Your Ultimate Garage & Home Clean-out Guide
Find yourself searching for stuff you swear you own but can’t find anywhere because things are getting a little… disorganized? Don’t let clutter cramp your style or sidetrack your most important projects. Mini Mall Storage has the ultimate guide to clearing out your garage (so you can park in there!), decluttering your home (so you don’t get buried under a stack of old magazines), and getting organized (so you can find stuff again!). The goal is to pare down, get organized, and create space so you can focus on what really matters. Let’s dive in!
Survey the Landscape
Figure out what you need to tackle first. Go room by room and take note of problem areas where your storage spaces are overwhelmed. You might not need to do every room in the house, so it’s a good idea to have a plan of action before you get going. If you’re downsizing, you’ll have to be a bit more strategic and as ruthlessly unsentimental as possible. We’ve written a lot about downsizing in other posts, so be sure to check those out for some good tips on the best way to tackle that process:
Downsizing and Organizing Your Garage
Downsizing Your Home: What You Should Know
Whether you’re at an important stage of life and need to scale down, or you’re just trying to clear out some clutter as part of your annual spring cleaning, you’ll need to be honest with yourself about what you actually need and use.
Things will probably get messier while you’re sorting through everything, so clear a spot in your house or garage where you can temporarily place items as you’re sorting and organizing.
Keep, Donate, Trash, and Sell
Get ready to sort your heart out. Tackle your most challenging area first—that could be the garage as you struggle to contain all your seasonal gear, or maybe the kitchen has become overrun with small appliances you rarely use, or your bedroom closet is about to explode.
Go through each space one at a time and sort your belongings into four general categories: keep, donate, trash, and sell. Move all the items you want to donate, trash, or sell into that clear spot we mentioned.
Get Rid of What’s Not Staying
It’s tempting to make a big pile of stuff to donate, sell, or trash and then ignore it for a while as you get back to your big clean-up project while promising yourself that you’ll take care of it later… but in our experience… it’s best to deal with these three piles right away.
Trash is simple: if it’s garbage, throw it out or recycle it. Be sure to check with your municipality for the best way to do that safely—there are often special rules for items like old electronics, paint cans, or expired batteries.
A garage sale can take care of the rest. You can do it the old-fashioned way and set it up in your driveway on a Saturday morning or post your items online—or both!
Whatever doesn’t sell, donate. With all that stuff out of the way, you’ll have more room to work and will be able to see the proverbial forest for the trees.
Organize Your Keep Pile
Now that you’ve cleared away all the stuff you won’t be keeping, it’s time to organize by season or frequency of use.
When space is an issue, sorting and storing seasonal items is a great way to stay organized and keep your space uncluttered. Keep essentials you need all year round close at hand and use a storage unit to keep off-season outdoor equipment, sports gear, clothing, and shoes safely tucked away while it’s not in use.
Upgrade your in-house storage spaces
With everything neatly sorted, you’ll be able to see where you might need to add furniture, or baskets and bins for extra organization. Get creative with storage units and bookshelves to help keep things off the floor and neatly sorted. Incorporating multifunctional furniture pieces that serve both storage and aesthetic purposes, such as ottomans with built-in storage is a great way to add storage when you’re short on space.
You can also make good use of vertical space with pegboards for tools and accessories or wall-mounted shelving units that allow you to tuck away items you don’t need access to as frequently.
Celebrate your space
Give yourself a pat on the back! The goal of getting organized is to create a space you can feel good about, so go ahead and feel good. And remember that feeling in the future so you’ll be more motivated to prevent clutter from taking over again.
It’s the perfect time to treat yourself to a favourite activity or hobby you’ve been putting off… after all, it’s easier to use the workbench in your garage to work on something when you can actually find it!
Maintaining Organization
If you’re aiming to reclaim your living space and garage from clutter, you’re in the right place. One of the best ways to stay on top of it is to use a storage unit to keep seasonal items sorted and organized. Check out our post “Maximize Your Space by Swapping & Storing These Seasonal Items (using a storage unit)” for some great tips on how to separate and prepare seasonal items for storage, and “Free Up Your Living Space By Storing Seasonal Items” has some tips on how to keep your storage unit clean and organized.
Mini Mall Storage offers safe and secure storage units for all your belongings, so you can enjoy a clutter-free life. Our team of friendly and knowledgeable staff is dedicated to providing exceptional service and is ready to assist you every step of the way. Whether you’re looking to store seasonal items, recreational equipment, or household goods, we have the perfect storage solution tailored to your needs. Visit us today to find a storage unit near you!