82% of homes have 2-car garages, or larger, yet only 15% use their garage to park their cars inside.
While garages serve many different purposes, the primary function of the garage is to house cars. However, for approximately 1 out of 4 Americans, the garage is so cluttered and disorganized it can’t fit even one car.
A survey done by Gladiator GarageWorks, a leader in garage organization and storage systems, “found that one out of five homeowners have actually gotten into an argument with their spouse about the organizational state of their garage.”
Big Investment
A car is a very large investment for most people. The average cost of a new car or truck in the U.S. is $33,560. A vehicle is likely worth much more than the “stuff” stored in the garage.
Parking your car in the garage shelters it from bad weather, preserves the car’s value, protects it from vandalism or theft, avoids accidental damage, and best of all, it can lower your insurance premiums. Additionally, an uncluttered front of the house could potentially improve curb appeal and increase your home’s value.
It’s time to get the car in the garage.
Get a Game Plan
The garage may mean different things to homeowners. The Gladiator GarageWorks survey found:
- – 27% of people use the garage for hobbies.
- – 23% of people use the garage to work on cars.
- – 19% of people use the garage for a hobby, such as woodworking or carpentry.
- – 13% of people use the garage for exercise or sports.
It’s possible to continue to use the garage for the activity of your choice, but the bottomline is that it’s also time to use the garage for what it’s designed for, parking the car.
Three out of four homeowners surveyed said they wished that they had a better organized garage with better storage solutions.
It’s not as overwhelming as you think. Take it step-by-step and you will soon have an orderly garage that can be used for your activites, storage, and your car.
Organize into “Zones” – Begin by visualizing “zones” with specific areas for sports equipment, tools, lawn equipment, etc. Once this is established it is easier to start planning the space and organizing.
Wipe Out the Waste – One of the biggest issues with garage organization is the clutter. The garage tends to become a “catchall” for the things that have no space in the home or things people don’t want to donate or trash. Most homeowners have no idea what is even in the garage. Get touch on deciding what to keep and what to toss, then call a local donation center, toss it in the trash, or have a garage sale. Get rid of the junk you don’t need.
Maximize the Space – There are a variety of storage solutions available to take advantage of every square inch of the garage. From overhead storage racks, to car storage racks, to wall hook and basket systems and shelves, the options are great.
Get Organized in 2018
The team at Garage Store can help you visualize the storage options and our professionals can determine how to best use the space you have to organize your things and get your car in the garage.
The garage doesn’t have to be an embarrassing mess!
Garage Store is a designer and installer of custom garage organization solutions and concrete coating systems. We are proud to be the approved Gladiator GarageWorks designer and installer for Illinois. We offer full service insured professional in-house contractors for drywall, painting, organization installs and concrete coating systems. Free Estimates available.