If you have a garage, and you’re not using all the space to park your vehicles, then you have a natural spot to store your additional items. But using a garage as a storage area does require some thought, planning and effort to keep that once open space from becoming a cluttered mess, or in some cases a safety hazard. Here are some tips to consider if you’re going to use a garage for storage.
Some organizational professionals estimate that vehicles only take up about 30 percent of the space in a garage, meaning there’s typically going to be a lot of available room for other items.
Before you start moving items into the garage, make sure it’s clean. Give it a day, or two, or even a weekend to ensure the job is done right. Once something is stored away it’s likely going to be there for a long time, so if something is important to you make sure it’s accessible when needed.
Before you start storing items decide what you want to use, what you want to keep and what you ultimately want to give away. If some things can be disposed of in a garage sale, or donated to charity, then set them aside beforehand. Children’s items they’ve outgrown, sporting goods you no longer use, or clothing you no longer want are ideal fodder for removal.
For safety reasons some items should not be kept in storage. For instance paint, propane, solvents, pet food that can attract vermin, gasoline and operating but empty appliances should not be kept in storage. Side note: powered refrigerators are a huge energy drain, especially in a non-heated garage. Once you’ve done your groundwork start moving in your storage boxes and containers.
