School has started. Fall sports are kicking off. Weekend trips to the beach are winding down. Before you put away the bikes, boogie boards and beach tents, maybe it’s time to take a fresh look at your approach to garage (or basement) storage. If it’s in a state of disarray or you don’t even remember what’s where, you need to take control of the chaos. Although it may feel like a daunting task, laying out a plan and setting aside the time could transform this often-overlooked space into a well-organized storage mecca. Round up a couple of friends and dive in!

Step One: Sort the Stuff

Before we get clean, we must get messy. In this case, it means going through everything. Create three piles on your driveway or yard: Keep, donate or sell, toss. How do you decide what to discard? Get rid of outgrown toys, irreparable broken items, expired household chemicals, and anything you haven’t used in 2 years or more. Make a plan for donating and disposing of these items as soon as possible – they are NOT going back in that garage! Now on to organizing the “keep” pile. Sort these items into broad categories (think “sports equipment” or “garden tools” and place them in labeled boxes or plastic bins.

Step Two: Devise a Plan

If you’re planning to buy anything, like shelves or wall storage panels to aide in your organization strategy, take stock of what space you have available. Measure your garage, take note of windows/doors/switches, and consider how much space your car requires. Then use these rules of thumb in determining what goes where:

1. Regularly used items like cleaning supplies or extra household necessities should be easily accessible. Keep those near a door.

2. Stash seasonal items out of the way – either up or back – yet easily accessible to swap out when the seasons change

3. Store bulky equipment like lawnmowers or snowblowers in locations away from the car, so they don’t get bumped.

Step Three: Enact Your Plan

Everything is sorted. You know how much storage space is available. You’ve figured out what is going where. Now to label it and put it away! The type of storage you choose depends on your needs, budget and personal preferences. Below are options to consider:

1. Shelves versus closed cabinets. Shelves are typically less expensive, easier to access & keep your items in plain sight. Cabinets with doors can be visually appealing but are also more costly and allow you to “hide” any mess.

2. Boxes versus bins. Boxes are more affordable and easier to acquire, but bins can better protect your belongings from insects and, if you get moisture in your garage, mold. If you choose boxes or opaque bins, make sure you label each one! Clear bins should also be labeled but allow you to see what’s inside.

3. Vertical-storage solutions – pegboards, track-based systems or panelized systems. Your best option will depend on what you need to store, as pegboard can’t accommodate heavier items like bicycles, but other systems could require professional installation or a finished & perfectly straight wall.

When your systems are in place, put your bins with labels facing out so you can easily identify and access items. Voilà! Your garage is now organized. To keep it up, set aside time every year to go through your stored belongings and sell, donate or toss what you no longer need.