If one of your goals for the new year is to get your garage organized, January is the perfect time to get started. Garages are for more than keeping your cars out of the sunlight; they hold some of our most important belongings.

The problem is, it is really easy for garages to become messy and unorganized. Here are some ideas to get you going:

Throw Some Stuff Away

Before you start organizing any part of your home, you should get rid of the things you aren’t using. Be realistic with yourself – you bought that bicycle four years ago and have never once been out for a ride, you can probably give it away.

Once you’ve donated, sold, or thrown out your unused belongings, then you can get started on the organizational process. 

Install Cabinets

Make the most of your wall space by installing cabinets on the bare walls of your garage. Large, floor-to-ceiling cabinets with shelving and cubbies will make it so much easier to store tools and to create organizational zones. Plus, even if the insides of your cabinets aren’t perfectly organized, the mess is out of sight!

If you want your garage to look good, not just feel good, you should opt for custom cabinets instead of box cabinets that may not fit your space. Custom cabinets also tend to be made from higher quality materials and will last longer.

Install Overhead Shelving

Most garages are taller than we need them to be, so take advantage of that extra space by installing overhead shelving. These shelves can store luggage or seasonal items that get stored in big, bulky storage bins and take up a ton of space. Don’t forget to label the outside of the storage bin, so you’re able to find them easily.

Showroom Style Flooring

Something that will help take your garage’s appearance to the next level is getting showroom-style flooring by finishing them with some sort of coating.   

Having your floors epoxied or painted will look great while also protecting the garage floor. This will make your garage floors easier to clean up if something spills and holds up to wear and tear from cars, dust, and foot traffic.

Create A Mudroom

If your garage is attached to the house, it’s a great place to create a mudroom. Add cubbies or lockers for storing all the sporting equipment, rain gear, and extra shoes so they don’t end up in a pile next to the door. Also include hooks to hang items and a place to sit when putting shoes on or removing them.

Work In Sections

Regardless of what is installed, your garage won’t stay organized if you don’t put in the time to ensure everything has a designated spot. It would help if you took the time to put all tools in one area and organize them in a way that makes sense to you.

Then you could find all of your gardening necessities and do the same, and so forth.

Once everything has a place of its own, you have to remember to put it back in that spot after each use. It’s a hard habit to get into, but once you have it down your life will be so much easier!