Imagine being able to park your cars in your small garage and also have ample storage and a well–functioning space. If this seems impossible to you, here are some ideas from Orlando garage organization experts, Garage Design Works, to make it happen.

• Unload the Excess Items: Go through your garage and identify those items that you no longer need. Remember the set of horseshoes your neighbor gave you ten years ago that you never used? It’s time for them to live in someone else’s garage!  Do you really need those four ladders and the six tubs of old paint that are taking up space? Have a garage sale and sell this menagerie of stuff. Trash or donate anything that doesn’t sell.

• Box-up the Smaller Items: Use bins or boxes to put smaller items that are related in function together. This will help tremendously when you decide where their final home will be.

• Take Measurements: Determine how much room you will need for your cars, storage cabinets, tools, and outdoor sports equipment. Measure the height, width, and length of your garage. Take note of the position of your garage doors when opened so you don’t count this as usable space.

• Plan the Layout: Draw an outline of your garage interior on paper using your measurements. Draw boxes to scale on a piece of graph paper to represent the items that will occupy the space. Place the boxes on the paper where you plan to locate them. A CAD drawing program would be of great help depicting the layout if you have one.

• Decide on Storage Options: In a small garage, your object is to make maximum use out of minimal space. Keep as much off the floor as possible. Tall cabinets on caster wheels, such as our Gladiator Premiere Series Cabinets, will give your garage an uncluttered look and enable you to move things around, if necessary. Think about overhead storage systems for large, seasonal sports equipment or decorations, as well as wall rack and hook organizational systems to give you more storage for larger items you use more frequently.

• Be Practical: If your garage has one electrical outlet, think about what you place in front of it. Your outlets should be easily accessible, not located on a wall behind a cabinet.

• Use Neutral Colors to Make Your Garage Look Larger: Black and white squares or other large geometrical patterns on the floor will only serve to diminish its size. In fact, a neutral glossy finish will reflect light better, making the space seem larger.

If you don’t have the time to develop a floor plan for your garage, call the Orlando garage organization experts at Garage Design Works for your free in-home consultation at 407-447-8890. Put your small garage in our hands and we will easily maximize its functional space with our various durable organizational systems.