Cleaning up your garage with a garage wall storage solution doesn’t necessarily mean you need to renovate your entire garage lining each wall from top to bottom with wall panels. Easy garage storage can be as simple as 2 Slatwall panels on your wall taking care of a handful of annoying items that are lying around.
Garage Gallery
If you look through our Garage Gallery you will notice the breadth of StoreWALL installations we have in Australia. Most of these have been sent in directly by our customers and are rather large with at least one main wall covered.
You will also see a handful of Easy Garage Storage installations that only contain 1 or even 2 panels on a garage wall. Some of them are focused on gardening gear, others on gym equipment.
Easy Garage Storage
Installing a couple of panels is super easy. At StoreWALL, we sell our 1219mm panels in small bundled packages which include the panels and some basic accessories. We also sell them as single individual panels so that you can design your own easy garage storage solution.
Take as an example the below picture which was sent in over the weekend. Cynthia in Balmain NSW purchased:
2 x Standard 1219mm Brite White panels
2 x Standard Duty Installstrips
1 pack of screws (plastered wall)
The installation of this pack would have taken her less than an hour. Installstrips were added on either end of each panel and one in the middle. 24 screws in total would have been used.
Easy Garage Storage – Accessories
The accessories selected by Cynthia included:
White Ledge Shelf
Two small bungee hooks – one is holding the ironing board, the second the gardening lopper.
Two Heavy Duty tool Hooks – holding about 6 gardening tools from forks to spades.
Vertical Tool Hook – holding the vacuum cleaner.
Easy Garage Storage – Single Panel
The second example is from Perth where the client used several single panels each installed separately on sections of his brick wall.
In the above example, the client in Perth used 2 Heavy Duty Cradle Hooks to hold his two Whipper Snippers. He also had a Heavy Duty Utility Hook to hold is blower and several foldable chairs.
Easy Garage Storage – Gym
Our final example is also from Sydney. This client used two 1219mm Brite White panels to store his gym equipment. This included 2 shelves to hold a range of mats. Alongside this he had several hooks to hold handheld weights and a Heavy Duty Utility hook to hold a medicine ball.
This week we completed a StoreWALL installation in a new home with Blueboard Garage Walls. In fact, this is the second such installation this year where the material used for cladding the customer’s internal garage wall was not plaster but a cement sheet material.
Garage Cladding
The first instance was in a new home in Sandringham which had used an external cladding similar to this James Hardie Matrix product. The client had used it to clad much of the house’s exterior and then continued it into several storage rooms.
StoreWALL was tasked with installing StoreWALL panels in each of the storage rooms, paneling from floor to ceiling.
See below for some pre and post installation photos.
Whilst installing StoreWALL was no different from the process of installing on a plastered wall, the effort required was considerably more. This was because the surface we were screwing into to attach the installstrips was much harder. The thickness of the cladding material was about 8-10mm but it really put our impact driver to the test.
I avoided pre-drilling in most cases but occasionally it was necessary.
One of the advantages of the surface however was that the density of the panel created a very strong grip for our screws even where no stud existed. This was helpful when we needed to add additional installstrips.
As a cladding surface, this James Hardie product seemed a great alternative to plasterboard.
Blueboard Garage Wall
This weekend we completed our latest installation in a new home in Kew. The garage was under the house this time and the walls were built with studs at 600mm centers and covered with Blueboard which was then lightly rendered. The render gave that cement feeling to the wall. It also made it a little hard to drill through.
In fact, drilling through the Blueboard was quite difficult. I found instances where I actually needed to pre-drill the hole first in order to screw through it. The cement finish actually blunted several of my drill bits in the process.
The wall pictured above was only one corner of a very large underground garage. The dimensions of the paneled area were 3.6m (W) x 2.7m (H) and 3.3m (W) x 2.7m (H). We left about 10mm under the bottom panel and about 25mm above the top panel. Being a corner, we needed to also ensure that the panels on both sides of the wall lined up nicely.
