Whether you want to store your lawn and garden equipment, sports equipment or your car, these tips will help you get your garage and/or garden shed in tip top shape!

Tip One You most likely have a lot of stuff that is trash or not worth keeping. Therefore, before you begin, I suggest rounding up lots of bags for trash and boxes for things you want to keep while going through the next step (Sorting).

Tip Two Sorting is (unfortunately) a part of any organizing project. Take time and don’t rush through this step just because you may not find it enjoyable. The good news is, once you’ve completed this portion of your project, you will not only feel better, but the rest of the steps will be a breeze.

Tip Three Don’t hesitate – take the Trash to the dump the minute you’ve finished sorting. Be sure to dispose of items like paint, old motor oil, etc. properly. Check with your city for guidelines on disposing of hazardous items. Take Recycle items to the recycle facility and the Donate items to your favorite charity of choice. Make sure to complete these three steps before moving forward. You will avoid the temptation to keep something you already decided to discard. Also, clearing the space will make it easier to complete the rest of the project!

Tip Four This will take some thought and planning on your part. It will be very specific to you and your particular space and what you want to do with it. Taking time to decide what you want up front will save you time, money and trips to the hardware store!

Tip Five Now that you’ve decided how to use your space, you might want to draw a layout of the space and design what you want. You don’t have to be an architect or an interior designer. A pencil, some graph paper, a tape measure and a ruler are the only tools you will need. Measure your garage area and draw it on the graph paper, to scale (1 square/graph = 1 foot of garage). Draw in any existing features you intend to keep (work bench, built in shelves, etc.). Make trips to home improvement, hardware stores, etc. to find items you want to add to your space. Get specific measurements (height, width, depth). Now go back to your space and make sure what you want will fit. Measure carefully. Sketch it in on your drawing. Once you have the design the way you like it, you can purchase the items you need to complete the project.

Tip Six Hang in there -- You’re in the home stretch! Get out those garage shelves, boxes, bins, baskets, bicycle lifts, etc. that you purchased and install them according to manufacturer directions. Be sure to secure them safely and anchor items to be hung on the walls or ceilings with appropriate hardware. Use a stud finder and always anchor items securely to studs, not drywall. Safety first! Get all storage equipment installed first. Now you can put up the "Keep" items in those great organizers you purchased and installed. Hang the bicycles up off the floor; store the paint and painting supplies securely and away from the reach of children; put the rakes, shovels, leaf/snow blowers on their appropriate wall racks; stash basket balls, tennis balls, etc. in their own baskets. Keep going until everything is in the place you designed for it on your plan. Small items such as nails, screws, washers, nuts, bolts, etc. can be sorted in separate containers. Old baby food or canning jars make wonderful places to store these items. Be sure to stack bins safely so they won’t tip over.

Now step back and enjoy you handy work! Great job -- High 5 (well, virtual one anyway)!

You may even be able to fit the car in the garage!

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