Declutter your garage in 10 easy steps

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Having trouble finding things you’ve stored in the garage (let alone making your way out of the car) because it’s full of tools, equipment, boxes and just plain junk? By simply sorting through your belongings, and binning things you don’t need anymore, you can reclaim your space in no time.

For Tara's secret to clutter free success watch the video:

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Before you start

1. Make a date – or several, if your garage is really full – and set aside four hours per day for sorting through all your possessions. That’s probably about as long as you can go without feeling overwhelmed or exhausted.

2. Plan the clean-up for a sunny or rain-free day. Why? Because most of your things will end up outdoors as you sort your stuff into piles to keep, throw, move, donate, toss or sell.

3. Recruit a helper or two to assist you declutter your garage, especially when moving heavier items.

4. Hire a skip bin if you know you’re going to be throwing away a lot of junk.

5. Keep your driveway or lawn clear so you can easily go through your things. Just don’t put items near the road, otherwise people may think you’re giving them away! Go shopping for garbage bags, pegboards, hooks, lidded boxes (on castors, if possible), bins in various sizes and fixed storage systems, including shelves, cabinets and rails. Buy labels and marker pens, too. While you’re out, check if you’ll need any tools to assemble items. That way, you won’t face any delays when you get home.

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On the day

6. Set the mood with music, drinks and snacks – they’ll keep your energy levels up.

7. Move everything out of the garage and onto the lawn or driveway. If your garage is really full, concentrate on one area at a time. Breaking the job down into manageable chunks means you’re more likely to start – and finish – the task at hand. You may find you need to set aside two or three days to organise everything.

8. Throw out junk as you goso you aren’t left with large mountains of garbage. Group similar items together, such as sporting equipment, garden products, power tools and so on.

9. Sweep out the empty garage and fasten any space-saving systems to the walls or ceiling. Elevate bicycles, canoes, etc, with wall-mount storage racks.

10. For smaller items, sort everything you want to keep into boxes, containers and cabinets, or store them neatly on shelves. Stash belongings together by function, which, along with descriptive labelling, will make it easier to find specific items in the future.

WATCH: Helping teenages with storage

Is your garaged filled with tools, equipment and unnecessary items?

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