We were lucky with the larger wall to have one of our panel joins actually land on a stud. In this case, we ensured that the panels shared an installstrip. For the second join, we added an additional installstrip that both panels could share. The density of the blueboard garage wall created a strong grip for the screws.
There is no limit to how StoreWALL Garage Wall Panels can be used. No matter the garage wall surface, be it Plasterboard, Brick, Blueboard or Cladding, StoreWALL can be hung on it to create a great storage area for you.
I recently went through a house move and as many have written before, the exercise was long and tedious. Cleaning out the home was part 1, the garage clean up was part 2.
An important part of this clean out was identifying what was to be taken with us and what could be either thrown out, given away or sold.
Once we had done this, we also had to put a value on each item we thought could be sold and work out how and where to sell it. This was not easy.
Facebook Marketplace
Of the few things I have sold in the past, they have all been via Ebay. I have generally found the sales process very long with very few bites. In all honesty, Ebay is such a huge marketplace and if your item isn’t from an in-demand category, getting attention is difficult.
A friend of mine who also went through the same home and garage clean up process, told me that he had used Facebook Marketplace and that it worked quickly and easily.
I gave it a go and listed bookshelves, bedheads, wooden shelving, plates, a fridge, statues, gym equipment, lights and even the kitchen. Over a 3 month period I have sold pretty much all of it. The same items were also listed on Ebay and Gumtree. The Kitchen was the only item I successfully sold via Ebay. Everything else went via Facebook Marketplace. Most of the interest was via Facebook.
Giving Things Away
I generally found that if you want to give things away, it worked a treat. I gave our 20 year old fridge away within 24hrs. With everything else, you need to work on a price that has flexibility. People will ask you to half it, so ensuring you factor some of this in allows you to reach a reasonable price that also moves it on.
Another thing to look out for is that you will get plenty of enquiries. Some of these people will not be serious and will waste your time. I had one guy promise to pickup a bookshelf in 2 days and never arrived. When I tried to contact him, his Messenger was off and I couldn’t. In that time I had several others asking to collect it and I had told them it was sold. Very frustrating.
From what I understand, unlike Ebay they also don’t take a commission on these items which helps a little.
Large Furniture
The fridge I mentioned earlier was from our garage. I also managed to give away some old work out equipment and an old bed head that was in our garage. It all went within a few days of it being listed.
One of the challenges with larger furniture is how it is collected. In one case, the person paid me an extra $50 to deliver the book case them.
Council Drop Off
Monash Council offers an ability to drop off items such as used paint cans, car batteries and even empty gas bottles free of charge. You can also leave mattresses (for a small fee). I plan to take advantage of this to finish off my garage clean up.
So with a little research and preparation the home and garage clean up process can be made much a lot easier and successful.
A local Victorian town house builder was telling me this week the Victorian Building Association is requiring him to include bike storage in a new set of two town houses he is building. It seems the Victorian Building Association is ensuring some form of garage organization enter all new Victorian homes.
Garage Organization
If the average Australian family home owns two vehicles, then new homes should be built with three car garages not two. Two spaces for the vehicles and one for storage. Walk past most new homes today and you will see one car parked in the garage taking up half the space. The other half will be filled with storage items laying on the floor and up against the walls.
Too Much Stuff
The problem for young families is that between all of the furniture that you are expected to buy and all of the toys you accumulate there is just not enough room to store it. Effectively storing everything is a lose lose predicament.
Get rid of it
Having 3 young children of my own, I have experienced the buying, using and storing that we all go through. I still have a kid’s bed in my garage that turns into a couch/bench which my partner expects to one day use in a bigger home we may own. It isn’t easy to move stuff on. Throwing it out is painful, giving to someone for a small price or free is much easier. Atleast you know it might get a second or third use. Gumtree, eBay and Facebook’s marketplace are ideal for this. You will be surprised how quickly some stuff goes particularly if you have looked after it.
