How to Organise a New Garage
7 Things to Do Before You Move In
Moving into a new home is one of the few times in life you get to start from scratch. Every room is clean. Every wall is bare. The garage, especially, is a blank canvas — and it won’t stay that way for long.
Most people wait until after moving in to think about garage storage. By then, bikes are already propped against the wall, tools are in a pile on the floor, and there’s a cardboard box graveyard in the corner that no one wants to deal with. The garage becomes a dumping ground because there was no system in place before the dumping started.
The solution is simple: plan your garage storage before moving day. It takes a few hours, costs nothing extra if you buy the right system from the start, and it’s the single best thing you can do to keep your new home organised for years to come.
Here’s exactly what to do — in order.
“Every hook, shelf, and bin in a slatwall system slides in without tools. You can rearrange the entire wall in an afternoon as your life changes.”
MEASURE YOUR WALLS BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING
Grab a tape measure and spend fifteen minutes in the empty garage. Write down the usable wall width on every wall — accounting for the garage door track, any windows, and the internal door. In a standard double garage, you’ll usually have 5–6 metres of usable wall space. A single garage gives you roughly 2.5–3.5 metres.
Also measure the wall height from floor to ceiling, and note the position of power points and lights. This tells you how many panel rows you can fit and where your working zone sits (typically 1–2 metres off the floor for tools and bikes).
DECIDE WHAT YOU’RE STORING — BEFORE CHOOSING ACCESSORIES
This sounds obvious, but most people skip it. They buy a bundle of hooks and figure it out later. The result is a wall full of accessories that don’t quite match what they need.
Instead, write a quick list of every category of item that will live in the garage: bikes, power tools, garden tools, sports gear, camping equipment, cleaning supplies, the lawn mower. Then sort the list into two groups: daily use (goes at eye level, easy to grab) and occasional use (can go up high or in a corner).
That list is your accessory shopping list. Work from it, not from what looks good in a photo.
ASK YOUR BUILDER TO ENSURE STUDS ARE CENTERED 450MM APART.
If your new home is still under construction, this is a tip that takes thirty seconds to ask for and delivers a sturdier and stronger garage wall on which to install any garage storage solution.
450mm gap between studs which is standard inside the home ensure more installstrips per wall panel and therefore a more robust garage wall storage solution.
INSTALL YOUR WALL PANELS BEFORE THE FIRST BOX ARRIVES
A StoreWALL installation on a single wall takes two to three hours for two people. You need a impact driver (drill), a spirit level, a stud finder, and the right fixing screws for your wall type. The panels go up one row at a time — perfectly level, anchored to studs or masonry, clipped together at the joints.
Once the panels are up, every hook, shelf, bin, and bracket slides onto the rails without any additional drilling. That means you can change the layout as many times as you want without touching a drill again.
The key is to get the panels up before your garage fills up. Working in an empty garage is significantly easier than trying to measure and drill around bikes, tools, and boxes.
START WITH BIKES — THEY’RE THE HARDEST THING TO STORE ON THE FLOOR
Bikes take up more floor space per item than almost anything else in a garage. Two adult bikes leaning against a wall can block a third of a single garage’s floor space. Getting them on the wall immediately changes how usable the garage is.
For a double garage with two or more bikes, rotating bike hooks are the most space-efficient option — they fold the bike horizontal to the wall, staggering front and back wheels so two bikes can hang in the space of one. A J hook is ideal for a single bike or a child’s bike at a lower height.
CREATE ONE DEDICATED TOOL ZONE
New homeowners often make the mistake of spreading tools all over the wall — a hook here, a bin there, a shelf in a random spot. A year later, you can’t find anything and the wall looks chaotic.
Instead, dedicate a single zone (usually the centre section of the back wall, around 1–1.5m wide) to your tool setup. A shelf at workbench height holds items you use while standing. Hooks below keep drills, saws, and hand tools visible and reachable. Bins above hold bits, fasteners, batteries, and small accessories.
Keeping everything in one zone means you always know where to look, and you build a mental map of the wall quickly.
LEAVE ROOM TO GROW — DON’T FILL EVERY SLOT IMMEDIATELY
When you install a new garage storage system, the temptation is to fill every available inch immediately. Resist this. Your storage needs will change — a new baby means a pram and a balance bike. A new hobby means camping gear or surfboards or craft supplies. A new car might need its own space.
A slatwall system’s great advantage is that it grows with you. Leave a section of your panels empty for six months and you’ll quickly discover exactly what needs to live there. Accessories slide in and out in seconds — there’s no wrong answer, and no permanent commitment.
The only rule: get the panels on the wall now, while the garage is empty. Everything else is flexible.
“The garage you set up in week one becomes the garage you have for the next five years. It takes a weekend to get right — and it’s worth every hour.”
THE BOTTOM LINE
A new home garage is a rare opportunity. You have a blank wall, no existing clutter, and a fresh start. Spending a few hours before moving day — measuring, planning, and installing a wall panel system — sets you up for a garage that stays organised as your family grows and your storage needs change.
Most new homeowners spend money on furniture, appliances, and garden plants in the first month. The garage comes last. But the garage is where you make most of your mess — and where the right system makes daily life genuinely easier.
Start with the panels. Get the bikes up. Build the tool zone. Leave room to grow. That’s it.
