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April
4
4
Homeowners: How Functional Is Your Garage?
Garage spaces are essential parts of Rockford homes as homeowners desire a space that can serve other functions like storage. Over time, garages quickly get cluttered with rarely used items, lawn equipment, outgrown toys and clothes, and broken appliances. This pile-up only takes away prime real estate that you could use for other practical items. Luckily, our real estate agents have some handy tips for organizing your garage in honor of Get Organized Day on April 26.
- Create a Plan
The first step is to envision how you intend to use the garage to support your family's lifestyle. Will you use the space for your cars or for bicycles, lawn equipment, and tools? Then, consider the garage's measurements and note the size and position of windows, doors, and switches.
The floor plan will help you designate areas for different items. For example, you can place bicycles and toys near the door, bulky items in corners to keep people or cars from bumping into them, and items you use together like gardening tools in one spot. Lastly, keep rarely-used stuff or seasonal things like winter boots in the hardest-to-access spots. - Install Built-In Cabinets
Built-in cabinets are excellent additions to both small and large garages. However, use cabinets sparingly as you may be tempted to hide all your clutter. Cabinets are great for storing stuff that needs protection from dust, dirt, and other pollutants. Another tip is to organize the cabinets with labeled bins for pool toys and games. - Add Wire Shelving
Wire shelves are great alternatives to cabinets as they're easy to put together. You drastically increase your garage's vertical space once you put a few wire shelves against a wall. Keep small hand tools, sporting gear, and gardening supplies on the shelves with hazardous chemicals at the top to prevent easy access for kids and pets. - Install Pegboard Systems
Pegboards are widely available and simple to install, and you can even customize the look by painting your color of choice. These systems are ideal for hanging garage equipment like drills, wrenches, and hand tools.
Pegboards come with several complementary accessories, such as shelf assemblies, hooks, brackets, storage bins, and rails to help you get organized. Metal pegboards are suitable if you have a lot of tools, but check the weight limit of different boards before you buy one. - Fix Wall-Mounted Racks
Heavy-duty racks mounted on the wall will hold bulky items like bicycles, skis, rakes, strollers, and shovels. The key to successful garage organization is to keep everything off the floor, which is why mounted racks are invaluable. - Utilize Overhead Space
The garage ceiling is premium real estate for long, flat items you don't use daily. A ceiling-mounted rack can hold ladders, seasonal decorations, sports gear, and camping equipment. However, ensure that the shelves you fix in the ceiling leave enough clearance for your car and don't interfere with your garage doors. - Store Sporting Gear in Vertical Bins and Storage Baskets
Soccer balls, basketballs, tennis rackets, and other sporting gear left on the garage floor make the room cluttered. Keep the balls in hanging nets and racks and other sports equipment in storage baskets hooked onto garage walls. In this way, your kids can quickly pick what they need when leaving for games. - Label Extensively
Your organization system will be inefficient if people can't quickly find specific items. If you have several bins and containers, use brief but specific details to locate tools quickly. Bold black lettering on white labels works exceptionally well, as do pictures and silhouettes.
Taking the time to organize your garage is worth the convenience as you enhance your garage's functionality. If you are looking into Rockford homes for sale with spacious garages, contact us to explore our excellent options.