Make Room for Your Passions

Did you know that more than half of Americans (59%) feel that engaging in hobbies helps relieve stress? This was one finding in a survey of more than 3,000 Americans conducted by Kelton Global. While work and family obligations may prevent many from pursuing their favorite activities, the survey revealed that another obstacle was having enough space to store equipment and supplies needed for hobbies. Whether you love biking, arts and crafts, woodworking or sports, chances are you need easily accessible space to store your gear.

Here’s where your garage comes in. The same survey found that three out of four Americans prioritize storage as the leading use for their garage, but that 28% of Americans can’t even fit a car in their garage because of the clutter.

What’s the solution? Declutter, and then optimize your space so you can easily access the things you love to do. Here are some smart ways to make the most of your garage:

Determine your needs

Figure out how much room your vehicles take up, then map out how much floor space you’ll need for any other items, such as a work bench or space to maneuver items you use frequently. Group the items you want to store according to category.

Optimize your walls

Take a good look at all the wall space that’s currently being unused in your garage. Fortunately, there are solutions that don’t involve adding shelving that encroaches on your floor space. For example, the Sports Caddy GearTrack Pack by Gladiator can be installed on the wall. It includes a ball caddy, which holds up to 25 pounds, that you can use for anything from helmets to sleeping bags, bags of potting soil or other bulky items you want kept off the floor. It also has two hooks for heavier sports gear, backpacks and totes. There are many companies these days offering “think out of the box” solutions for storing stuff. Go to your local hardware store or home center to see what is available, and search online for “organization systems” and “customizable storage.”

Foldaway solutions

Another versatile option is to use a wall storage product that includes storage shelves and a foldaway work surface. People use the fold-down-flat surface to perform tasks such as painting.

Look up

There’s another area of your garage that is most likely underutilized: the overhead space. To safely use overhead storage space, you’ll need a very secure solution. Be sure to compare the weight for your gear against weight capacity for any product you purchase, and read the customer reviews.

Organizing spaces is not everyone’s cup of tea, to be sure. But by using smart solutions that use your garage safely and efficiently, you can make more room for all the things you really like to do.