Goodbye Garage Clutter

Without fail, every fall my wife and I have to clear out some summer garage clutter to make room for winter parking. Though we don’t realize it, the garage can almost become a dumping ground over the warm months and soon enough it’s clean up time. If you’re like us, it’s almost time to schedule a day to get your garage organized. But, when the task seems so big, it can be hard to know where to begin.

First, make a plan for how you want to organize your garage. Create sections that represent various seasons and/or supplies. For example, one section could be for decorations, another for outdoor games, bikes, scooters etc.

Second, go through all of the items in your garage to determine what is garbage, what can be donated, sold or recycled, and what you will keep. You may have items that haven’t been used for years and it’s time to move these out. It could be helpful to pull items down from shelves and lay them out on the floor so that you can clearly see what’s worth saving and what’s worth selling.

Third, increase your space by buying shelving and/or storage bins. Check out storage sale items at Canadian Tire, Co-Op or Costco. You can also post in an online buy n’ sell page that you’re looking for specific storage items. If your budget is tight, you could also consider free moving boxes instead of storage bins. You may choose to store some seasonal items such as camping equipment in a trailer, basement storage room or under your deck. You can also search for hooks to hang shovels, rakes, ladders etc. Bungee cords can also be a great tool to hold certain items together. Be sure that all storage bins and/or shelves are labelled to make it easy for family members to find what they need and put objects back in the right places.

Fourth, communicate to your family how you’ve organized the garage and your expectation for it to remain that way. They’ll know how to find certain items easier and they’ll also be held more accountable to return the items back to their proper space. Whether or not they do so could be up for question. It could also be beneficial to do a monthly tidy before things become too cluttered again.

Decluttering your garage is especially valuable to do if you’re considering selling your home this fall or winter. If you’re like many who’ve noticed all of the sold signs in your area and are wondering if now could be a good time to move, feel free to contact us today. We’d be happy to meet with you, get a better understanding of your goals and give you our honest feedback about what options are right for you.

Jason Rustand with RE/MAX Real Estate serves with the highest level of integrity and excellence every time. For more info on this topic or others related to real estate contact LIKE our Jason Rustand Team Facebook page, call Jason direct at 780.919-0004, email jrteam@shaw.ca or visit WeSellLeduc.com