New year, new resolutions, new organised garage

It’s that time of year again. The resolutions to drink less, exercise more, learn a language, take a cooking class or tackle the chaotic mess in your garage are constant reminders of how this year can be the year that we live our best life. Like any resolution, taking the first step can often be the hardest, so we’re here to help you clean out the chaos in your garage. Whether you want to do this on your own or plan on enlisting friends and family, the first step is preparation. You should be able to get your space sorted and organised in a weekend, so set a date and stick to it. If you’re bringing in reinforcements, ensure there’s enough food during the day to feed your crew, they’ll be working up quite an appetite. Ensure that you have enough outside space to remove items from your garage and place into four distinct piles: Keep, donate, throw away and fix. Plan ahead by ensuring you have enough boxes to transport denotable items and plenty of free space in your bin to throw out what you can. When donating, be sure to ask for a tax receipt. Storage tips Here’s where the real planning and foresight comes into play. You’ll want to visualise exactly how you want your gear stored and what’s required to ensure that everything is safe, accessible and clearly labelled. Shelving, storage boxes, peg boards, hooks and even new Steadyracks to keep your bikes out of the way, stored safely while providing additional space. Before you pop that champagne, you’ll want to make sure that everything is off the floor in its designated place. Proper bike storage, along with other sporting items like surfboards, tennis rackets and baseball bats is essential to maintaining your newly organised garage. Anything that is used regularly should be most accessible, by either hanging on the wall or placed on a shelf that easy to reach. Seasonal items, such as holiday decorations and camping gear can be placed on higher shelves. After you survive that weekend of garage organisation, you’ll be ready to learn that new language, while exercising and eating healthier.