BEST PRO TIPS: Garage Rescue

Stalled out on how to keep your garage tidy? Use this expert advice to declutter and reorganize.

- BY KELLY AIGLON

Between cars, bikes, tools, equipment and holiday decorations, the vast amount of stuff your garage can hold can feel endless. But as anyone who has ever had to squeeze out of their car to not topple over a box knows, without paring down and organizing, a garage can soon become a black hole.

Adjustable shelves maximize storage from floor to ceiling.

“Garages are tricky,” says Samantha Pregenzer, a Bay Area-based professional organizer. “They’re really nothing like a closet, for example, that also gets messy but holds just one type of thing, such as coats or bedding. Garages are used for so many things that you have to be particularly thoughtful before you make your first move to rearrange anything.”

Pregenzer offers tips for anyone on a garage rescue mission, whether it's a complete overhaul or simply tidying up.

Size Up Your Space

You may have specific intentions for your garage, such as grouping similar items together in bins, setting up a workbench or even creating space for a home gym.

Defined zones keep your items organized and easy to find.

“Take a look at your entire area and understand what your goals are and what you have to work with before coming up with a game plan,” Pregenzer says.

One common pitfall in the early stages of a garage rehaul is buying products before you've truly sized things up. Those fancy shelves and racks you see at the hardware store may look useful, but you should invest in them based on what you know you'll put on them, not on what you just have lying around. That's where decluttering comes in.