I mentioned in a previous post that we were undergoing a garage makeover thanks to a sponsored partnership with LiftMaster. I even went so far as to share some pictures of our pretty messy garage. I’m happy to report back that our garage is looking much better now thanks to a few adjustments we made. We learned a lot while making over our garage and I’m thrilled to be sharing some tips we are implementing to help keep our garage organized and tidy going forward. I’m loving using it as an additional photography space and want to make sure the mess doesn’t return and kick me back out!
Five Tips to Help Keep Your Garage Organized
Tip #1 – Get rid of things you aren’t using any more. We found that taking everything out of the garage helped with this task. It seemed much easier to say goodbye to some of those items we had been holding on to “just in case” when they were sitting in the driveway. Getting rid of some of the items that had been taking up space was a great first step.
Tip #2 – Make your garage a nicer place to spend time in. Honestly, we put off cleaning out the garage a number of times because it was “too hot” or “too cold”. It wasn’t a fun place to spend time. We fixed that by installing a garage door that was substantially more sturdy than our old one and does a better job of keeping the elements out. The old one was starting to rust and the bottom seal was mostly ripped off. Jay also insulated the walls and put up an attractive bead board. The garage is actually a pretty nice place to spend time now!
Tip #3 – Use vertical space on the walls to store things. We had quite a bit of floor space that was being taken up by stuff. We invested in shelving for the back wall for my garden and car supplies, hanging organizers for some larger items. We also installed large shelves that hang from the ceiling beams as well as hanging hooks for our bikes. (We installed them in the space that wasn’t over the cars.) We also added a modular system on the side wall that allows Josh easy access to his sports equipment. Everything is easy to get at and easy to put away when we are done using it. And we hardly used any floor space!
Tip #4 – After you’ve used the vertical space on the wall, keep looking up. We made the decision to not insulate and drywall the ceiling of the garage so that we can easily store things up there. Finishing the ceiling would add to the insulation and warmth of the garage, but at this time we feel we need the storage space more than the warmth. If you have available space in the rafters, make sure you are putting it to good use!
Tip #5 – Turn your garage into a space that will inspire you to keep it clean. Once our garage was clean and spruced up, I set about creating a little spot where I can take photos. As I mentioned in my last post, the light in our house can leave a bit to be desired and the garage receives a ton of natural light. With the gorgeous white bead board, it is the perfect place for product shots. I even did some late afternoon shots by bringing out my light kit.
Now that our garage is looking tip top, we want to make sure that it is also safe and secure. We have our new LiftMaster garage door opener to rely on for that. With its MyQ technology, we can check and see if the door is open or closed right on our smartphones. We can also see how long it has been up or down. We also have the ability to remotely control it via the app. The belt-driven opener is also super quiet and it doesn’t startle me when I’m in the garage and the door starts going up. With a built in battery backup, we know we can still operate the garage door even if the power goes out. Now, because this is Wisconsin, I’m not storing all of my photography equipment in the garage. It’s just too cold. But if I were, I’d be sure to have the LiftMaster Automatic Garage Door Lock installed as well to keep all of my items safe and secure! (It’s a deadbolt lock that makes your garage door virtually impenetrable. It fully integrates with the opener without any extra steps and you can check on it with the app to make sure your garage is safely locked up.)
If you could use your garage for something in addition to parking your cars, what would you use it for? I’d love to hear your ideas!
Maybe your garage is already perfectly organized and it’s your home office organization that needs help – we’ve got you covered!!
Leave a Reply