In the past, most garages were exclusively used to park vehicles. Nowadays, however, about a third of homeowners whose property has a garage, use it for hobbies and storage. But storing things in your garage, and using it as a workshop can be quite the challenge. Clutter can easily build up and the garage can become a minesweeper where an accident is just waiting to happen. Many homeowners neglect the importance of safe and proper storage of items, thinking that it would require a lot of money, renovation and effort to install storage solutions. But in reality, organising this space can be one of the most affordable and effortless investments you can make, and you can probably transform it on a Sunday afternoon.

But before you get to organise your garage or workshop, you need to declutter it, as it’s probably become home to all the different things you don’t need in your home and you’ve just thrown them into the garage just to get them out of the way. Cleaning and sorting these items can take a whole afternoon, or just an hour or two, depending on how messy your space is in the first place.

Ideally, you should sort everything you have in three piles, one that you’ll keep, one that you’ll donate or sell, and one that’s going straight to the garbage. Organise the things you’re going to keep into subcategories like tools, camping gear, sports gear, etc. Next, plan out your space before you put everything in its “forever home”. Take measurements of your workshop or garage, and draft a floor plan. Items that you won’t be using frequently can go to the hard-to-reach places, while the items you’re going to use on a regular basis should be placed in easily-accessible places.

Then, you should consider investing in storage solutions like a parts storage bin, overhead storage solutions, cabinet drawers, pegboards and slat walls. Some of these solutions are more affordable than others. For instance, a parts storage bin won’t cost you more than a few bucks, whereas a professional cabinet drawer can cost up to several hundred dollars. Of course, you’ll get more out of the cabinet drawer than you would from the parts storage bin, but it’s up to you to figure out whether the value you get is worth the money you spend. Besides a parts storage bin and cabinet drawers, here’s what the other aforementioned storage solutions can offer and how they can make your garage more organised.

Overhead storage solutions like shelves are ideal for garages and workshops where floor space is scarce. You can store camping gear, tools, sports equipment, as well as seasonal items. Wire or wooden shelves work best, as they allow you to have an unobstructed vision of all the items you’ve stored and access them easily as well. Unlike cabinets that need clearance space, shelves don’t require any more space than what they need to be placed securely on the wall. However, the downside to this is that everything is in plain sight, so you’ll need to keep it organised to make it look good.

Pegboards, on the other hand, are ideal for hanging and organising items that you’re using on a daily basis. You can attach pegs and hooks to a thick pegboard and create a display of items like hardware, hand tools and gardening tools. This storage solution is easy to rearrange and is quite sturdy. You can use as many pegboards as you need to get the most out of the wall space in your workshop or garage, which is particularly useful if you don’t have room for shelves. Slatwall storage systems are similar to pegboards, except it’s a system that involves a series of grooved panels. You can attach a variety of brackets, hooks, shelves and baskets to the grooves, which makes this system extremely versatile. Slatwall storage systems are more adaptable and affordable than most cabinetry, and they take up less space.

Lastly, you can get plastic totes (storage tower), which are a great way to organise and protect your belongings. However, plastic totes can be difficult to access, especially when stacked. Installing a garage storage tower is an affordable project that can be completed in a day or two. This storage solution will let you store your totes and other boxes, and you’ll be able to easily slide totes in and out without having to move other totes and boxes in the stack.

Either one of these storage solutions can make your cluttered garage or workshop a cleaner, safer and more spacious place where you’ll be able to work on different projects more efficiently. It’s an affordable investment in terms of money and time that will provide you with many benefits, and make your time spent inside the garage or workshop much more enjoyable.