Garage Makeover: Your Car Needs a Home

Does your garage have a car in it? If you answered no, you are like most Americans who suffer from a lack of storage space. At one point or another you innocently stored one box of old clothing or bowling trophies in your garage and eventually this became a habit.

Holiday decorations, unwanted gifts that couldn't just be thrown out, unused furniture, that treadmill which you swear you'll dust off next month—they're all taking up space in your garage where your car should be parked. In fact, that place might be so packed that you've even resorted to using the trunk of your car as a new storage area.


Your car needs a home, protection from the elements, and someplace safe where it can hide away from thieves. You need to sort through the mess and organize your belongings. So how do you get started? The simplest way to start organization is in small, manageable steps so you don't feel overwhelmed and give up before you even begin. Start with one box or two boxes or areas of the place a day, or even a week. Sort through them carefully and discard anything that you forgot you owned (you will be surprised by what you find), or haven't needed to use in over a year.

Sentimental objects may be kept, but only if they are truly of value to you. If you find something that is broken, outdated, or just plain useless, don't be afraid to throw it in the garbage if it really is of no worth, or donate it to a worthy charity. You can then use this as a tax write-off later.



What you do keep should then be sorted out carefully. You'll want to buy some sturdy boxes, preferably clear plastic with tight lids so you can easily see inside if necessary and so that the contents will be well-protected from the elements. Label the box clearly and pack carefully. You may even decide to choose a more concrete goal to further motivate your organizational efforts, such as pairing down your belongings to a certain number of boxes or to fit a certain area.

Once everything has been organized, labeled, and boxed up, you should then store and place it carefully within your space. Your car should have priority while storage is a secondary function, so look into building shelving if you have none or moving the items to an attic, basement, or unused closet.

 Ideally, your garage should have enough space for not only the car, but so all doors can easily be accessed and opened once it is parked inside (assuming that it is of a standard size) and so that you have enough room to work on it in the case of minor repairs and maintenance issues such as oil changes or fixing a flat tire. Once your garage is clean and organized you'll no longer fear opening the door and your car will be better off for it.