Get your space back with these garage organization ideas!

Most people don't really have their car parked inside the garage, or if they do, there's barely little wiggle room left. The reason? There's too much stuff in it! Leaving your car out makes it vulnerable to sun damage, rain water damage and exposure to bird droppings and tree sap. So it looks like there's no arguing that your car will be much safer when it's stored inside the garage. Let us help you out with that. Get back your garage space with these garage organization ideas! Your car will thank you for this.

Getting Started: Clean it all out

It might look like quite a tall order to get started with the hardest part, but everything has to start somewhere right? The key here is to be organized, decisive and rational.

• Set aside at least a full day, or even a full weekend or two, to get the job done.

• Go through absolutely everything. Empty every box and bins that you have stored away.

• Sort all items into three piles: keep, donate or sell, and toss.

The nitty gritty

• What should you throw out? Let go off outgrown toys, items that are broken beyond repair, expired household chemicals, old paint, and anything you haven't used in two years or more.

• For the items that you will keep, sort them even further. They could be sports equipment, power tools, painting supply, etc. Store them in stackable clear-plastic bins for better visibility and storage. If you have kids at home, it would be best to store power tools and other sharp or blunt tools in a sturdy, lockable cabinet where they can't reach for it.

• Donate or sell the remaining items as soon as possible. You can hold a garage sale or have goodwill pick up the items for donation.

Re-check the keepers

Make sure that you check for these items in those that you will be keeping. While most people have always these in their own garages too, it's highly recommended that you store them somewhere else.

•Paint - It's best to store paint in a more temperate area. Note that  extreme cold or heat can ruin paint.

•Propane - To keep.your household safe, propane tanks should always be kept outdoors. Remember that even tiny spark can cause propane to ignite and cause a fire, or worse, an explosion.

•Paper plates and paper cups - These and similar paper goods should be kept in your pantry as they are more likely to attract roaches and other bugs in your garage.

•Pet Food - Pet food should always be kept inside the house in a sealed container. Leaving them out will attract possums, raccoons or other animals.

Measure your garage

Take note of the following items before buying anything that you will use to store the items in your garage:

•The dimensions of your whole garage

•Size and location of windows, doors, switches and receptacles

•How much space your car takes up

Finally: Grouping them back together

•Store gardening items that you use together close to one another so they're easy to find when you need them, i.e. gardening tools, lawn chemicals and fertilizer

•Put bulky equipment, like lawn mowers, in corners, where they won't get bumped or knocked over by your car.

•Frequently used items, like bikes,  should be placed close to the garage door. This is so you don't run the risk of accidentally damaging your car when getting these items out.

•Rarely used items or those that you only use a few months in a year should be kept in the hard-to-reach spots in your  garage so you don't waste other available spaces.

Bonus Tip!

To maximize the floor space in your garage, see to it that items are kept off the floor whenever possible. This avoids clutter build-up and ultimately results in having less and less need for  tidying up.

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