Garage Organization for Dummies

Is this your garage? It doesn’t have to be.  All you really need to know are a few basic tricks about garage organization. So let’s get started.

The first thing that you need to do is get everything out of the garage.  That way, you’re not continuously shuffling the same stuff back and forth, hindering your progress. One really important note here is that while you’re moving the stuff outside, you have to ask yourself if you’ve used this stuff in the past year or so.  If you have, than that item is a “keeper”.  If not, then you have to decide if it is good enough to donate to a charitable organization or if it goes in the trash. The piles of items in the “donate” and “trash” will take care of themselves shortly, so don’t dwell on them. The “keepers” are going to take some more work.

One of the biggest challenges in organization is having the proper place to store your stuff. Hopefully, you have an organization system in the garage such as shelving, cabinets or overhead racks.  If not, you need to get something to put your stuff on.  If you don’t, then all you are going to do is bring it back in the garage and pile it on the floor.

Regardless of what type of system you use, start by deciding what items are long-term storage items and what is used on a regular basis.  The long-term items like seasonal decorations or that holiday punch bowl need to go up high and out of the way.  The other stuff you’ll want to keep within easy reach.

Now its time for some categorizing.  Separate items into logical groups such as sporting goods, yard tools, household items, automotive stuff, etc.  Now, find a home for each category in whatever storage system that you have at your disposal.  You might want to keep yard tool closest to the side door to your yard for easy access. Golf clubs might go closest to your overhead door so you can easily pop them in the trunk of your car.  And be sure to label your areas so you can put stuff back when your done.

Remember, “A place for everything and everything in it’s place”.

If you need assistance in deciding which type of storage system is best for you, contact your local Monkey bars dealer for a free consultation. If you live in the North Valley Area of Phoenix, call 602-714-0033 for Monkey Bars of Phoenix.

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TOP 5 REASONS FOR HAVING AN ORGANIZED GARAGE IN PHOENIX

Phoenix.  The Valley of the Sun. 330 days of sunshine per year. Gorgeous weather from October through May, but it gets hot in the summer. Blazing hot. Fry an egg on the sidewalk hot.  And yes, its a dry heat.

Which brings us to reason #1 – To protect your investment.  For most folks, your cars are most likely the second biggest investment you make after your home. That being said, why leave them outside the garage, slowly baking in the brutal Arizona sun?  Your paint fades, tires dry out while the interior gets hot enough to bake a souffle. If you’re lucky enough to be able to get your car(s) in the garage along with your piles of “stuff”, you run the risk of dents or scratches due to overcrowding.  Why risk it?

#2 – A safer environment.  Lets face it, stuff laying around your garage floor is an accident waiting to happen.  Rakes, brooms, plastic bins, golf clubs and bicycles can become quite a tripping hazard. And all those bins and boxes are a perfect hiding spot for the creepy critters that live in the desert like spiders and scorpions. Eliminate the hiding places and you eliminate the bugs.

#3 – Easier to keep clean. When everything is organized and off the floor, clean-up is a breeze.  A quick pass with either the broom or leaf blower and you’re done!  No moving stuff out of the way.

#4 – Finding what you need is simple. Once your garage is organized, you can easily find what you need, since everything has a place.  Long term storage items up high and out of the way, while the things that you use more often are within reach.  And be sure to group things together like sports equipment, yard tools, household items and automotive things.

#5 – You’ll be proud of your garage. The garage is arguably one of the largest spaces in your home.  And it’s certainly one of the most visible, due to those giant doors. Why not take pride in it?

Be sure to give Monkey Bars of Phoenix a call at 602-714-0033 to schedule your free consultation and estimate.

 

 

ORGANIZING SPORTS GEAR IN YOUR GARAGE

Is finding the basketball or baseball glove for your child’s practice a weekly fight with your garage? Do you feel like sports gear has taken over? Here are 5 quick and easy steps to help you organize the sports gear in your garage.

 

1.Gather: Go through your garage and gather up all of the sports equipment baseball gloves, basketballs, rock climbing gear, football, skateboards, soccer ball, golf bag, etc. Gathering all of the sports gear that you’re trying to organize will make it possible to see what you have and if you need to keep it.