Storing what is left
My work with StoreWALL has allowed me to share time with hundreds of customers who have purchased or considered purchasing StoreWALL. The key to effective garage organization is prioritising space for the things you use regularly. This is a task no one can really help you with.
If your family enjoys bike riding then, this is a priority. Same applies to ball sports or kraft activities. It may also include tools for your work around the home or garden or even your car(s). Prioritising also includes considering the actual cost of some of your “stuff” and looking after it. Keeping a $300 drill in bucket or just lying on a bench/table is not safe nor a great way to protect your investment.
Garage Organization – Height
Consider using the full height of your garage space. If you have a 2.4m height, then look to make the most of this. Look at storage options that allow you to store the least used items in locations that you may only need to access once a year. Shelving is ideal for this. So is overhead storage.
Garage slatwall panels can make this easy by allowing you to panel the height of your wall and then offer versatility in how you use it. Add brackets to your slatwalls and create your own shelving. These shelves can then be moved lower as your needs change.
Overhead storage is also very popular today and can be placed in most locations on the roof of your garage. Once installed they can be difficult to move, so you need to get the location right.
Garage Organization – Walls
Garage organization ideas
I mentioned garage slatwalls above and this is obviously our specialty. Wall panels are great because they give you options. Once the wall is panelled it can be used for Hooks, Baskets, Shelving, Bins and Bags. Best of all, you can move it around over time as your needs change.
Using your walls is also great because it allows you to use the length and height for those odd, shaped items like ladders.
Compared to just buying a shelfing unit from your local hardware store, garage wall panels might seem expensive. Over time you will come to appreciate the flexibility your choice offers you that a basic shelf will never deliver.
Here is an example of what I mean. If bike storage is a priority for you, slatwall panels allow you to add a bike hook anywhere on your wall. You will then be able to easily access your bike as well as your car. If your priorities change over time and you no longer need the bike, you could remove the bike hook and replace it with a Tote Bag for sporting balls or some shelving. If you ever needed that bike hook again, you could easily move the shelving higher (making it bigger or smaller) on that wall or in another location and re-introduce the bike hook.
Garage slatwall panels need to be seen as an investment not just a garage storage option. If you eventually decide to sell your home, they will add to its value and will give your prospective owners a new ready to use garage. Alternatively, they can also be taken with you to your next home.
Garage Organization – Depth
I don’t want to underscore the value of shelving units because not only are they affordable they also give you depth. If you garage space is long and narrow, you can add a shelving unit at the back of it allowing you to maximise the space between your vehicle and the back wall. Depending on the height of your garage, shelving units can also allow you to use the full height of your garage.
The one challenge with a deep shelf is accessing everything stored on it. This is where some forward thinking of what you need occasionally and what you need regularly comes into play. Ideally you don’t want to have to sort through stuff each time you want to use the vacuum cleaner.
Fixed shelving units can be found at most hardware stores plus many online retailers.
Cabinets
Source Just Pro Tools
Cabinets are another very useful option if you have the space. A lockable cabinet can be a great way to secure those expensive tools or that equipment which you don’t want others looking at each time they enter the garage. Cabinets come in lots of shapes and sizes and combinations including bench space and drawers.
Benches
Bench space is important if you have the real-estate. You can accomplish this with a moveable bench (on wheels) or something that is fixed to your wall. It can also be something that you build yourself (YouTube is great for this).
First things first
Clean out your garage and get rid of the stuff you know someone else may be able to get more use from.
Several months ago, I received a call from a customer (Cindy) who explained they lived in the Sydney area and were looking at a garage wall makeover. Cindy wanted help to understand how our panels would assist with an impractical wall she had in her garage which was also her real only source of storage space.
I have provided a photo of the wall below. The wall is of a decent size but as you can see it also has several dimensions along with a power outlet and a large pipe. You really couldn’t just stick wall panels on this wall to make it practical. It actually needs a makeover.
Having reviewed the photos, I was a little hesitant at getting involved but I thought I would offer my opinion on how I thought Cindy and her partner could fix this wall.
