Make time this spring to clear out and organize your garage. Items will be easier to find, you’ll gain more space for your car, and best of all, you’ll be getting rid of things you don’t want or need anymore.
That said, we know that for many homeowners this can feel daunting, especially if you’ve accumulated a lot of items over the years. This is why we produced an easy-to-follow, 6-step checklist for you.
Step 1: Establish a Plan
- Before you even open your garage, determine how you will get rid of items: donate, sell online/garage sale, trash (at home, or take to the municipal dump). Also, you’ll want to identify the criteria for each category.
- Recruit family or friends to lend a hand depending on how much work is involved.
- Schedule a pick-up for the materials you’ll be trashing with a professional company or rent a dumpster/truck. If you decide to hire a hauling service, check out reviews on platforms, such as Nextdoor or Google, to find a quality team.
- Purchase storage containers/shelving and labeling supplies that work with your space. After all, the end goal is a garage that’s neatly arranged and lets you find what you’re looking for quickly.
Step 2: Empty the Garage
This step is pretty self-explanatory. Empty the garage so that you see what is in there and take an inventory of all items.
Step 3: Sort Your Stuff
Once everything is outside, sort things into four piles:
- Keep
- Trash
- Donate
- Sell
Step 4: Deep Clean Your Garage
Take advantage of an empty garage by cleaning floors, walls, and overhead spaces. If needed, you can repaint or repair areas. Lastly, use this time to check and service your garage door equipment, including the opener, sensors, springs, and light bulbs.
Step 5: Store Items That You’re Keeping
With the items you’re holding onto, it’s time to place them back in the garage.
- Label their storage containers according to the contents.
- Place containers in a way that makes them accessible and near other related items. For example, keep all holiday decorations in the same section of your garage.
- Install things like pegboards or shelves that help keep items organized.
Step 6: Make Arrangements for Donation Pick-Ups/Drop-Offs, Selling, and Trash Hauling
For the remaining items, you’ll need to:
- Schedule appointments to get the items you’ll be donating out of your house.
- Set-up online listings on online marketplaces for items you’ll be selling.
- Work with a professional junk removal service or do it yourself to remove objects that are damaged or unusable.
