Garage Organization Ideas

"Many people pull their cars into the garage much farther than they need to," Monica Friel says. A professional organizer in tight-on-space Chicago, Friel recommends that her clients purchase parking blocks that signal the driver when the car is safely in the garage. Of course, the old tennis-ball-on-a-string works just fine, too.

The freed-up space at the front of the garage is ideal for a vertical storage system, like those from Gladiator GarageWorks or Garage Envy, on which you can assemble all the automotive supplies, tools and car-care items like buckets, sponges, soap and wax. For folks on a budget, Friel suggests affordable particle-board shelving and common peg board-and-hook systems. Hobbyists and tinkerers should consider buying (or building) a sturdy workbench.

Regardless of the solution, it should include a lockable storage cabinet for all dangerous power tools, paints, chemicals and solvents.