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Overhead Bins
Zillow Digs home in Mountain View, CA
Jam-packed with sports equipment and seasonal decorations—and let’s not forget about the cars—many garages are seriously lacking in storage space. But as any organized garage owner knows, when you’re searching for places to stash, look up, not around. Ceiling-mounted racks can house any unsightly boxes you don’t need constant access to, and better yet, you’ll barely even notice they’re there.
Slatted System
A simple wood-slat wall can make a huge difference in organizing a garage. This version boasts plenty of space for racks of varying size to hold tools, accessories, and even cleaning products that would otherwise eat up room on the floor. The genius of this trick lies in its flexible customization, which makes it easy to rearrange items as your needs change.
Standing Room
Every garage is filled to the brim with awkwardly shaped items like brooms, shovels, and baseball bats. They can’t be stacked, aren’t uniform in size, and can’t stand up on their own—so what do you do? Build a storage corral like this one, of course! This quick build will keep things upright and ensure that the items take up as little space as possible.
Related: Get Organized: 25 Clever Ideas for Repurposed Storage
Garage-Wall Mudroom
The walls of your garage are chock-full of possibilities for a DIY mudroom. Cubbies make for easy shoe-stashing spots, hooks hold equipment or outerwear, and closed cabinets on top can house any off-season items you don’t want to look at but still need to store. Plus, you’ll love how this outdoor zone for muddy boots and wet umbrellas makes indoor cleanup even easier.
Work Space on Wheels
Zillow Digs home in Cave Creek, AZ
If the garage is your DIY playground, then you know the pain of trying to drill, hammer, or saw within tight constraints. Install casters on benches, tool chests, and other essential work surfaces to simplify your life. Mobile workstations will not only help you carve out space when you need it, but also make cleanup and storage a cinch.
Related: The Essential Toolbox: 12 Tools You Can’t DIY Without
Personalized Pegboard
Installing pegboard gives you great organizational flexibility—just look at this smart solution that basically doubles the storage space of this garage! Once the pegboard’s installed, there are plenty of options for hooks, baskets, and bins to corral everything from paint rollers to screws. And if your needs change, you can always rearrange.
Related: 9 Ways to Get on Board with Pegboard
Basic Bins
They’re not fancy, but bins are a necessity in a neatly organized garage. Buying the same model in bulk will ensure that the bins stack together properly, and buying bins of the same color will reduce the visual clutter that these storage saviors usually bring. No matter what bins you choose, always label the outside to make finding and putting away items as efficient as possible.
Magic Magnets
A magnetic strip is an oft-forgotten trick that can store your tools close at hand but out of the way. Because it keeps your work surfaces and your garage space clean, this may be the easiest solution to get—and stay—organized.
Corner Unit
Tall corner shelving is key when you’re trying to squeeze every last bit of storage space out of even the smallest corner in a busy garage. Ideal for stashing bins, toys, and other extras, these wooden wonders can make a huge difference in keeping your floor space clear. Plus, if you can’t find the right size, there are plenty of ways to DIY your own.
Simply Stored
In any organized garage, it’s important to make every square inch of wall space do some work. Remember that many items that are impossible to stack can be neatly stored with inexpensive racks. Here, folding chairs are neatly hung on the wall, opening up a ton of floor space and making it much easier to get ready for family parties.
Now You See It…
If you don’t have the square footage to keep a work table set up at all times, install a space-saving solution that folds down when not in use. You retain precious real estate on the floor but still have have a surface to support your weekend DIYs when inspiration strikes.
Related: Get to Work! 15 DIY Workbenches, Craft Counters, and Potting Tables
Double-Duty Display
Stacking items on top of wall shelves is a given, but don’t forget about the storage opportunities that lie beneath the shelves as well. Bungee cords, carabiners, or hooks can smartly suspend bikes, sawhorses, and other bulky items that don’t quite fit elsewhere.