’ve discovered that it isn’t the space itself that matters most when it comes to garage storage.

What actually matters most isn’t how much space you have, but what you do with it that matters. Even with a really large space, if you just pile everything into it you’ll be just as frustrated as if you had a small space. So if you are trying to deal with limited space, don’t kid yourself into thinking that all you need to do is move into a larger one. Nope, what you really need to do is take inventory, get rid of as much extra stuff as possible, buy some creative garage storage solution products, and then use it.

If you do these things, then whether you live in a relatively small place, or have lots of garage storage space, you can take control and live with the peace and contentment that comes from an ordered and organized approach.

Does this sound familiar? “Can someone please go to the garage and get me a hammer and a phillips screwdriver?” “Sure, where are they?” “They should be right there on the shelf.” These are the hopeful pleas that escapes your quivering lips. You know that you own a hammer. You know you own a screwdriver. And, you know they are both in the garage. What seems to be a continuing mystery is where these things live. Of course, if everyone else in the family would just be as conscientious as you are about putting things where they belong, all this useless frustration about where things are could be avoided. Argh!

I know that some sort of garage storage solutions would help me out of this nightmare, and I’m off to a good start. Last summer I even built some shelves. These are great for Christmas boxes, a little food storage, some keepsake boxes, and the odd loose item or two. But what to do with the bikes, winter tires, lumber, that third row car seat I hardly ever use, and all the miscellaneous items that seem to clutter up the place? It turns out, there are actually lot of options when it comes to garage storage solutions and I just wanted to share some of what I found.

One of my personal favorites are garage storage solutions that use that empty space overhead. For example, did you know that you can get racks and bins that are made especially for the space overhead. Yep, you can solve your storage problems with some really cool garage organizers like the ones made by Tote Trac. They have these specialty racks that allow you to store skis, snowboards, luggage, blankets, kid’s stuff, sport balls or whatever. They come in different sizes and configurations. My favorite is their 6 track family pack system. It is fairly priced at around $40 – 60 and allows you to hang the tracks from ceiling or wall joists. In closets, the garage, or wherever. The bins hang from the tracks and are easily accessible. They can be hung on drywall and hold up to 400 pounds. The construction is quality white powder coated steel and can easily be installed by one person. It even has hooks allowing you to hang your bike. Anything to get stuff off the floor!

Another one of the garage storage solutions that is really good is made by MonsterRax. They make overhead storage racks that are are an ideal storage system. Their racks are made out of 14 gauge steel frames and can hold up to 500 pounds. These are boltless and can be adjusted for how far down from the ceiling you want the heavy duty wire decking. Pretty heavy duty item that is well-made and completely modular.

And last but not least, there’s the Prostor Heavy lift overhead garage storage solutions made by Racor. No discussion of garage organizers would be complete without a mention of this ingenious product. It basically allows you to load items onto a platform and lift it up to the ceiling (up to 12 feet high) without having to use a ladder. It has a 250 pound capacity so you can really store a lot of things. It includes a 4×4 platform, winding axle, steel support beams, all necessary mounting hardware, and sells for under $200.

Maybe one of these garage storage solutions will help you. I am excited about getting some of these for my garage. I guess I’ll plan out exactly what to get over lunch. Now where did I put my keys?