Oh my, you’ve finally decided to tackle the garage. The garage or basement tends to be a repository for most everything that doesn’t have a place in the house. Most projects fail due to poor planning.
Break the project down in phases. Each phase may take several days, knowing this in advance will help you get it done.
Pro Tip: Block out time for this project. Don’t overdo it, set aside an hour or two when you have the time to declutter. That way you won’t burn yourself out.
Step One –
Throw out the trash . . .
- Boxes, old tires, etc.
- Broken items that you meant to fix, (furniture, appliances, garden tools, lawn mower, rusted-out BBQ grills and so on.
- Bowling balls and tennis rackets and roller blades.
- Dried out paint cans, paint rollers, pesticides and other toxic chemicals that should be disposed of.
- Past their prime sports equipment, rust out bikes and other outdoor toys.
Pro Tip: If you don’t want to sleep on the couch, don’t toss out your spouse’s stuff without getting permission. Anything you’re not sure about, put in a box or a section of the floor for your spouse to look over.
Step Two –
Sort stuff by season and purpose. Summer tools, weed trimmers, chainsaw, deck furniture, pool supplies, boat, and ATV toys in one corner and winter tools and vehicles in another.
Step Three –
While sorting things out, think about what you want to use the space for. Do you want to put the car back in the garage? Dreaming of a man cave?
Pro Tip: Secure a self storage unit to create more space in your home. Stow seasonal items in storage to make room for the car or repurpose the garage or basement as a workout room.
Now that you’ve gone through everything and thrown out what is no longer of use, go through everything again. Make sure you’re not keeping something that truly needs to go. How many spare refrigerators do you really need? Give it to a friend, sell it, or donate it to charity. More than likely you will never need or use that thing anyway.
Step Four –
Give the space a deep clean. Now repair any cracks in the floor or in the foundation. It may be a good idea to waterproof the walls and floor with an epoxy paint. Caulk windows any areas where the cold weather can get in with an insulating foam.
Step Five –
Organize your space. Group items by season and purpose so that you can easily find what you need
- Think vertically, add shelving to get things off the floor.
- Hang bicycles and kayaks from the ceiling to maximize space.
- Use a pegboard to organize hand tools such as hammers, pliers, wrenches and so on. .
- Repurpose garbage cans to store your garden tools and winter shovels.Use wall hooks
Decluttering any room can seem overwhelming, take your time. Decluttering your basement or garage doesn’t have to get done in a single weekend. Build in some flexibility so that you accomplish what you set out to do. Remember to break the project down into bite size chunks so that you don’t get too stressed out.
Need More Space: Think Self Storage
Montgomery Self Storage is a family run business. They are on the premises where your valuables are stored. They routinely look after your valuables and monitor the storage units with 24/7 security cameras.
Get Started Today! Call our friendly and professional staff at Montgomery NY Self Storage at (845) 457-6229.
About Montgomery Self Storage
Montgomery Self Storage is your local neighborhood mom and pop self storage center. Making people’s lives easier for 15 years.
Montgomery Self Storage offers indoor and outdoor units. Book a unit online or give us a call. All Units are cleaned and ready for storage.
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Montgomery Self Storage
9 Factory Street, Montgomery, NY 12549
Phone: (845) 457-6229
SelfStorageMontgomeryNY.com