by Felicity Jakc

Created on: March 24, 2010   Last Updated: January 07, 2011

Before looking at how your garage might be organized it is important to establish what it is, in terms of contents, that are to be organised.

This will shape final decisions about what sorts of storage solutions will work best. This is probably the hardest and least fun bit, but can be accomplished easily enough if tackled in parts. It is OK to carry out this step in the company of a friend, music, a glass of wine, a block of chocolate. Whatever works.

1. Look at what is already there. Make a list and if possible sort it into categories. This will then provide an idea of what types of things have gravitated there naturally, allowing the hard decisions about whether or not you really do want to keep those things to be made.

My garage, for example, is filled with boxes of stuff taken from various bedrooms that have not yet reached the throw out stage for one reason or another. It also contains the empty boxes for new things purchased for the house, like the box the computer came in along with all the polystyrene bits which means that when I shift again I won't have to look for a box that fits and stuff the sides with whatever is at hand to protect it. That was the thinking at the time. The problem is now I have quite a lot of them, and some are possibly not necessary, or were the boxes for things I no longer posses. Or are just useful sized boxes I am loathe to part with.

There are plastic containers holding my Most Useful Tools, miscellaneous gardening equipment scattered around, some buckets holding a range of car cleaning supplies, a small pile of larger things that will definitely be thrown out but which don't fit into the garbage bin, our Christmas tree and decorations, various pieces of sporting equipment for which the interest has passed, and the car.

2. Decide if it is all going to stay. This does not have to be decided in one go. What is in the garage are things from which separation is difficult. It is important to allow yourself that.

Sort the stuff about which there are some doubts into a separate pile from the stuff that will definitely stay and put it near the front of the garage, but not obstructing the entry of the car, so that if and when the decision is made that it should there will not be the need to go hunting or cart it from somewhere down the back. Since it is still in limbo it is also separate from those items which are to be kept

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