Organize Your Garage

Twenty-five percent of people with 2-car garages don’t park in them at all. A third can only park one car, largely due to garage clutter. (U.S. Dept. of Energy study) and 24% of homeowners are embarrassed to leave their garage doors open. (Impulse Research survey).

Use the Clear & Simple Way to clutter clear your garage. You’ll love parking your car there, enjoy having things organized and might even want to show it off!

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© For Your Garage Guide

SEE IT – Take a look at where you are now. Answer the questions for the whole garage including specific areas such as tool and equipment storage.

• What’s working? You can be specific or general.
• What do you like (if anything) about the look, feel and function?
• Are there things you know you want to change?
• What isn’t working? What don’t you like?
• Is there stuff that doesn’t belong here, like donations and past time stuff?
• Be honest… is your garage a dumping ground because you just don’t know what else to do with the stuff?

MAP IT – Make a written plan for what you want the most for this space. The garage is often the first place we see/enter as we arrive home. It matters.

• How do you want your garage to look, feel and function?
• Create an online board of images that inspire you.
• Create a mind map showing all the elements you want.
• What do you want most from your garage? (i.e. to park cars, storage for tools, yard equipment, outdoor gear, etc.)
• Allow yourself to think differently about the garage. For example, would you appreciate having the walls finished? Look at pictures for inspiration.
• What do you want to add to your garage, like shelves and containers?

DO IT – Take the steps to make it happen. Look on your calendar and set up time for the transformation!

• Choose an area to start with. For the garage specifically, we suggest breaking things down into categories and tackling one at a time (i.e. yard tool and equipment, hand and power tools, sports equipment, outdoor gear, decorations, home maintenance items, donations).
• Go through the S.T.A.C.K.S.© System for the category (Sort, Toss, Assign, Contain, Keep it up, Simplify). By following S.T.A.C.K.S.© the project will be easier and you will save money. Go to www.clearsimple.com/steps/.
• Enjoy shopping for the shelves and containers you want and need.

Once you complete each category, take time to celebrate. We know you will feel a sense of freedom as you move through each one.

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© For Your Garage Guide