Your new garage is complete, and the time has come to move your personal items into the structure. As time passes, the garage begins to fill with all your seasonal items and before you know it, there is nowhere to park!
Whether your garage is older or brand new; decluttering and efficiently organizing the space makes it easier and safer to work in.
No one enjoys cleaning out the garage, however, this can be a great time to declutter and protect your investment: inspecting the structure and sprucing up those new epoxy floors wash the newly epoxied floors, inspecting the structure while protecting your investment.
Once you have emptied the entire garage, it is time to get to work!
1. Empty out the garage!
Whether you are moving into your new garage, or cleaning out an existing structure, it helps to have an empty space to work with. Creating a “keep” collection and an “eliminate” collection will help to determine what items will be returned and what can be removed. This is a great time to declutter and eliminate items no longer used and/or broken. Once you determine what stays, you can begin to organize!
2. Organize!
Once you determine what items will be returned to the structure you can begin to review practical ways to organize them within the structure. Yard tools, athletic gear, bikes, holiday decorations, tools, etc. can all be properly stored and organized.
3. Finding the right storage options!
There are many ways to maximize the space your garage provides. Wall mounted shelves, cabinets, ceiling shelves, airtight containers, etc. provide places to store those items while allowing space to move around the structure safely. You can install such products yourself or hire a company to provide that service for you.
With the walls and floor clean and clear, design the interior to function efficiently based on the items returning to the garage. Shelves allow for easy access to items more often used. Ceiling racks are a great way to eliminate storage items such as holiday decorations in airtight containers. Hang tools and yard tools on the wall using hooks, off the floor and out of the way. Cabinets are helpful for storing items not often used or that need to be kept away from children. Bikes can be hung from the ceiling in the winter and baskets can store miscellaneous balls and athletic gear.
4. Clean the building.
Before returning your items to the garage, take the time to thoroughly clean it out. Dust items and shelves that remain there permanently such as cabinets and refrigerators. Wipe down the walls with a broom to eliminate spider webs and dust. If you have a finished garage, you can take that a step further and wash the walls down with a damp cloth to remove any additional dust. Next, sweep or vacuum the floor. Using a gentle dish soap, you can wash the floors with a mop or power washer, this will help to remove oil stains left behind by any vehicle stored inside.
5. Give the exterior a once over!
As you would your home, gutters and downspouts should be cleared as seasons change to ensure efficiency. It is also encouraged to maintain the cleanliness of the siding and depending on what has been installed, for example vinyl or Hardie, that cleaning routine could be specific to the product installed.
For more information, or for a FREE consultation and estimate, contact Heartland Garage Builders at HeartlandGarageBuilders.com or 224-326-2698.