How to Reclaim Your Garage in a Weekend Using Self Storage

Garages fill up quickly. Things get put there with the intention of sorting them out later. Months or even years go by, and they're still there. As everything piles up, it becomes harder to use the space for anything else. Sometimes there's not even room for your car.

Clearing out and organizing a garage doesn't mean getting rid of things you might still need. With a simple plan and a flexible month-to-month storage unit to hold the overflow, you can reclaim your space in just a weekend.

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Step 1 - Pull the Band Aid Off and Get Everything Out 

Emptying the garage starts with, well, emptying it. With a stressful pile of stuff the temptation is often to pick away clearing pieces here and there and then justify to yourself you did something. To clear a garage in a weekend, the first step is to get everything out so you can organize it. 

Clear a space in the yard or elsewhere in the house and then put things into piles, such as:

• Keep
• Store
• Donate or sell
• Trash

Once everything is sorted into piles, throw the trash out and set the donations or sell pile aside for the moment.

Step 2 - Choose What Needs to Go Into Storage 

Now, take a look at the things you want to keep or store. One good way to identify what might be best going to storage is items you need seasonally, for projects or for trips away.

Holiday decorations, camping equipment, winter sports gear, gardening or mechanics tools are all good candidates to be banished to self storage for retrieval when needed. Do you really need the plastic Christmas tree in the garage all year round? Or the fishing trip gear that rarely gets used?

A 5x10 storage unit could fit foldable outdoor furniture during winter months, for example. It could also hold seasonal yard-work gear such as snow blowers, leaf blowers and wheelbarrows. 

What kind of size storage unit do you need? Well, a 5x10 storage unit would suit most family home garages. If you have a larger multi-car garage then a 10x10 storage unit will definitely have enough space. 

For context a 10x10 is often enough to fit a one bedroom apartment's worth of stuff, so unless you have a huge garage then you should be fine. It could easily hold several motorbikes or bicycles, gardening equipment and even things like workbenches. 

Step 3 - Choose a Good Self Storage Location 

Finding something relatively nearby to you is a start, so that you can complete the job in a weekend. It also ensures easy access if you miss something, or decide you actually did need to keep that one thing.

Climate controlled storage units are also an option, and this could be non-negotiable if you have valuable items that are sensitive to temperature that need storing. These units are good for collectibles, documents, artworks and things made out of wood, as they are kept at a constant year-round temperature and humidity. 

Other aspects to a top provider of self storage units for garage organization include 24/7 drive up access, so you can always get something relatively quickly if you do need it, and high tech video surveillance and security so you can be assured your stuff is safe. Online or telephone sign ups will be able to provide a lock code so you can start using your unit on the same day. 

Step 4 - Reset and Organize What's Left 

Once you've taken the items away for storage, which could be done in the same trip as taking donations, it's time to clean the space. 

Sweep the floors, dust it all down and get it clean enough to your standards. Then you can rearrange where everything goes to fit the newly functional space. 

Wall hooks, shelving and labeled containers for things are some ways to keep everything tidy and stop mess building up again. 

One cool tip is to hack your instincts. If you find yourself naturally putting things somewhere that isn't tidy, such as on a worktop or on top of something else, put a storage container there instead. 

Then stack any remaining boxes that do see regular enough use to justify staying here and not in storage. Just ensure to put them somewhere that leaves clear space for walking and parking. 

The goal of the reorganization is not to have a spotless, minimalist techno garage of the future - but to have a space that is usable for its purpose and where everything you regularly need is accessible. 

If you found a great self storage unit with flexible terms, you'll easily be able to go back at a later date and assess what is there. Hopefully with a clearer garage (and mindset) after a productive weekend. All that's left is to enjoy your freshly cleared garage space.