Is the dad in your family tired of losing things buried in clutter? Tools? Sports equipment? The backup fridge? Do you think he’d be happier if he could actually find what he needed when he needed it?
This year, forget the tie. It’s 2014. Organization is hip. Rad. In. Organization is totally awesome!
The garage is the only part of your house that is open for all your neighbors to see. Does it reflect the right image? Are you proud or embarrassed each time the garage door opens? Or are you afraid to open it in case one of your neighbors is nearby?
I have an idea: Give dad the gift of an organized garage! You can do it either as a family project or on your own and surprise him with the finished result! But unless you know him really, really well, I suggest you include him so he can decide what stays or goes and also plan the space according to his preferences. On Sunday, give him a Father’s Day card and include a picture of an organized garage. See how long it takes him to figure it out.
It’s not hard to organize the garage and the results are definitely worth the time and labor. Here are 11 tips.
- Pick a spot to start and continue from there. Don’t skip around.
- If you have room inside, sort things by category (gardening, sports, tools). If not, sort outside.
- Put things you’re eliminating in donation, recycle or trash bins and then get rid of them.
- Plan the space. Do you want to hire a professional installation company or install shelving units, cabinets and pegboard yourselves? Do you want a workbench? Hang bikes and other items on the wall? Have overhead storage? Have room for actual cars and how many? Search online for ideas.
- Put like things together — hammers, screwdrivers and nails are a category (Tools) and bikes, golf clubs and soccer balls are another (Sports).
- If you have young children, put chemicals in a locked cabinet or on a high shelf they can’t access. Bolt cabinets to the wall.
- Create homes (places) for every single thing.
- Clean the garage before putting things away.
It’s the gift that keeps on giving — just follow these simple maintenance tips and the space will be organized…forever!
- Put things back in their homes immediately after use. Then you’ll know where everything is located and have instant retrieval next time.
- When adding an item, put it with similar items (see #5).
- The instant you realize something is no longer wanted, eliminate it. Don’t put it aside for now.
You’ll be amazed by how much space will be gained after getting rid of the accumulated junk.
It can take from a few hours to a few days to do, depending on how much stuff you have and how much time you spend working on it. That’s OK. It doesn’t have to be done all at once. Just keep the project going at regular intervals.
If you need professional help, whether just to get started or throughout the whole project, feel free to contact me. I am passionate about helping people to get organized! I’ll give you lots of tips and motivation too. Gift certificates are available.
I guarantee dad won’t want to return this Father’s Day gift! Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!
Product of the Month
Nextdoor.com
Nextdoor.com is a free, private social network that connects people in their neighborhoods. It was developed in 2010 by three entrepreneurs who had worked at Microsoft, Yahoo and other leading tech companies. In 2013 it was named by Time magazine as one of the best 50 Web sites.
Their idea is to make neighborhoods stronger and safer. Neighbors connect online to share information about local resources, issues, alerts, finding a lost dog or anything of interest. People are verified before being allowed to join. The information posted by members is visible only to members of their group. Each member decides how much personal information to share.If you’d like to strengthen your neighborhood, this is a free, fun and unique way to do it. For information, go to NextDoor.com.
Notable Quote
Only in America do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and lock useless things and junk in boxes in the garage. ~Yakov Smirnoff
My June Engagement
Saturday, June 14 — Co-presenter at Second Saturday, a monthly workshop for women in transition due to divorce or widowhood. Hosted by the Women’s Independence Network, the workshops are held from 9:00 am-12:00 pm at Montgomery County Community College. Any women going through this transition who is in need of support and resources is welcome. For $45, attendees get tons of information and advice, typically from two attorneys (divorce and estate planning), a therapist and/or coach, a financial planner and, as the professional organizer, I talk about organization — also home staging, downsizing and redesign, if applicable. Register here. For more information, go to www.allaboutwin.com, call WIN at 855-200-iWIN, or call me at 215.540.9401.
Find me on Social Media
To learn more about me, visit my LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/in/adrianeweinberg
I’m trying to build my social media presence so I’d really appreciate endorsements and testimonials! I had to delete a bunch of endorsements that had nothing to do with my business so that area is looking pretty lean…
Facebook is coming soon.
