9 Ideas for Garage Storage

Floor space in a garage isn't unlimited. Often, once sports gear, tools, hobby supplies, and extra odds and ends from the houseana end up in the garage, there's no longer enough space to park the car. The nine tips for garage organization below help you make more of your space while storing your stuff in an organized manner.

Methods for Garage Storage and Organization

The best garage storage ideas depend on factors such as how big your space is, what you need to store and how you use your garage. Check out the garage shelving ideas and other tips below that you can try in your space.

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1. Hang Overhead Storage Bins and Racks

If you want to leave floor space clear for parking cars or other activities, consider whether you can use the space above you for storage. You can find garage storage systems — or make your own — that let you leverage overhead storage for items such as seasonal clothing or holiday decorations.

Some garages may already include built-in overhead storage. If not, you can install racks designed to accept totes and bins. You typically slide the bins into the racks, and they're held securely overhead until you pull them down again.

Consider this option if you have plenty of clearance in your garage and want to maximize your use of vertical space. Do ensure racks are property installed to prevent injury.

2. Wall-Mounted Shelves

Another way to create vertical storage space is to install garage shelf systems along the walls. Depending on how much workable area you have, you can install floor-to-ceiling shelves along one or more garage walls to create plenty of space for storage bins, baskets, and larger pieces of equipment. If you don't have a lot of room, consider installing wall-mounted shelves higher up, leaving the floor space below open.

Wall-mounted shelves are a flexible way to create a garage storage system. You can store almost anything on them, keeping items in view for easy access.

3. Pegboards or Slatwall Panels

For optimal garage organization, consider pegboards or slatwall panels. You can add shelves, hooks and other storage options to these panels, changing configurations as needed. This is a great option if you want to organize items you can easily hang or place in pegboard bins, such as tools, sports equipment or hobby supplies.

4. Cabinets

Garage storage cabinets provide a cleaner, more stylish look than open shelves, which might be preferable if you want your garage to look like a true extension of your home. Cabinets can also be helpful in keeping young children away from dangerous tools or chemicals because you can lock them. Consider installing cabinets in your garage if you want a finished look or like the security of doors.

5. Furniture That Doubles as Storage

For smaller spaces, items that pull double duty can be a good idea. In a garage, you might opt for a bench with storage underneath. People can sit on the bench to take off their shoes or perform other tasks, and you can store tools or extra household items beneath the seat.

6. Clear Plastic Totes

An old-school garage storage system involves well-labeled plastic totes that are designed to stack. They can be stacked in a corner or against the wall, and they keep your items protected from dust, debris and moisture. If you choose plastic totes, you can even see what's inside as you're looking for your items. This can be a great starter option for those who want to organize a garage on a tight budget.

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7. Magnetic Tool Strips

If you simply want to keep your tools in order and out of the way, consider installing a magnetic tool strip. This option takes very little space, making it ideal for smaller garages.

8. Ceiling-Mounted Hooks and Straps

Bikes and other large items can take up a lot of space, no matter how you store them. One great way to keep them from eating up floor space in your garage is to hang them by hooks or straps from the ceiling. Make sure you install those hooks and straps into beams or other structures that will bear the weight you want to put on them.

9. Rolling Carts

For a flexible garage storage system, add one or more rolling carts or cabinets to your space. You can easily move these storage shelves or cabinets around, bringing the desired tools or supplies to the area of the garage where you need them.

When you need to declutter and organize your garage space, these tips for easy garage organization methods–including hooks, bins and shelves–will help.

How to Organize Your Garage For Your Family and Lifestyle

It's not enough to simply have your lawn tools, sports equipment, camping gear and beach-day supplies neatly tucked away. You also need to make sure all this stuff is actually accessible when you need it — and you know where to find it when the time comes.

If you're organizing your garage in January, for example, it can seem logical to put holiday decorations at the back of shelves, in the bottom bins or in several different storage containers. But in a few months, it's going to be a headache to find all of that stuff again.

To avoid such sitiations, try these tips:

• Put items of similar function together. All shoes could go in one bin — regardless of whether they're winter boots or soccer cleats. If you know all the shoes are in the same place, you'll only need to look in one bin. This works best for items that have multiple purposes. Maybe you use your boots for shoveling snow in the winter and weeding the garden in summer. If they're in the shoe bin, you'll always be able to find them.

• Or, group items of the same category. This is alternate organizational strategy that works best if you often need all of the items in a certain category at once. This might be seasonal sporting equipment or camping stuff. Placing like with like means you won't get caught on the camping trip with a tent and no poles.

• Label everything. If you're using opaque bins, or is stuff is so stacked up within them that it's hard to tell exactly what's there, you need to make a note to your future self of the contents and attach it to the outside of the container. Take it up a notch: You can find QR code stickers that, when inputted into an app, will correspond with a photo. Take a picture of what's inside each bin, and you'll have a directory right on your phone.