What they needed to do was to build another layer of wall over the existing walls so that they would eventually have a flat surface to work off. This new wall could be framed out by a carpenter, who would add enough frame and at the required spacing in order to also hold the StoreWALL panels.
The client advised that they had access to a local carpenter who could assist them with this work.
Measuring the Wall
Following some email exchanges and a phone call we had measured all of the walls that need to be built out and covered with StoreWALL panels. The project had 2 walls. One main wall facing into the garage and a smaller wall close to the garage door.
The size of the main wall was 2800mm W x 2390mm H. In order to meet their 2390m height requirement, I recommended that they consider 7 full panels to get to a height of 2133mm or 8 panels with the top panel cut to length ways to meet 2390mm.
StoreWALL panels are 2438mm in length. To reach the width of 2800mm, we would use a full length panel plus a smaller panel of say 400mm.
For the main wall, a total of 10 x 2438mm panels was required. This would cater for the full length panels (8 of the these) and the smaller panels to reach the 2800mm width. This section of wall also required 20 Installstrips.
The smaller wall beside the door was approx. 300mm in width and the same height as the main wall at 2800mm. For this I recommended 1 additional full 2438mm panel plus 1 smaller 1219mm panel. Instead of using installstrips on this wall we opted to use colour matched screws.
Sydney Garage Wall MakeOver
The result of the wall post the frame being built is:
I unfortunately don’t have pictures of the frame but they did build it out as I had recommended. You can also see from the picture that they have added some trim across the top and bottom of the walls framing it nicely. Picture below shows the wall following some touch up paint being added to the trims.
Paddleboards and Surfboards
The purpose of the wall was to support the following garage items.
Paddleboard – horizontally at the top
3 x bikes – vertically on the back wheel
Surfboards, boogie boards – vertically
My initial recommendations were as follows:
Paddle board – for this I suggested a 254mm or 381mm Angle Bracket. The 254mm bracket extends out from the wall by 430mm, the 381mm extends by 647mm.
3 x bikes – this would be accommodated by 3 x J Hooks.
Surfboards, boogie boards – the best option is the Angle Rack Hook. This hook can be used between each of the boards to hold them upright.
After a few conversations we settled on the following accessories:
2 x 381mm Bracket + Padding
1 x Angle Rack Hook
3 x J Hook
1 x Medium Bungee Hook Set
Angle Brackets
The Angle Brackets were replaced with standard brackets as they allowed the Paddleboard to sit lower making it easier to lift off and take away. There was enough width in the standard bracket to hold the paddle board securely. For added protection however, we also added the Medium Bungee Hook which could be used to tie the paddle board to the wall.
For the Surf Boards, the client decided to start with one Angle Rack Hook and have the Surfboards lean on this.
The 3 x J Hooks remained for the bikes.
Ultimately this Garage Wall Makeover delivered a brand new wall which is totally usable. I think their carpenter has done a great job.
They now also have a garage storage solution which holds all of the key items they want to store. Best of all it also offers lots of additional options for storing smaller items around the wall as the family’s needs change over time.
In this week’s blog post we focus away from ideas and to the practical side of pricing and measuring your garage storage solution. The internet is filled with ideas on what you could eventually make your garage look like, but Instagram and Pinterest don’t really tell you how to get from A to B.
Measuring your Garage Storage Solution
Let me be frank, there is no best garage wall storage solution. There are lots of ideas and ideally you can pick a little or a lot from many of them. The end result should be something which will cater for most of what you need to store today and the next few years. Expect to have to review and adjust your design a few times over the life of your garage.
When you are looking for ideas, spend just as much time in your garage as you do on the internet or the hardware store. Its super important that don’t lose focus from the goal of managing your items. Knowing what is in your garage is important when solving how to store it. Sometimes we can get carried away with the desire to make it look like what is in the photo.
