Garage storage systems are a great way to take advantage of unused space and organise the inevitable pile of stuff that can build up in an unorganized garage. Sometimes, it can be hard to even get a car in there from gardening supplies to seasonal decorations to bikes, toys, and tools. So instead of parking on the street, choose from one of our great storage systems and turn that mess of stuff back into useful items that you can find when you need them!
The first step is determining how much space you have to work with and how much you need to store. Many people drastically underestimate how much space their storage solutions will take up if they ignore this step, so be sure to start by measuring your space. Next, calculate how much space the car will take up and be sure to leave room for the car door to open and pathways to the doors.
Finally, organize your possessions. Start by sorting out all of the things you no longer need or want. Be ruthless with this step and get rid of anything that has not been used in over a year or is unlikely to be used in the next one. Sort these discards into three piles: donations, garage sale, and garbage. Then, organize what you are keeping by how often you will require access to each item.
Cabinet systems allow for the most flexibility and come with a wide variety of accessories such as:
- Workbenches
- Pegboards
- Bins
- Drawers
They can be customized to fit any space and storage requirements and keep your garage from becoming a big mess. These cabinet systems are available in various finishes and styles to match your décor and bring a touch of organization and class to your garage.
Once you have chosen your cabinets, organizing what you put into them is just as important. Tuck away whatever you do not use very often and store seasonal items out of the way. Keep your gardening supplies together in a specific area by the door to the garden, and organize your tools by your new workbench.
Spend some time creating the right place for everything, and you will not only be able to find it more easily, but you’ll also have a much easier time keeping your garage organized in the long run.
5 Easy Garage Organization Ideas
Is it already time to organize the garage? It seems like just yesterday, we were completing our Spring Cleaning and getting everything ready for summer. Now, the kids are back in school, and the garage is full of all their outdoor items that were just unpacked. The days are beginning to get colder and soon, you’ll need to protect your car from frosty mornings. Before you can pull your car into the garage, you’ll need to make some room for it. Inspired by Building Our Story’s recent journey of reclaiming her garage, here are our five easy garage organization ideas.
Rotate Seasonal Items
The best way to organize a garage is to rent a storage unit. Most seasonal items can fit in a 5×5 or 5×10 storage unit. You can store items that you only need for a few months out of the year to keep your garage organized for a relatively small cost. For example, during Summer, you can store sleds, shovels, the snowblower, bulky coats, and snow boots. At the end of Summer, you can replace them with your lawnmower, bikes, beach equipment, patio furniture, scooters, and sports equipment. This keeps unused clutter out of your garage and can help keep items safe from rust, damage, or other wear. Imagine how much extra space you’ll gain from moving the bikes, grill, and lawnmower out of the garage.
Get everything off the ground.
While it makes sense to pile items around the perimeter of your garage, all it does is take up valuable floor space. The best solution to optimize the space in your garage is to take advantage of vertical space on the walls. Garage shelving can be a huge lifesaver when it comes to getting the most out of your space. Investing in garage wall shelving or garage storage shelves allows you to keep items off of the ground while also having enough space to store everything. If you choose to add shelving to the walls, you can invest in durable bins to hold smaller items such as sidewalk chalk, paint brushes, or tennis balls. Large hooks can easily screw into walls and will support heavier items like bikes or power tools.
Another great solution could be alternating between standing shelves and cabinets to store everything. This option would take up some floor space but would also allow you to store vertically. Cabinets are important, especially if you have small children. For the safety of yourself and your children, keep things like spray paints, sharp tools, pesticides, and other chemicals in a locked cabinet at all times.
Use the ceiling for additional storage.
If garage shelving on the walls isn’t enough, keep thinking vertically by utilizing unused ceiling space. By installing ceiling tracks to hold bins, you add lots of square footage of space without putting any parking spaces at risk. Make sure these tracks are sturdy, and the bins you use are high-quality, as you do not want them to fall onto your car. Ceiling storage works best for items that you will not need often but is used often enough to not warrant storing them in your storage unit.
Some people also use large PVC tubes on their storage ceilings to store tools like brooms, rakes, and shovels to get them out of the way but keep them accessible. This can be done by drilling inside of the pipe through to the ceiling or by using zip ties to secure it to any boards overhead.
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Consolidate and get rid of duplicates
While you are organizing your garage, take the time to set aside anything that you have more than one of. Then, evaluate each pair of items and determine which you would prefer to keep. Repeat this for every duplicate you find. As you go through everything and narrow it down to one item, you’ll discover that this reduces a lot of unnecessary clutter.
As you are going through your items, you should also keep an eye out for any items that can be consolidated. For example, you may come across half-empty bags of potting soil that you can combine into one. In addition, you may be able to consolidate other items like bubbles, used sidewalk chalk, seed packets, or paint. You should go through this process at least once a year.
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Sort related items
As you go through your garage, separate items related to one another into piles. Tools, screws, and nails should all go in one pile. Seeds, soil, and trowels will go into another. Then, store all of these items together in the same area of your garage. Keeping everything separate will allow you to find what you need easier at the moment. For example, you may not know where your paintbrushes are specifically, but if you know that home renovation items are in the right corner of your garage, you will save a lot of time looking for them.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Garage Organizer System?
Garages benefit many homeowners, providing them with a safe space to store vehicles, extra storage room for tools, gardening supplies, and many other items. Unfortunately, most homeowners struggle to keep their garages tidy and organized, failing to use the space efficiently. Garage storage and organizer systems make the most of your space, keep all your items organized, and free your garage of clutter.
