How to declutter your garage in one day

The garage is the perfect place to store everything from DIY tools to gardening equipment, bikes to fishing gear, and everything in between.

However, it’s all too easy to store miscellaneous items to be sorted “at a later date”. Before you know it, you have a cluttered garage bursting at the seams, and a major feeling of overwhelm.

If this sounds familiar, you’ll be pleased to hear that decluttering your garage is easier than you might think. We guide you through five simple steps to an organised, clutter-free garage. Depending on the size of your garage, you could complete this task in just a day or two.

Let’s take on the challenge of decluttering your garage and realise the potential of this valuable space once and for all.

How to declutter your garage in five simple steps

Staring into the abyss of an overflowing garage and wondering how and where to start with the decluttering process can feel overwhelming.

That’s why this first step is so important: planning and preparing to declutter your garage.

1. Create a garage decluttering plan

Set your objective

First of all, consider what you want to achieve by decluttering your garage. This will give you a clear vision for your efforts.

Do you simply need better organisation so you can more easily access items? Or do you need zoned areas, for example, a DIY workbench, to create a more usable space? Or do you want to store things away neatly to create enough room for your car?

Consider how you want the space to look when you’re finished and the tools/supplies you’ll need to make that happen.

Book the time in your diary

Next, decide when you will embark on this task and dedicate a day or a weekend to complete the decluttering process.

Gather supplies

It’s important to be prepared to help you complete your decluttering within the timeframe you set. Having everything you need on hand will make the process more efficient.

This means having your storage solutions, boxes, hanging rails, pegboards, cleaning products, bin bags, skip, labelling materials etc ready before you start decluttering.

Related content: Find out about the cost of skip hire in our handy guide

2. Empty, sort, and categorise

Empty the garage

Once you’re ready to get started, it’s time to pull everything out of the garage. This will help you to see what you have and what you can get rid of.

Sort your items into categories

Now it’s time to get organised. This starts with creating categories.

Sort the items you’ve taken out of your garage into piles. You’ll likely have categories for:

• Tools/DIY
• Gardening equipment
• Sports equipment
• Seasonal items, e.g decorations

You can then tackle each category, one at a time, sorting through to create the following piles:

• Keep
• Sell (via local selling pages, e.g. Facebook Marketplace)
• Donate (to your local charity shop)
• Recycle (at your local refuse centre)
• Dispose of (items that cannot be salvaged)

Related content: Find licensed waste removal experts near youe

At the end of this task, you’ll be able to see how much stuff you have in each category (gardening, DIY, sports equipment, etc) and therefore what type and how much garage storage you’ll need.

3. Clean and repair

With your garage empty, it’s the ideal time to clean the space and check for any necessary repairs.

• Clear away any cobwebs and grime, sweep the floor, and clean any glazing
• Fill any cracks or holes in the wall
• Check for any areas of damage and organise professional repairs where needed (keep reading for a handy list of contacts at the end of this post)

4. Plan your layout

The next part of decluttering the garage is to create zones for the different categories you’ve identified – one for gardening supplies, one for DIY tools, one for hobby equipment etc.

Think about how much room you need for each category and how often you’ll be accessing them.

For example, many people store bikes near the door to make getting them in and out easier. Whereas winter gear won’t be used that often and so can be packed away.

5. Organise your storage

The final part of the garage decluttering process is selecting storage solutions to help make sure your garage stays organised.

It will not only help you to find your items, but it’ll make it clearer where they live and make sure they’ll be put away properly in future.

The storage solutions you choose will depend on how much you need to store and what those items are:

• Metal floor-to-ceiling shelving will store lots of items, even those that are slightly heavier. They typically have adjustable shelves, offering flexibility for different-sized items
• Clear storage boxes are handy to be able to see what’s inside each container, although many people like to use a labelling system too
• Wall racks, shelves, hooks, and pegboards are great for storing bikes, ladders, and tools to get them off the floor and out of the way
• Overhead ceiling-mounted racks are perfect for bulky camping gear or seasonal sports equipment such as surfboards or skiing gear

Watch our guide for how to declutter your garage

If you have the time and the tools, you could have a go at decluttering your garage yourself. It’s not always an easy job, and if in doubt, we always recommend using a Checkatrade expert. Watch our easy-to-follow video to help size up the job and then decide if you are up to the challenge.

Jobs for the professionals

Decluttering your garage provides the opportunity to make sure it’s safe, secure, watertight, and fit for purpose.

It’d be frustrating if an existing water leak created damage and ruined all your hard work.

Once you’ve emptied your garage, these are some of the key things to check before you start storing things neatly away:

• Electrics: Check electrical sockets are in good working order and are safe. A qualified electrician can help you do this
• Roof: Any visible signs of water damage should be investigated by an experienced roofer
• Garage door: Is your garage door secure and fit for purpose? A garage door technician can tackle a variety of issues
• Windows: Are your garage windows in good repair, including the seals? A local glazier will be able to quote for this work
• Locks: Is your garage safe and secure? A locksmith can make sure of this
• Superficial damage: cracks, holes, or general repairs can be easily addressed by a local handyperson

Call in the experts to help declutter your garage

Whether you need the skills of specific tradespeople to make your garage safe and secure, or the services of a decluttering expert, we can help.

No matter the size or type of job, use qualified professionals who come with verified reviews and recommendations.

We make it easy to find local, thoroughly checked professionals that you can rely on for exceptional quality work.

To see who comes highly rated in your area, add your postcode to the search box, below.