Cleaning up the garage
I have covered this lots of times in previous articles but your first step in a garage makeover is to clean up your garage. Do your best to throw (better still give it away if its in good condition) out enough without causing a family WW3. The clean-out is import because it will free up space for more stuff. It’s also important because in order to install any new garage storage solution, you will need room to work.
The clean out should be carried out over a few weekends. Repeating it is important because your are likely to throw out more the more you review what is stored and never used. As I mentioned earlier, spend time in your garage to understand what you have.
Walls or the Whole Garage
Working on the garage of a new home (which is empty) is different and much easier compared to working on an existing garage with its pre-existing mess (even if it has been cleaned out).
If it’s an existing garage you might consider starting with one wall and then extending the design gradually to the rest of the garage.
Most garages make-overs will require a combination of the follow features:
Shelving – whether you need more of it or need to replace what you have, shelving is super important. DIY shelving comes in various lengths, depths and heights. Think about how many shelves you will require. Consider what you have to store and the space you have to store it. My garage shelving is used to hold luggage, plastic storage containers and food items. DIY shelving is accessible from all major hardware stores as well as online. DIY shelving is affordable and very easy to setup. The aluminium frames are very strong and can hold hundreds of KGs.
Bench space – it could be 1 metre or several, but no matter how much, you need some. Most hardware stores can assist with varying ways to build bench space into your garage. There are several portable benches which come complete with drawers and cupboards built in. Alternatively you can also just build your own and there are lots of youtube videos showing you how.
Cupboards and drawers – if this is important to you then you will need to look at some professional storage solutions which can be built and installed for you. If it’s just drawers that you are after, a pre-made set that is portable (on wheels) might also be worth considering.
Wall Hanging Storage – slatwalls, and pegboards are a great way of hanging tools and everyday garage items via hooks. StoreWALL’s range of hooks will hang anything from bikes to ladders. Slatwall options like StoreWALL also cater for baskets, bags and shelves all hanging from the wall.
Measuring Your Garage
Prior to selecting what to add to your garage or storage area, you need to measure up. If you are renovating just one wall then measure the whole wall (ceiling to floor and corner to corner). Note these measurements. You will also need to measure the areas you want to dedicate to Shelving, Bench, Cupboards, Drawers and Slatwall.
If you are combining storage, draw up a plan and design. Add your measurements and visualise the end result.
In a recent example, a client called me looking to add hanging bike storage to his garage. We worked through the actual wall space he had to use. This included looking at how much of the actual wall he wanted covered by the StoreWALL slatwall surface. With 4 bikes and each bike taking up about 500mm each, he required about 2m of wall surface. In addition to hanging bikes he also wanted baskets for the helmets and hooks for other items in his garage.
The benefits of StoreWALL’s slatwall finish is that all accessories can be added and moved around or removed altogether depending on your need at the time. You aren’t locked in.
Measuring your Garage Storage Solution – Client Example
Measuring your area (and re-measuring it) will provide a clear understanding of the space required by each garage storage idea. As per the previous paragraph measuring your Garage Storage Solution will help you design it.
In the case of the client with the bike hooks, his garage was 4m in length. He decided to buy four 1.2m StoreWALL panels (each 1.2m panel is .3m in height with a surface area of .36m) making two rows of 2.4m of StoreWALL slatwall. The total surface area covered by the two rows of panels is 1.4m squared (calculated as two rows of .7m). Each panel comes with 4 slatwall grooves which allow for the hooks to be added and moved around.
With any slatwall installation you also need to consider what surface you will be installing on ie what the garage wall is made from. Slatwalls will need to be fastened to the wall. If the wall is plastered then you will be able to install them using the studs under the plasterboard (usually spaced 450mm apart). If the wall is bricked, you will be able to drill into the mortar or brick and fasten to this. The only challenging wall surface will be a tin/aluminium wall. These walls will usually also have a wooden or metallic frame. In this case you might need to add additional frame in order to support the slatwalls.
When you are investigating options for reorganising your garage storage area its important to see working examples others have completed. This week I have searched the web and found several examples of StoreWALL garage installation ideas.
