My garage was once the most disorganized space in my whole house. It was full of tools, gardening paraphernalia, Christmas decorations, and things I’d forgotten about and thought I “should” keep around in case I needed them one day.
But it didn’t bother me much because my garage is detached from the rest of my house—I forgot about it.
One day when I was having some friends over for a get-together, I noticed how much junk was piled up on the floor of my garage and decided to take action.
On a few weekends of hard work (and at minimal cost), I organized that space to host people inside it comfortably and with pride.
Now, I want to share those tips with you so you can turn your old junk room into an asset too!
Start with the essentials
“Organizing your stuff” is always a great place to start.
This might sound like an obvious tip, but it’s incredible how much more efficient you can be with your garage when everything has its place, and you know where to find what you need.
But, having organized stuff comes up to be pointless if your garage door won’t close or your roof leaks. If these kinds of repairs are a bit much for your DIY skills, do not think twice – hire a professional roofer or find someone online who does cheap garage door repairs.
And then, and only then, you can start organizing your stuff.
Whether it’s tools or garden equipment, cars or hobbies—if there’s a place in the garage, make sure it has a home there!
You don’t want to leave loose items lying around either for safety reasons (tripping hazards!) or aesthetic ones (it looks messy).
If possible, consider installing shelving units or cabinets to keep all of these items neatly stowed away under lock-and-key.
If that won’t work due to space restrictions, at least try organizing tools by size/type so they’re easily accessible when needed by both yourself and others who may visit frequently.
Brighten It Up
If you’re looking to invest in a garage makeover but are on a budget, it might be tempting to stick with neutral colors like white and gray.
But there is no reason you have to limit yourself when it comes time for you to pick out your next shade of paint it can be quite advantageous if you are going for a bright color.
For example, if you decide that bright green is the right fit for your home decor and lifestyle, then go ahead and use it!
Many people do not realize how much more brilliant colors shine when they are used as accents against neutral-colored walls.
If a room feels dull or lifeless with too much brown or black around it, consider bringing some pop into their lives by adding another hue like cerulean blue or lavender purple!
Pantry Expansion
If you want to make your garage a little more like a kitchen and less like a workshop, consider adding some kind of pantry to your space. To keep things on a budget, you can build them from scratch, or you can repaint old cabinets you have lying around.
Add cabinet door
If the space above the door is large enough (or if there’s not another access point in that area), adding an additional cabinet door is one way to create a functional pantry. This will keep things neat, tidy, and out of sight, as well as use otherwise unused space.
Add pull-out shelves
Another option is to add some pull-out shelves inside an existing cabinet or cupboard—this can give you lots of extra storage without taking up too much room. It may require more effort than other methods, but it will allow flexibility with how much stuff they hold since they’re removable when not needed.
Add sliding shelves
Finally, we have sliding shelves; these aren’t likely found in many people’s homes because they don’t tend to come with houses/units built today—but if yours does have them, then they’re perfect for creating extra storage while keeping things organized!
Use a fold-down workbench to save space
Use a fold-down workbench to save space. Fold-down workbenches are a great way to save space when you need the extra room but don’t want the clutter. They can be used for all sorts of purposes, including as storage or an actual workstation. You can find them in a variety of materials and colors, so it’s easy to match your existing garage decor.
The best part is that many of these options are cheap online or at big-box discount stores like Target or Walmart!
Craft a DIY garden tool holder
Craft a DIY garden tool holder. You can use an old ladder to hold your garden tools or buy a few pieces of wood and some hooks. Once you have those supplies, ensure you have enough nails to secure them.
Use a piece of wood as the base for your garden tool holder, then attach it to the side of a shed or garage wall using screws and nails.
Photo by David Rangel on UnsplashAdd ceiling hooks for bike storage
The ceiling hook is a great equalizer. It can be used to hang a bike or anything else that could use some extra hanging space.
To hang a bike, you’ll need two hooks. One for the frame and one for the tires. You can find these at most hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s for about $5 per hook.
The nice thing about this method is you don’t have to get any fancy contraptions—just buy some hooks and go!
Give your walls a makeover
If you’re working on a budget, consider using pegboard or magnetic chalkboard paint to cover your wall space.
Pegboard is great for holding tools and supplies, but it can also help you organize items like tools and supplies.
If you’re looking for an easy way to get started with the pegboard look, try cutting out shapes from the board—like hearts or stars—and hanging them up with nails or screws.
For a more customized look, visit a craft store and purchase some colorful scrapbook paper to make your own design, or use adhesive letters or stencils as accents that match your color scheme.
The chalkboard paint option may seem like an obvious choice if you’re already planning on painting over wallpaper. But, there are other ways to incorporate this into your garage makeover as well!
Paint over doorways leading into the house; they’ll still be functional while also becoming attractive focal points in their own right when guests come over.
Create organized zones
To keep your garage from becoming cluttered, create a system that allows you to store everything in its place.
One way of doing this is to break up the space into different areas for each activity. One for tools and machinery, one for sports equipment, one for gardening supplies, and more.
One way to do this is with pegboard hooks. These are useful because they allow you to hang items on them in an organized fashion. No more throwing things on top of each other!
You can also use pegboard hooks as holders or organizers (like those shown above). If you have multiple tools that need similar storage solutions, consider buying an organizer specifically for pegboard hooks.
Create an organized wall system
If you’re looking for an organized wall system, it doesn’t get much better than pegboard. A good-quality pegboard can be purchased on Amazon or at your local hardware store. The hooks will run you about $1 each (about $30-$40 per 100).
This one-time purchase will save you money over time as it makes your garage more functional and efficient. Tools are easily accessible and safe from damage caused by falling off shelves or getting wet in the rain.
When choosing hooks to install on your pegboard, look for ones made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic.
These won’t rust or corrode like steel would if they got wet. They can even withstand temperatures between -20°C (-4°F) up to +80°C (176°F).
The material also means that the hook won’t bend under pressure when hanging heavy items like shovels or rakes.
Garage makeover is possible on any budget once you get some good ideas and try them out
Garage makeovers are possible on any budget. As long as you’re willing to do a little research and put in the time.
You can get ideas from magazines, websites, and friends who have done their garage makeovers. You may also want to consider checking out Pinterest for some inspiration.
Before you even start looking at ideas or buying supplies, it’s essential that you know what it is that you want your garage to look like in the end.
For example: Do you want a workshop? A place to paint your car? A storage space? All of these? This will help guide your decisions and keep costs low since there are fewer choices when buying items for a specific purpose (and, therefore, less waste).
Conclusion
There are so many ways to transform your garage. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The real trick is just to get started. You will see how quickly it comes together as you roll up your sleeves, dream big, and take action!