It is a natural human tendency to fill the space we have. As time goes on, “stuff” we have can start to accumulate... and sometimes it can be really hard to get rid of things. Unfortunately, most of these extra items we end up storing end up in the garage. Over time things start to pile up and you start to ask yourself, “How can I fit everything in my garage? Will I ever have a garage that is big enough?”

Unless you move to a home with a bigger garage, or decide to do an add-on through remodeling, the physical size of your garage will stay the same. In order to store everything efficiently, you will have to “create more space” within the limits of your own walls.

The first step in creating more space is getting rid of all the clutter and unnecessary items. Every item in your garage should have a purpose. If you don’t use it, or plan on using it any time soon, then it might be time to say goodbye. By not having to store unused items you can significantly reduce the clutter in your garage and therefore allow more space for the things you really need and use.

After decluttering, your garage will most likely still feel unorganized and small. So, let’s talk about how to make your garage feel bigger.

A major factor that contributes to the available room in your garage is the walking space. If you are parking your car in the garage, you need to have enough room on either side to open the door and get in. If you have an extra fridge/freezer, you need to have enough room to walk around it and grab something out. It would even be ideal if you could walk your bike out to ride without carrying it over the multitude of boxes that permanently live on the floor.

The best way to create more walking space in the garage (and make it feel bigger and more organized) is by implementing a vertical storage system. You need to start using wall space and ceiling space that often goes unnoticed.

Vertical storage means that you are optimizing your wall and ceiling space through garage shelves, cabinets, or racks. This triples the size of your available space and, as long as items are contained within these systems, frees up your walking space and makes your garage feel bigger. When things are up and off of the floor, you make a huge step towards garage efficiency and creating more space.

The most critical part of an organized garage, though, is the upkeep. Take 15 minutes once a week to tidy up the garage to make sure you are putting things back where they should be. It’s easy to overlook this with your busy life but will make everything work more effectively if you do so. It will also prevent the junk from piling up again.

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