Two Wall StoreWALL Garage Installation
This is a busy garage on the left has much of the wall area installed with StoreWALL. They have implemented a large range of hooks as well as shelves to manage their many tools, brooms and other gardening equipment. Notice the use of StoreWALL’s specialist pole hanging hooks. They are both secure and can hang multiple poles from the one hook. This approach saves space on your limited wall.
StoreWALL Stairwell Installation
This is a much smaller fit out of StoreWALL. It’s also not in the garage but inside the home. Making better use of your smaller storage areas is ideal use of StoreWALL accessories. In this small area they have lined the wall with StoreWALL panels. The use of accessories has enabled this family to hang and store all sorts of cleaning tools. Each item has its rightful space and so can be returned once used. This eliminates that cluttered cupboard which most of us end up with.
StoreWALL Sporting Garage Installations
This StoreWALL garage installation has been built on only one side of the garage. To the far left we have brackets for storing the bikes horizontally. As you can see this method of storing and hanging bikes is effective but takes up one third of the space. This garage has also combined a range of hooks for helmets and other sporting gear. They have kept all of their sporting balls within tote bags which enables them to see what is held in the bag and easily grab it. In addition you also have box hooks for gardening scissors as well as hooks for smaller ladders and electrical cables.
StoreWALL Fitness Room Installation
Whilst this isn’t your typical garage, many people (including myself) have converted part of their garage area or an internal room into a workout area. This example is rather large but it shows how you can hold weights whether in dumbell form or as free weights using StoreWALL accessories. Baskets and shelves can also be used to hold much of the smaller equipment like skipping ropes, grips and weight gloves. Hooks are then used to hold your boxing gloves, belts and weight balls.
Part Wall StoreWALL Garage Installation
This example shows how you can use StoreWALL for only part of your garage wall and still allow for what is hanging to be removed from the floor. Floor space can be used for heavier items that need to be accessed frequenlty. This garage has installed StoreWALL on the rear wall but has only used StoreWALL on half of it. StoreWALL is installed about 600mm from the ceiling and about 1000mm from the floor. In total you have about 3 panels of StoreWALL running horizontally across the wall. Interestingly this garage wall also has smaller cupboards at one end. StoreWALL has been cut to size around this cupboard to create a clean and professional wall and garage setup.
Complex StoreWALL Garage Installation
If you are looking for a great custom build for your garage then this example will provide you with some inspiration. The owners of this garage have combined 6 sets of mid sized cupboards, two sets of drawers, bench space, built in shelving and a full wall of hanging accessories. This is a very busy wall.
StoreWALL is used end to end on the wall and in-between each of the pieces of furniture, including in between cupboards. The main tool section is above the bench space and in-between the two cupboards. One end of the wall has been lined with hooks to hang a range of garage items from sporting to gardening equipment. They have also added additional StoreWALL shelving to hold baskets and some bags.
Wall to Wall StoreWALL Garage Installation
This is a great example of having StoreWALL from floor to ceiling across the entire garage. Two walls are shown in this example. The garage floor is nicely tiled. StoreWALL’s slatwalls then butt up against the lower tile to create a really clean finish for the wall.
This garage combines tall cupboards, bench space with cupboards as well as hanging cupboards. The range of accessories is minimal at this stage but they combine brackets for the biles and baskets for the larger items.
Notice they also have power points on the wall which they have cut around. Similarly they have trimmed StoreWALL around the windows.
StoreWALL Bike Installation
This basic bike installation was included because we have been inundated with calls regarding bike hooks for the garage. You can see the StoreWALL bike hook in this example holds the bike vertically from the tyre. The rear tyre is either touching the floor or also suspended. If it is not touching the floor then it is likely to be touching the wall.
This garage has combined a range of hooks and baskets to cater for helmets and other bike related gear.
