When you have extra stuff, the garage is often the first place it goes. If you are looking through your things and you don’t seem to recognize most of them, don’t worry. You are not alone!
Spring is right around the corner and is the perfect time to sort through the mess in the garage and get organized. Not sure where to start? Sorting is the best answer!
Piles. Piles. Piles
The only wrong way to de-clutter is to simply not do it. You need to find a method that works for you. Consider sorting your extra items into three separate piles.
Organize your stuff into separate piles of ‘stuff to keep’, ‘stuff to sell’, and ‘stuff to throw away’. Look at everything you have and ask yourself the tough questions: Do I really need a Happy Days lunch box? Am I ever going to put that exercise bike back together?
If the answer is yes, find a place to store your clutter. Group similar items together, this way you will know exactly where things are. For example, video game equipment goes in the basket by the TV while the emergency sewing kit goes in the laundry room.
If the answer is no, and the exercise bike will remain in pieces, put a price on the item. Is it worth the time and effort to put it on eBay or sell it in a garage sale? If the answer is no, or if you are banking on the idea that someday you will put it together and stick to your New Year’s Resolution, then storing it may be the best bet.
Storage for the items you can’t live without
If you find that you just aren’t ready to part with the Happy Day’s lunch box or other items that you don’t use on a frequent enough basis to keep in the garage, then considering an offsite storage unit might be the right answer for you!
The bigger the item, the harder it is to store it in your home. If space is limited, utilizing a local self-storage facility is a viable option. Most locations offer air-cooled units, with secure facilities and low prices. If you are out of room and just can’t part with your hand-crafted canoe, then finding the perfect unit to keep you organized is the way to go.
Remember: a cluttered garage is a cluttered life. Get rid of the stuff you don’t use any more. Free yourself from the bondage of junk. But if you really cannot, find a place to put it!