Get a Grip on Your Garage!

The vehicle itself along with all of its maintenance and care products is a primary concern, but this area usually also serves as a bulk storage area for lawn and recreational equipment, tools, and other household items too.

Some even incorporate a laundry and/or vacuum area to service the property, and perhaps even a workshop area for do-it-yourself types.

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With all of these responsibilities, its obvious how this area can sometimes get cluttered and disorganized, minimizing your floor space and mobility, as well as reduce the amount of usable storage area.

If this sounds like you, here are a few tips to help you get a grip on your garage.

Not only do storage cabinets look good storing items behind closed doors, unlike shelving, they don't need a lot of floor space when you affix them at shoulder height on your garage walls. Storage cabinets also make organizing easier by letting you assign individual cabinets to one type of product.

Another idea for homeowners who need to store large items is simply buying sheets of 4'x 8' plywood and placing them flat on top of the rafter beams going across the ceiling of your garage.

This creates a stable platform for keeping large items that you don't need on a frequent basis, such as storing patio furniture for the winter.

Anyone can do this project, since no tools are even necessary to rest the plywood on the beams. Just be sure that there is ample support and there is no possibility of slippage or of items coming loose and rolling off your platform.

Create your own personalized garage storage system.

To improve accessibility for frequently used items, a variety of wall hooks, hangers, and holding brackets can be installed simply with a screwdriver. Some hooks have plastic coatings to protect delicate finishes (like your bike!).

Remember to place hangers for thinner tools such as brooms and rakes lower on the wall to maximize space and bulkier tools at shoulder height.

If your hands-on skills surpass a simple screwdriver, most home-improvement suppliers carry peg board, which is a wall treatment that is filled with small holes over its entire surface. This is the same universal backing board many retail stores use to hang display products.

Small hooks can be looped through any of the pegboard holes, so you can adapt the area and position where items are stored in seconds. This wall treatment is ideal space for organizing a large amount of tools in easy reach.

A Workbench or Table

If you already have a workbench or table, here's another space-saving tip. Attach a second table top to the table legs a short distance below the first top. This doubles the surface area of any table and serves as a great surface to rest your tools while you work on your project on the main workbench.

For more ideas on how to maximize your home's efficiency, and improve your home's resale value, talk to a real estate professional.