The internet is littered with information about storage options and ideas on organizing small spaces. Reading through much of this information myself on a daily basis I have accumulated a few key Storage Lessons that are worth considering as you review how to take on your next storage challenge.
Storage Lessons 1 – Make Better Use of Overhead Space
Look around your neighbourhood and you can’t miss the number of new homes being built. Not only are they popping up everywhere they are also much bigger than your average home (square feet) but they are also being built with higher ceilings. Higher ceilings makes your rooms look bigger, adds more light into each room but also gives you greater options for overhead storage. By thinking vertically, you can make much better use of this storage area. Think about your kitchen and laundry where storage is at a premium. Extend it to your garage. There are plenty of storage options built specifically for the garage ceiling.
Storage Lessons 2 – Bigger Storage Bins are Not Always Better
Picking the right range of storage containers can be challenging. Size, colour, shape and quality need to be considered. You would naturally think that bigger is better but this is not always the case. Bigger bins can sometimes cause more problems than they solve. Two medium bins can be carried by one person, while a huge bin requires two people. You need to keep weight in mind. The last thing you need is to struggle and potentially spill the bin or worse still hurt yourself trying to access it.
Storage Lessons 3 – The less you use it, the less you should see it
Professional organisers talk about systems when it comes to working through your mess. A key principle they all abide by is “the less you use it, the less you should see it”. Items that you are likely to only use once a year or even less should be placed in rooms or locations that are harder to access. They should not be the first things you see when you enter your storage area. If you are using shelves, place them on the top shelf at the back. The flip side to this is regularly used items need to be close at hand and easy to grab. This applies equally to your garage storage and even kitchen. If your family likes to make smoothies for breakfast, why have the blender in the back of the cupboard.
Storage Lessons 4 – More on Setting Up Systems
Australian homes are typically high pitched with some storage capacity available in the roof. Most people however avoid the roof and simply don’t like going up there. When I look at the roof in my home I can easily stand in the middle section but I have never made any use of this area. Make better use of this area is not difficult nor should it be expensive. Yes it does get dusty but storage bags and containers of various sizes are available which can protect your items.
These areas can be set aside for very specific storage purposes that maybe you won’t need for several years. Placing them in the roof means you know exactly where they are when you need them. An example could be your wedding dress or specific clothing items you have set aside for your children. It might be years between visits but having a specific place for these items makes it easy to remember where they have been placed.
Storage Lessons 5 – Space Saving Ideas
Every inch counts and so when you are looking at storage solutions you need to place and measure your area carefully. If you are using shelves, ensure they are placed close together. Having adjustable shelves also allows you to ensure that all space is used up. If you have 40 or 50mm above the tallest item on each of your shelves, then that is wasted space. Multiply this by 3 or 4 shelves and that is 120 to 160mm of unused space.
Storage Lessons 6 – Storing Food
Whilst Australians don’t generally purchase food in bulk it can make sense with regular items that you don’t want to have to visit your local supermarket for mid week. If our regular breakfast cereals are on sale I will usually purchase 4 or 5 of them and store them in the garage so they are available. Same applies to pasta, flour, canned and bottled sauces, laundry detergent and other cleaning items.
The biggest challenge with storing food however is ensuring you are eating the older items first. It’s important to rotate older food to the front if you’re buying and storing in bulk. Get into the habit of sorting your food by expiration dates.
Storage Lessons 7 – Store less stuff
Your yearly hard rubbish collection is a great time to review your storage options and what you have stored. If there are items you have kept specifically in the hope that the kids might play with it again, it might be time to give them away. Another tip is if you have forgotten that you even had one of “those” that is another trigger to probably consider giving it away. If you don’t even want to remember you have it in your home, it’s probably time to re-home it.
Spend $2,500 or more on StoreWALL products and get a flat shipping rate of just $100! Available to most residents in Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide that live within 20kms of the CBD.
if its in good condition) out enough without causing a family WW3. The clean-out is import because it will free up space for more stuff. It’s also important because in order to install any new garage storage solution, you will need room to work.
