Get your garage organized for the summer!

Summer is almost here, and it's time to enjoy the warm weather, outdoor activities, and family time. However, before you start planning your summer trips and backyard barbecues, it's essential to organize your garage. As busy parents and working professionals, it's easy to let the clutter pile up, and the garage becomes the dumping ground for everything that doesn't fit inside the house. But an organized garage can save you time, money, and headaches in the long run. We'll discuss the reasons why it's important to organize your garage for the summer time.

Safety First

The garage is one of the most neglected areas of the house, and it can be a safety hazard for your family. A cluttered garage makes it difficult to move around and find what you need, increasing the risk of tripping and falling. Old and unused items can also be a breeding ground for pests and rodents, putting your family's health at risk. Additionally, if you have young children, it's crucial to keep hazardous materials like chemicals, power tools, and sharp objects out of their reach. By organizing your garage, you can create a safer environment for your family, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.

Start by decluttering your garage and getting rid of anything that you no longer need or use. Sort items into piles of keep, donate, and throw away. Store hazardous materials in a locked cabinet or on high shelves out of reach of children. Install proper lighting and clear pathways for easy access to items. By taking these steps, you can create a safer garage for your family.

Moreover, you can add a personal touch to your organized garage by painting the walls with bright colors, installing a fan or air conditioning, and adding a workbench for your DIY projects. The possibilities are endless, and an organized garage will give you the peace of mind that your family is safe.

Save Time and Money

As busy parents and working professionals, time is a precious commodity. The last thing you want to do on a hot summer day is spend hours searching for your camping gear or sports equipment. An organized garage can save you time and money by making it easy to find what you need when you need it.

Start by categorizing your items and storing them in clearly labeled bins or shelves. This will make it easy to find what you need without having to dig through piles of clutter. Invest in sturdy storage solutions that can withstand the summer heat and humidity. You can also create a system to rotate your seasonal items, like holiday decorations and winter clothes, to free up space for your summer gear.

An organized garage can also save you money by preventing items from getting lost or damaged. With everything in its place, you won't have to replace lost items or buy duplicates. You can also identify items that need repairs or maintenance before they become costly problems.

Summer Enjoyment

Finally, an organized garage can help you enjoy your summer to the fullest. With everything in its place, you can spend less time worrying about the clutter and more time enjoying the warm weather and outdoor activities with your family and friends.

Take advantage of your newly organized garage by planning fun summer activities like camping, gardening, and sports. Store your camping gear, bikes, and sports equipment in designated areas for easy access. Create a space for gardening tools and supplies and start a vegetable garden.

An organized garage is not only a practical solution for busy parents and working professionals, but it's also a way to create a safer, more enjoyable, and stress-free summer. Take the time to declutter, categorize, and store your items in a way that works for you and your family. With a little effort and creativity, you can transform your garage into a functional and inviting space that adds value to your home and your quality of life.

"Joy Checking" Post-KonMari Method

The KonMari Method is supposed to be a magical once in a lifetime process. After performing the method in 2019 to my home, maintaining those existing storage solutions has been straight forward without any issue. HOWEVER, what happens when my life changes and evolves? Everything I did back in 2019 made sense up until mid 2020 and now 2021.

With the pandemic hitting, I needed to pivot to create a workspace for my engineering job along with a home gym. I also had a roommate move out in September 2020 freeing up lots of closet and garage storage space that were his portions of the home I did not organize and declutter. In December of 2020, my partner moved into my home with many of her possessions.

All of these life transitions required me to re-address many of the categories of the KonMari method - Clothing, Books, Komono.

Clothing - My clothing style has changed much since 2019. I have become a Lululemon believer for business attire, casual attire, and workout gear. I was able to go in and swiftly joy check all of the clothing subcategories with this new vision of my style in a matter of an afternoon and consolidate my closet to 1/3 the space. The other 2/3rds I am leaving for my partner to store her items once she is ready to take action.

Books - When I performed the method the first time, I was in a transition for my engineering job and kept lots of my technical content that I needed to reference. In the current direction I am now headed, many technical books got to find a better home.

Komono - During the pandemic, I started roasting lots of coffee and my green bean collection was growing up to 60+ pounds. Coffee storage really needed its own home, so now they are in a single 20 gallon tub in my closet. With my roommate moving out, I also got to re-evaluate many of the closet storage areas by adding vertical space.

Many of the photos you can find on my Instagram feed :)

Just because you did the method once, you could probably use a touch up here or there as your life evolves.