5 practical ways to spruce up your garage

Most garages do much more than storing vehicles. Many people use their garages for storage, or to keep their laundry facilities. As garages are not so visible, it’s easy to let them become dirty and disorganised. An untidy garage can cause you stress and frustration, as you waste precious time searching for things. Here are our top five ways to make your garage look more pleasant:

1. Declutter and clean

Have a good clear-out. Get rid of things that are broken and hold a garage sale or donate to your local charity shop if you have serviceable unwanted goods. Go through everything and be ruthless. Lay everything out, and only keep things that work and that you need. A garage is often used to contain a vast array of items that are useless or broken, so start your garage makeover by getting rid of the clutter.

2. Organise

Once you have rid yourself of any useless clutter, you need to organise what remains. Large, lidded plastic storage boxes are great for this. Sort similar items and place them in a box, then clearly label it with a permanent marker. These boxes can be stacked neatly in one area, making more space and ensuring that everything is easy to find. Use cupboards, racks or rails to store things tidily.

3. Paint

Painting is always a fast, cheap way to transform a space. While you have everything out for sorting, take advantage of having room to paint the walls. Choose strong, bold colours which don’t easily show dust and dirt. Especially if you have wooden garage doors, you must keep them well painted and oiled. This not only protects them from weather damage but keeps them good looking and functioning properly.

4. Divide the space

If you use parts of your garage for different things, divide the space clearly. If one part is for laundry, then install a proper sink and keep the washer and dryer beside each other. Use one cupboard to store your detergents and cleaning agents, and another one where the dirty clothes can go. Keep this area extra clean.

If another part is for gardening tools, create a space where they can all be easily seen and reached. Make racks or put up nails and draw around the object which should hang there. This way, you can always easily find what you need and make sure it goes back to the same place. This is a great way to organise your DIY tools as well. Take time to go through your socket, drill and accessory containers and place each piece where it should go. It might take a while, but in the long run, you won’t have odd bits lying about and will be able to easily locate what you need when you need it. Always remember to clean your mechanical, DIY and garden tools well before replacing them in their spot to keep your garage clean and functional. Make another separate area for bikes, skates and other recreational items.

5. Extend

If you simply cannot get rid of enough things to organise everything neatly in the garage, you might want to think about extending or rebuilding.  Also, if your garage is in a bad state of repair, valuable items could be getting damaged within it. Consider applying for a loan to extend or rebuild. A garage extension is usually easy to get permission for and can provide you with lots of extra space. It also adds value to your home, making it a sound investment.

Johanna Cider is a freelance writer from New Zealand with a passion for writing about travel, home, and lifestyle. She gets inspiration from her extensive collection of design magazines and her favourite home improvement shows. See more of her work here.

The opinions expressed in this article should not be taken as financial advice, or a recommendation of any financial product. Squirrel shall not be liable or responsible for any information, omissions, or errors present. Any commentary provided are the personal views of the author and are not necessarily representative of the views and opinions of Squirrel. We recommend seeking professional investment and/or mortgage advice before taking any action.

To view our disclosure statements and other legal information, please visit our Legal Agreements page here.