Is your garage so crowded that you can’t fit your car in it? It’s time to act! Discover our tips and advice arrange your garage and make it pleasant to be in.
All in all, the main reason why anyone would have a garage included the need to park away their vehicle. Nowadays, often being quite cluttered, most of them can no longer play their initial part in the life of the car owner.
For a garage to fully fulfill its role, it must be able to both accommodate a car, some house storage areas and / or activity spaces: a DIY corner, for example, or a laundry room.
In short, the ideal scenario is to manage to make a garage a multifunctional space. For that, there is no need to use a significant budget: it is enough to use some logic and to have a good sense of organization.
Sorting, grouping the material by theme, using the full height of the walls, taking care of the aesthetics – there are enough simple tips to put into practice in order to reinvest this space and, above all, to make it both functional and pleasant to be in.
Step 1: sorting
The #1 step to take in the process of reclaiming a garage or, quite simply, setting it up, is to organize all the stored away items.
Everyone has that habit of accumulating (or hoarding even) tons of belongings that no longer serve us, or worse, that never served us in the first place. So, if you haven’t used an item for a year, this is a sufficient clue to say goodbye to it.
Conclusion: an object you no longer like? Don’t have any qualms: cast it off, turn it into a gift for a friend or just put it on sale on a local website! Since the WWW provides a handful of possibilities, this move could help you make a little money you can then use to support the makeover of that old, messy barn.
Step 2: define the uses of your garage
Before acting, it is absolutely essential to ask yourself what exactly you want to do with your garage. Would you like to be able to practice an activity there? Set up a laundry room? Just use it as a storage area?
Depending on the function or functions you are going to assign to it, you will be able to better identify the type of setting up you will need.
If you intend your garage for DIY, you will need a large worktop with storage for your tools.
Likewise, if you are into gardening, you will need to think about suitable storage solutions for your equipment, especially if you have a mower that takes up space.
In any case, do not forget that a garage must, to be truly fully optimized, be able to be used for the practice of several activities (ironing, creative hobbies, musical rehearsals, sports training and so on). This also means you’ll need space for house equipment extremely different in nature.
Secondly, take a precise inventory of everything you plan to store there: ski equipment, gardening and DIY tools, provisions to store, household appliances, sports equipment. This list will give you a more precise idea, not only on the type of storage, but also on the quantity.
Step 3: set up distinct zones for your activities
To quickly and easily find your things and prevent clutter from establishing itself there, opt for the concept of organizing everything in zones, grouping your items: place car repair equipment against one wall and the garden tools against the other one.
To clearly divide such zoning isles, go for a little more room or create a physical separation around them. Such simple yet stylish partitions are quite easy to find, but can also be replaced by a common item that is already present in the parking space..
Step 4: free up floor space by investing in the walls
The goal is being able to use your garage as a storage place for your provisions, your tools and your personal belongings, as a parking spot for your vehicle, as a relaxation area for your leisure activities- all in one single place. This means you will have to manage to free up as much space as possible, while maintaining good storage capacity.
How to do that? Quite simply – by investing in storage on the walls over their entire height rather than cluttering the floor. The ultimate goal is to leave nothing on the ground.
When properly fitted out, the walls offer unsuspected storage capacity! There are many solutions you can find on DIY websites or in furniture blogs, such as homeydesignstore.com. For example, modular storage systems can be installed along the walls
What if you also invest in horizontal brackets, to hang from the ceiling? They would allow you to store away long items, such as a stepladder, a surfboard or the deckchairs from the garden.
Step 5: choose the appropriate storage
In a garage, there must be plenty of storage space, but above all, it must be adapted to the content, especially in terms of dimensions. There is no point in buying a gigantic box if you only have a few nails to put in it! And to easily find what you are looking for, opt for transparent containers instead.
Boxes, shelves, baskets, hooks, folding racks – many different solutions are here for you. It’s up to you to match them to your needs!
A bike to hang? Use a bicycle hook! The same goes for your tennis rackets or your skis! Screwdrivers to accommodate. opt for a screwdriver holder! A fishing rod? A golf clubs? Bottles? Shoes? Well, be aware that there are specific storage spaces for each of these items of equipment!
Finally, to save space, give preference to furniture fitted with casters, which can easily fit under the worktop when not in use.
Step 6: tidy up intelligently
When it comes to layout, logic dictates that you keep everything you often use close at hand and put the rest in less accessible places. For the sake of comfort, do not store heavy things too high: you risk hurting your back when lifting them.
To secure the place, especially if your children come to play there, make sure to shelter (preferably in closed boxes with a cover) all sharp tools, as well as all products dangerous to health.
Step 7: Choose a sturdy worktop
If you plan to tinker in your garage or to set up a laundry area, it will be necessary to equip it with a work plan. opt for a coating which is easily cleaned and very resistant.
If you lack space to install a real workstation, know that there are folding worktops which can be unfolded when you need them.
We hope all these ideas have inspired you to open the door of your garage and start a makeover ASAP! And if you want to find out more about cars, take a look at this article on 7 Maintenance Tips For First-Time Car Owners .
