How to Organize Your Garage to Maximize Space

If you intend on using your garage for its number one purpose – as an enclosed place to park your car – then you will want to take full advantage of wall space for storage. Cabinets are ideal for helping you get and stay organized, especially when paired with a wall panel system to maximize space and store a variety of accessories. There are specially designed hooks to hang everything from sports equipment to shovels and rakes, all of which will make organizing your garage a breeze.

Another great tip is to take a cue from the kitchen and utilize magnetic knife strips in your garage. Easily attached to the wall, they can securely store commonly used tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches at your fingertips. In fact, almost anything made of metal will stick to these magnetic strips, including soup cans or canned vegetable tins. You can quickly upcycle these into handy-dandy storage containers. Simply remove the labels, thoroughly wash them out, and then fill them with anything from pencils to paintbrushes; they’re even the ideal size to hold small arts and crafts materials.

Speaking of paint, a hanging shoe organizer with pockets is the perfect place to organize and store spray paint cans. The cans will fit nicely in the pockets with the colored lids peeking out so you can quickly find the shade you need. Gardening gurus may also want to seize this storage solution idea. You can commandeer the pockets to stash seed packets and gardening hand tools, as well as gardening gloves, sun hats, sunscreen, and other necessities.

While there are certainly plenty of products designed specifically to hold and hang items in your garage, you can also get creative when it comes to finding storage solutions. A vinyl-coated utility hook can be used to hang bicycles from the wall or even the ceiling (if you’re tall enough to reach up that high). Utility hooks can also be used to hang lawn chairs and beach chairs, freeing up precious floor space in your garage. 



Another clever idea suggested by the experts at HGTV is to use short lengths of chain attached to simple coat hooks to organize your extension cords. This will keep your cords from getting tangled and will save you time searching through storage boxes and bins the next time you need one. This same set-up could also be used to hang garden hoses or even jumper cables for your car.

When it comes to maximizing the storage space in your garage, many people forget about the ceiling. The truth is, there is plenty of precious space available above your head. A garage ceiling rack can be a costly investment, but a handy DIYer can easily create one of their own. HGTV spells out exactly how you can build your own ceiling storage system in just five simple steps using only a few 2x4’s and some screws. This hack is the perfect place to store plastic bins with seasonal items such as holiday decorations or pool toys.

Another cool tip from HGTV is to install a fishing rod holder above your garage door. Your rods and reels will be within easy reach when the garage door is down, yet out of the way when they are not in use.

Plastic storage bins are an organizer’s best friend. This holds true both inside your house and in your garage. Since you are probably storing bigger and bulkier items in the garage, look for bins that are super sturdy and can be stacked to maximize storage space. The Family Handyman recommends you take this one step further and build a garage storage tower. This will allow you to store up to five big bins in one place – and ensure each one is easy to access. Here’s another helpful hint, consider color coordinating your storage bins so that all sports equipment is in one colored bin while seasonal décor may be in another. If you want to be uber-organized, be sure to label your bins so you know exactly what is inside each one.

Sports equipment, especially balls, can be the bane of anyone trying to organize a garage. The Family Handyman suggests building a ball corral using plywood, a couple of 2x2’s, and some bungee cords, but an even simpler solution is to hang up a mesh storage bag or pop-up laundry hamper. This way your kids will have easy access at playtime and, more importantly, when it’s time to clean up.

Organization is the name of the game when you’re trying to maximize space in your garage. That goes for big and small items. A great way to organize tiny items such as nails, screws, nuts and bolts, is to repurpose common kitchen items. Baby food, or other small jars like those used for salsa, are the perfect size to store these items. Just wash out the jars and then you’re ready to reuse them. Here’s a great hack to keep them handy yet out of the way – attach magnets to the underside of a garage cabinet and you can hang the jars from their metal lids. This is the same way some people store spice jars in their kitchen pantries.

Old coffee cans can be repurposed to hold rope, twine, or string.  Cut a small slit in the plastic lid and run one end through it while keeping the rest stored securely inside the can. This will let you access only the amount you need without the twine unraveling and creating a mess.

Buckets make excellent storage solutions – and they’re cute too. A child’s pail can store playtime items such as sidewalk chalk or bubbles. Buckets can also be used to store cleaning supplies. For instance, you might want to consider keeping all of your car washing supplies in a plastic feed bucket. As an added bonus, its flat-back allows it to hang flush against the wall.

Storing large cleaning tools is never easy as they tend to topple over. Sure, you can purchase one of those broom and mop holders from the hardware store, but they can be expensive and sometimes stuff still slips out and falls down. Instead, use the cardboard tubes used during construction to form concrete footings. Not only are they a low-cost solution, but they can also be cut to any size you need. Family Handyman points out that the taller ones are ideal for holding brooms and mops upright, as well as storing gardening tools such as rakes and shovels. Shorter-sized tubes can be used to hold sports equipment such as hockey sticks, baseball bats, or even pool noodles.

Like any room in your house, your garage is prone to clutter. The trick to keeping it organized is to maximize your wall and ceiling space. In addition to traditional solutions such as storage cabinets, there are plenty of clever and crafty ideas that will let you keep everything from tools and sports equipment to cleaning supplies and seasonal décor safely stored away and easily accessible.

• https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/clean-and-organize/15-garage-storage-and-organization-ideas-pictures
• https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/clean-and-organize/how-to-install-ceiling-storage-in-a-garage
• https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/garage-storage-tower/
• https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/brilliant-ways-to-organize-your-garage/