Some of the most beautiful homes in the Phoenix area make us drool with envy. But, the truth is, if you open the garage, the contents would make Marie Kondo apoplectic. Today we’re going to explain how you can make the best use of garage space if you rethink the use of your garage, organize the contents logically, and protect the contents once your garage becomes organized.
1. Rethink Your Garage as Living Space
If you’re like the average person, your car is the most expensive thing on your property. The purpose of a garage is to have a place to store your valuable car. But, if you’re like most people, and don’t have your car stored in the garage, we have some good news for both you and your beautiful car: there is a solution.
The solution starts with a mental picture of your garage as living space, and the first priority is for the car. Don’t think about what is already in it, be committed to the ideal. By considering the garage a living space, we can mentally switch gears and revamp our thinking on the function and use of the garage.
2. Think ‘Wheels on the ground’’
Ideally, everything that has wheels should be stored on the floor. This includes the car, the lawnmower, the portable barbecue (but not the propane tank!), and bicycles. Why bicycles? Because for the purpose of this article, we’re going to assume that your kids are too young to put their bike on a rack. If we’re mistaken, then by all means, a bike rack is in order!
Now that you’ve formed a mental picture of what is supposed to be on the garage floor, if there is anything else in your garage floor, items which don’t have wheels, you need to consider the bulk of that stuff, what it is, and if it’s worth keeping. Anything worth keeping will require storage.
3. Protect possessions with adequate storage
If a garage is going to do double-duty as a storage space, it’s essential to have a logical and safe means of organizing it. Garage cabinets have a huge advantage over boxes in that they don’t attract vermin such as cockroaches and silverfish, which are extremely fond of cardboard glue.
Storage cabinets are also sturdy, permanent, and won’t topple over and damage the car or garage door opener the way boxes might.
Some people are of the opinion that shelves are better than cabinets. If that were true, we would have shelves instead of cabinets in our kitchens and bathrooms. The shelf advocates base their premise on the idea that your garage organization is going to be so messy that you’ll need to have open shelves to be able to find anything. The concept greatly underestimates your abilities once you have optimal storage available. Not to say that shelving doesn’t have a place, just that it shouldn’t be the fundamental method of storage.
Also, in order to keep possessions clean, cabinets are a better option than shelving. While epoxy flooring in the garage will cut down on dust, and we highly recommend it, there is still the problem of exhaust residue. Those who store items in their garage will notice this residue on items which have shared the space in the garage with a car for an extended period. It may not be so obvious on some surfaces, but other surfaces will develop a sticky surface over time, indicating that exhaust is permeating possessions whether it’s obvious or not.
Organization of items in garage cabinets should be custom tailored to the needs of the homeowner. Items which are used more frequently should be on the most convenient shelves, always remembering to store ‘like’ items together. Seasonal and other items should be on the less convenient shelves in the cabinets.
Quick Response Garage Cabinets provides excellent and secure storage solutions for your residential garage needs. Call 602-935-5598 or book an appointment online today!
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