Helpful Tips on End-of-the-Year Garage Organizing

We don’t know about you, but the end of the year seems to bring a lot of change around here. Living space is rearranged to accommodate guests and parties, and children’s toys and clothes seem to multiply… It seems like you need yet another new storage bin to take in what you’ve acquired over the past month or two. So, how do you deal with it all, beyond the usual, “I dunno… Just throw it in the garage!”? 

Well, luckily for you, organizing is kind of our thing here at Hello Garage. And we’ve put our minds together and identified some of our most helpful tips for organizing your garage storage. 

1. Size Up Your Storage With a Plan 

Storage is essential, but so is identifying how much space you have and how much weight each shelf or cabinet can hold. This will help you as you build your storage blueprint. The first question is typically, “Do I want to be able to see my stuff?” That will tell you whether you want open shelves or enclosed cabinets. Do you like seeing everything you have at a glance? Open shelving might be for you. Garage shelving offers the ability to have your items out where you can find them easily without having to dig through drawers or cabinets. But, sometimes, you just want to keep things hidden behind closed doors. Garage cabinets can be your solution to get everything out of sight.  

Regardless of which option you choose, it should be sturdy — like way sturdier than you’d think you’d need. Hello Garage shelves and cabinets hold up to 300 lbs. per shelf, evenly distributed (max. 800 lbs. per 4 ft. section).  

You might consider a workbench, too. Even if you’re not a hobbyist, having a place where you can repair a lamp or fix a broken pot, with all your tools within easy reach, is a luxury that you didn’t know you couldn’t live without. 

2. Storage Bins

Storage bins are a bit of a double-edged sword. They can work for you, but they can also work against you. That’s because they require some discipline to use properly over time. Without some thought put into what goes where, storage bins can end up like garbage tubs filled with random piles of your stuff.  

Hello Garage Shelving can handle up to 300 lbs on each shelf.

So, the first thing you should do is choose your bins. Ideally, you should purchase them at the same time so that they are the same and look neat and organized. It’s also helpful if you buy bins that you know will be available in the future so that you can add more as the need arises.  

Once you’ve got your bins, figure out what goes in which. How you organize is up to you, of course, but try to consider grouping things that are alike and putting them in the same bin. Or perhaps you can group items by season. Whichever method you choose, once you’ve decided what the bins will hold, you must label them. We cannot stress this enough. And this goes double if your bins aren’t see-through.  

Now, let’s talk bin placement. Try to place the bins with things you’ll use frequently lower down and things you’ll rarely use up high. Baby clothes, for instance, may not be needed for several years, so that they can go in a bin on a high shelf. Holiday décor seems like it should go higher up, but holidays are a regular occurrence (at least compared to the birth of a niece or nephew), which means it’s pretty helpful to have your holiday decorations closer at hand. And since you chose sturdy shelves (see Step 1), you know they’ll be able to handle whatever you fill your bins with.  

3. Organize by Holiday or Season

We touched on this idea earlier, but this can really be a helpful method of gathering your stuff together for future use. Think about it; you typically do your seasonal decorating in one day or weekend. For instance, having all your pinecones, gourds and raffia in the same spot makes it easier to get your autumn decorating done quickly and without fuss. The same goes for other holidays. 

Consider rotating your seasonal/holiday bins as you progress through the year rather than simply adding more. Eventually, you’ll have an efficient system in place, and you’ll be kicking back with the eggnog while your neighbors are still frantically hunting for the tinsel and lights. 

One other note: consider investing in a few specialized storage items such as a wreath bag, ornament containers or purpose-built gift wrap storage. And that workbench mentioned above? Well, it comes in pretty handy as a gift-wrapping station. 

4. Consider Some Vertical Wall Storage, Like Slatwall

You might think vertical wall storage is something you’ll only find displaying the latest sneakers and hats in retail stores, but it’s come home in a big way — especially to garages. That’s because it offers almost unlimited customization options that can turn an entire garage wall into a tailored storage solution. And if you’ve got long or oddly shaped tools and other items (who doesn’t!), accessories make storing them an absolute breeze. Professionally installed Hello Garage slatwall is strong enough to hold even large items like bikes and heavy garden tools. And trust us, once you get these large items off the garage floor and onto your wall, you won’t believe how much space your garage has to offer! 

Slatwall helps you get your oddly-shaped storage off the floor and is customizable to fit all of your needs.

We get it; the prospect of organizing your garage can be daunting at first. But by simply putting together a plan and making use of some well-designed storage options and accessories, you’ll find that it’s not only much easier than you thought — but it’s also something you’ll wish you’d done years ago. And if you have questions about shelves, cabinets or other storage options, call the folks at Hello Garage. They absolutely live for this stuff, and there’s never any cost or obligation for a chat. 

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s start the new year off organized!