Garage Makeover: S.T.O.P. Clutter

Thanks to LiftMaster® for this great article!

Has your garage turned into a parking spot for stuff and not your car? According to a Garage-Trends Survey, the average American stores $6,500 worth of gear in the garage. The garage tends to be the landing spot for all possessions that do not have a place within your house.

How can you possibly get garage clutter under control? Lifestyle expert Korey Provencher developed S.T.O.P., a simple system to get your garage organized:

S – Sort: First and foremost, it is important to take everything out of your garage and place it out into the open so you can see what you have. Also, this is an important step in determining what you can get rid of. Sort all of the items you have removed into categories such as sporting equipment, tools, and toys.

T – Talk and Trash: Get your whole family involved in the process of deciding what you need, what is trash, and what can be donated to charity.

O – Organize: Stop! Don’t put anything back into your garage until you’ve created an organized, manageable system. For example, you can organize by categories such as sporting equipment, tools, and toys. Also, you may want to consider organizing by seasons to smooth transitions or give each family member their own designated area.

P – Place: Now it is time to put everything away in its designated space. Consider making a family pact so everyone agrees to always put things back in the right place. This will ensure that your newly organized garage is around for the long-term.

Now that you’ve finally eliminated the clutter from your garage, Provencher recommends a technology makeover:

“The new garage door openers are much quieter, more stylish and some even come equipped with a battery backup. You can also add accessories that will automatically turn on the lights in the garage or house or alert you if the garage door is open. And remember that tennis ball? Replace it with a laser-operated device that helps you park perfectly every time.”

The Chamberlain Group, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of garage door openers and home access accessories, provides some ideas for products to give your garage a technology makeover:

The EverCharge Battery Backup: In case of a power outage, the battery backup will provide power to the garage door opener, keypad, and remote controls for up to two days.

Laser Garage Parking Assist: This parking assist is easy-to-install and displays a bright laser light onto your car’s dashboard in order to guide you into your parking spot.

Chamberlain’s Garage Door Monitor: The monitor has a sensor that will send a signal, a flashing red light, to the monitor inside of the house to notify you that the garage door is open, ensuring your safety.

Be sure to share this post with others who may be in need of a garage makeover using the social bookmarking tools below! Also, feel free to leave your tips or suggestions for organizing your garage in the comment box below!