It’s almost summertime! A time to bike, skateboard, play basketball, grill, go to the beach, mow the lawn, garden, draw with chalk and blow bubbles, or enjoy whatever outdoor activity you’ve been dreaming of for the past 6+ months. But wait, where is your helmet? Is it under the pile of sleds? Did it get mixed in with the patio cushions? If only there was a better way to be prepared for all of life’s adventures…

But how is it possible without giant storage sheds or extra large garages?

Allow me to offer some professional advice…

Schedule the time

If you’re ready to organize your garage so that it helps your family function with ease, you need to set aside intentional time to get it done right, once and for all. For most this isn’t a one person, or even a one day, project. But with dedicated time and a helping hand (or two), you’re already setting yourself up for success.

Categorize & edit

Like any other space in your house, you must take responsibility for having appropriate expectations of just how much “stuff” fits within the boundaries of your space. By gathering everything and grouping “like items” together, you can evaluate exactly what you have. This step makes deciding what to sell, toss, or donate a little bit easier.

Here are some category ideas to get you started:
Bikes/scooters/strollers
Toys/games
Beach gear
Sports
Tools
Gardening
Yard maintenance
Household backstock
Seasonal
Memorabilia

Contain

Choosing the right storage solution is often the hardest part. Take advantage of the vertical space on garage walls. This can be with shelves, cabinets, slatwall panels, utility tracks or hooks! By giving everything a home off the floor, you increase visibility of your items, free up space to walk, and (hopefully) stop piling things on top of each other. If you have an especially small garage space, overhead racks can be a great solution for swapping seasonal items (i.e. sleds, shovels, ice fishing gear in the winter, swapped with bikes, rakes, and baseball gear in the summer).

Personally I opt for clear storage totes (no larger than ≈ 66 quarts) to increase visibility to easily find what I’m looking for. Yes, I add labels, but not everyone in my household can (or will) read them!

Maintain

An often overlooked step in creating systems that are easily maintainable is selecting the appropriate “home” for your items. Just as I wouldn’t put a pantry in the basement, far away from the kitchen, it doesn’t make sense to put the children’s toys on the top shelf and the Christmas tree on the bottom shelf.

Be mindful of who you want to access and put away each item and where it makes sense for that to take place. This is achieved through the creation of “zones”... the secret sauce to success. YOU choose the zones that make sense for your family and stick to them! (Examples: Zone A - sports and recreation. Zone B - tools and home maintenance. Zone C - outdoor activities and games.

**Tips:**
**Household** - near the home’s interior door
**Yard** - near the garage exit door
**Seasonal & memorabilia** - high shelves
**Mowers, bikes, & strollers** - side wall (*easy exit without moving cars*)

Once you’ve organized your garage well, maintaining the space becomes not only easier but more enjoyable. You and your family will appreciate the ease of navigating a space that once caused frustration but now brings you pride and joy!