Twenty percent of homeowners with a garage cannot park their cars in it. I’m one of those 20%. My garage has become a storage unit. I’ve decided that I want to clean it out so that I can make it a useful organized space. I want to either use the items that are stored there or get rid of them. So first, I need to see exactly what is in there. Here are a few of the things I found and what I plan to do with them:

  • Old paint

As for old paint, it’s always a good idea to keep the last bit of paint for touch ups, but what I found was paint that I didn’t recognize. I probably used it for something that I have since painted again. So, my plan of course is to toss out any old colors. I can’t use it for touch-ups and even if it is a pretty color that I might want to use again, paint is not that expensive, I can buy more. Also, if a paint can top is bulging that means the paint has gone bad and is not usable. So away it goes.

  • Construction-related materials such as wood trim pieces, nails & screws and more

I like to do DIY projects and tend to keep the left-over materials. However, I can never remember what items I have stacked in the corner of the garage. So even if I could use them, I probably won’t. I will inevitably run to the hardware store and buy another piece of trim, or a 2×4, or whatever I need. So, my plan is to get rid of the items that take up the most space. Small items, like screws, nails and picture hangers, I will get a container made for storing small items.

  • Cabinet full of photos, albums and scrap books

It’s crazy how many really bad photos and unimportant pieces of paper I have kept. My plan is to look through my photos and trash the terrible ones. Then review any other item and get rid of it if it doesn’t make me smile or hold some significance. If it reminds me of a special time or a good story, I will keep it. I also think about whether my children or grandchildren will want to have them. For some items, the answer is yes. For most, a big fat no. The no’s will have to be dumped. The yes’s I’ll keep and then think about digitizing them.

If I digitize my photos and my memorabilia, it will be easy to randomly send them to family members and friends who will enjoy them. Or, I can make a photo book or two to give to people as a reminder of a special time. If I toss the hard copies of scanned photos, I will make sure to save the digital ones in two different places for safe keeping. But whatever I do, my plan is to enjoy them and show them, not hide them away again in the garage.

  • Old hobby items

I have found garden tools and lawn chemicals that I haven’t used in years; fabric I bought because I liked it – I was going to make pillows, and books that I have either already read or never will. These are all items that can be donated so that someone else might enjoy them. Or maybe this is just the time to make those pillows. My plan is to decide. Do I really want those pillows? Is the fabric still good? If yes, I am going to plan a weekend to make the pillows.

In Review

I could go on and on about things that are in my garage that shouldn’t be there. My plan is either use them, or get rid of them. That way, I can turn my garage into a space that is clean and neat, a space that I can use for my car. The icing on the cake would be to then install a beautiful epoxy garage floor, and some useful cabinets or shelves to store the items I really do want to keep. This would be an excellent time to contact Best In Show Garage. They will come out to your house and show you samples of cabinet and flooring colors. They will also help you decide what storage option would work best to organize the items you plan to keep. Contact Best In Show Garage today to schedule your complimentary consultation.