The next time you’re in your garage, take a look around. If you’re like many people, you might have enough stuff in there to justify an appearance on a TV show about hoarders. That’s OK. Remember: The first step to solving a problem is acknowledging you have one. So, let’s start there.
What follows is a Q&A with Aaron Cash, president of franchise systems for Garage Living, who has helped thousands of homeowners transform their garages from disorganized and overstuffed to clean and tidy. During this conversation, Cash identifies signs that you need to declutter your garage and the importance of doing so.
Q: It’s spring cleaning time right now, and the idea of organizing a garage feels a little overwhelming. Why is it so hard for us to tidy up that space?
A: Because there’s usually so much random stuff in there! It’s intimidating. A lot of people treat their garages like a junk drawer. It’s a place where you put stuff you don’t know what to do with until one day, you look around and you say, “Where do I put all this stuff?”
The reality is the garage is your home’s primary point of entry. It’s your welcome mat. If it’s not pulled together, then your whole home starts to feel untidy. And there’s a bunch of research that says when we declutter our homes, it actually improves our mental health.
Q: What’s the biggest problem you see in people’s garages?
A: A lack of storage space. It’s a recurring theme for homeowners. They don’t have anywhere to put all their stuff, so it just piles up to the point where you can’t even park your car in the garage. That’s actually the first telltale sign that your garage can’t handle your storage requirements — that it becomes so full that the driveway becomes a permanent home for your vehicles. Another sign is that whatever indoor parking space may be available is a tight squeeze to get into.
Q: What else is a sign that my garage space is in trouble?
A: If you can’t find things easily in your garage, or you find yourself buying a replacement simply because you can’t remember where you put the original, that’s a sign. It’s a combination of poor organization and a lack of garage storage space. As each year passes and the state of the garage goes from bad to worse, addressing the situation becomes increasingly daunting.
Good garage cabinetry is easier to keep organized and improves the overall functionality of the space.
A: By creating a home for everything and keeping like items together, you’ll be more inclined to put things back in their proper home. That eliminates the frustration of searching through the entire garage for that certain small tool, as well as wasting your money on purchases to replace any lost items.
Q: What else can you do to better organize things?
A: Adding more off-the-floor storage systems is a great start. Garage slatwall and overhead racks will help turn the space from dysfunctional to functional. Plus, you’ll get to see your garage floor maybe for the first time in years!
Q: What are some of the things you usually see lying on people’s garage floors before you tidy them up?
A: All sorts of things: yard tools, balls, power cords, unwound hoses. They’re all major tripping hazards. Leaning items like bikes and ladders against the wall isn’t much safer. Then there’s the combustible items that are left on the floor, like a gas can and gas-powered yard equipment that isn’t safe, either.
Q: If you’re out of space in your garage, why not just rent a storage unit and put your stuff in there?
A: You could do that, I guess, but there are a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t. First, there’s the expense of ongoing monthly rental fees and the inconvenience of having to drive somewhere to pick up or drop off your belongings. Second, renting a storage unit doesn’t really address the core issue of holding on to too much stuff.
In most cases, a person or family should be able to store everything they own under their own roof. Relying on a storage warehouse for extra storage usually means two things: You own more than you need, and your home storage space could be used more effectively.
If organizing your garage sounds like a good investment, Garage Living offers free garage design consultations to get your spring cleaning off to a strong start. Visit GarageLiving.com to learn more.
The news and editorial staffs of the Orlando Sentinel had no role in this post’s preparation.