The price of garage storage depends on the garage’s size, the storage required, and installation. Most homeowners spend between $1,500 and $3,000, with a medium-sized garage organizer system costing around $2,500 when professionally installed. You can save a lot by installing the items yourself, with some simple DIY shelving for a small garage costing around $50. A custom-designed garage organizer system for a large garage with new wiring and power outlets costs up to $10,000.
Garage Storage Cost
Many homeowners create their garage storage systems by buying different storage items like shelves and cabinets and then installing or hiring a professional. You can save a lot of money by doing this, but make sure the products fit in your garage. The table below shows several garage storage solutions with average costs:
Garage Hooks
Garage hooks are among the cheapest garage storage accessories you can buy. They are simple and come in many sizes, colours, and materials. Make sure you find hooks that can support whatever you need. This might be coats, clothes, tools, gardening supplies, sports equipment, and bikes—average costs per-hook range from $1 to $15.
Garage Storage Baskets
Baskets are one of the most common components of garage storage solutions. They can often be positioned on garage shelves or overhead racks to store whatever you need. Individually, they are affordable and come in various sizes and styles, with average costs of between $10 and $75.
Sports Rack
The garage is usually the best place to store sporting goods like bikes, kayaks, golf clubs, and fishing rods. Depending on the size and type, you can find many garage sports racks to suit these, with average costs ranging from $25 to $250.
Garage Storage Drawers
Garage drawers come in many sizes and styles, from simple plastic racks on wheels to stronger metal units that fit with your cabinets. They are good at storing tools and small accessories, making them popular with DIY enthusiasts, and can store all kinds of other smaller items. Expect to pay $50 to $750.
Garage Shelving Cost
Shelving is a very popular storage option for garages, and it comes in many forms. You can opt for freestanding shelving units, add-on units for cabinets and structures, and wall-mounted shelves to store items—costs for garage shelving range from $50 to $1,000. The table below shows how costs vary for each shelving type.
Garage Tool Storage
Most people keep tools in their garages, and you can buy premade tool storage solutions for your hammers, drills, and screwdrivers. These storage systems range in size and style. Some are simply small drawer units. Others are made in the style of a slat wall panel or pegboard with built-in hooks and hangers. Average costs range from $50 to $1,000.
Overhead Garage Storage
Think vertically to make the most of your space. Many garages incorporate overhead racks and shelves for ceiling storage solutions. These racks can store bikes, kayaks, sporting equipment, and larger tools but can weigh heavier items. Prices for overhead garage storage are $75 to $250 on average.
Slatwall Rails
Slatwall rails are very popular for their convenience and versatility. They function like pegboards but with horizontal slits and rails for different tools and items, rather than holes for hooks and pegs. You can customize Slatwall panels in many ways, with prices ranging from $75 to $1,000.
Garage Cabinets Cost
Garage cabinets come in a wide range of sizes and styles, including freestanding cabinets and wall-mounted cabinets. These cabinets can store many items, from tools and gardening equipment to clothes and toys. However, they cost between $100 and $2,000 on average.
Garage Workbench
Many people like to DIY in the garage, and a workbench or workstation helps those projects. It provides a sturdy surface for sawing, drilling, and sanding. Some workbenches are simple, just a piece of wood and four strong legs. Others incorporate drawers, pegboards, and tool hooks. Prices vary from $150 to $1,500.
Labour Costs to Organize a Garage
You also need to consider the labour costs associated with organizing a garage. Again, these costs vary depending on the amount and type of work and how you do it.
If you have some DIY experience, you may be able to do the organization yourself, only needing to cover the costs of basic tools, screws, and DIY accessories to fit the shelves and set up the storage units. This can be accomplished from as low as $25, depending on the amount of work.
If you want a professional, there are options available. Some companies specialize in garage organization and visit your garage to provide an initial consultation for around $100. They assess the space and creative design ideas for possible storage solutions and plans to make the most of your garage.
You can also pay to have professionals install the various parts of your garage storage system, such as cabinets, bike racks, and overhead units. A handyman can handle most of these jobs, with average prices ranging from $35 to $75 per hour, sometimes with minimum fees of $50 to $150. Depending on the amount of labour required, expect to pay $50 to $1,000.
Cost to Build Garage Cabinets
You may choose to make custom garage cabinets in a specific size and style to suit your space. This can be a good option if you have a small garage or unique or oddly shaped items. Costs for custom garage cabinets range from $250 to $5,000 or more with high-end brands.
Cost to Install an Overhead Garage Storage
Overhead garage racks and storage units are very useful for storing bikes, sports balls, and gardening equipment. They can be tricky to install on your own, so it is often best to hire a handyman. A handyman charges an hourly rate of around $35 to $75 and spends up to two hours installing overhead storage on average. They might also charge a flat fee of $50 to $200.
Benefits of Garage Organization
There are many benefits in investing in garage storage and organization systems to tidy up all that clutter. The first and most obvious benefit is that the garage organizes and clears floor space. Many homeowners use their garage as a junk room, throwing items there and failing to organize them effectively. But once you start making use of storage shelves and solutions, you can free up floor space and start using your garage for storing your vehicle and walking around easily.
It is also much safer to keep your garage organized because they are often filled with tools, sharp items, and potentially dangerous accessories that could be hazardous to children, adults, and animals. It is also more aesthetically pleasing to step into a clean and tidy garage, where everything is neatly organized and stored.
You can spend more time in and get more use out of your garage if it is cleaner and more attractive. You can pursue DIY projects and find and use your tools more effectively with them organized on a pegboard or slat wall. You will also notice that your tools, sports equipment, and other items last longer when safely stored on racks and walls.