2. Purge: Once you have everything gathered together decide what you still use and what you don’t. Recycle the gear that is broken and donate those items that are no longer being used. For example if your son had a size 3 soccer ball when he played at age 4, but has a size 4 ball now that he is 8, you can donate the smaller one.

3. Assess: Once you have narrowed down the sports equipment in your garage look at what you have and decide how you would like it stored. Is it something your children use all year or only during the summer? If it’s all year, you may want to make a place lower for easy access but if its used only during the summer like goggles and pool toys try finding a place that is still easy access but not as visible all year round, like the bottom shelf in a cabinet.

4. Determine Supplies: Organization supplies range in pricing. Ball bags, shelving, and hooks are a great and affordable way to get all of that equipment off of the ground. If you already have a cabinet and its only half being used try using plastic containers for the smaller items like baseballs, golf balls, golf tees, and tennis balls.

5. Put Everything Away And Label: Once you have your supplies get everything off your floor and put them in their newfound places. Label anything and everything you can! This will increase the probability of your children putting their sports gear back in its correct spot.

STARTING THE YEAR OFF RIGHT

2013 is just around the corner, so this is the perfect opportunity to kick it off right.

Smoke detectors are a great invention. They save countless numbers of lives throughout the year, are inexpensive and keep working quietly all year long. That is until they start singing the “low battery chirp” at  2:30 in the morning.  And they never sing this song together.  It’s always a solo performance which precedes clever sleuthing on your part as you try to figure out which one is the culprit.   This year, be proactive and go out and buy enough 9 volt batteries for all your detectors and change them all at the same time.  Alkaline batteries will last a year or more, or you can really do it right by getting lithium batteries.  These babies are pricey, but are advertised to last up to 10 years in smoke detectors.

Start taking better care of yourself.  No, I don’t mean running out and buying yourself a sports car.  I mean take better care of your health.  And, you don’t have to do anything monumental, either. Start with something as small as portion control.  Every meal doesn’t have to leave you feeling like you’ve consumed a thanksgiving dinner.  Have a salad instead of bread.  Don’t skip desert, just have less.  If you’re a smoker, try cutting out one or two cigarettes a day.  Convert your “smoke break” into a “health break” by spending the 15 minutes walking instead of lighting up. Every little bit helps.

Skip the New Years Resolutions.  Nobody ever keeps ’em anyways. (Remember the Nordic Track machine in the guest room that is now nothing more than an $800 coat rack?) Instead, create conditions for success by establishing realistic goals for whatever you want to achieve.  For instance, if you want to lose some weight, set goals in small, but continuing increments.  In our minds, 5 pounds is much more achievable than 50 pounds.

For many folks, the new year renews the pledge to get organized. And I’m not just talking about people who could easily be starring in an episode of the TV show “Hoarders”. Perhaps it’s the spare bedroom that has become the catch-all room.  Maybe its as small as the “junk drawer” in the kitchen. For a lot of folks here in the Valley of the Sun, its the garage. Where ever it is, start the organizing process by picking up one item at a time and asking yourself “Have I used or needed this in the past year?”  If the honest answer is yes, then its a keeper.  If not, then make plans to get rid of it.  Sooner or later, you will be down to a manageable pile.  Remember what I said about creating conditions for success? Give yourself a realistic goal concerning getting organized.  It’s like eating an elephant; you can’t do it in one bite.  But after many small bites, the elephant is gone.

If getting your garage organized is on your “to do” list this year, contact your local Monkey Bar Storage Product dealer for a free consultation.  Whether its shelving, cabinets or overhead storage, Monkey Bars Storage has your solution. www.azgarageconcepts.com

This is the year I get organized.

 2013.  A brand new year.  And it’s right around the corner.  If this is the year that you are going to get serious about organizing your garage, here are some tips that will help.

Give yourself enough time to get the job done.  If you’ve just moved into a house and only have a few boxes to deal with, then a couple of hours will do the trick.  But if you’ve been parking your car outside for several years ’cause it won’t fit in the garage, then it’s probably going to take at least a full day. The actual organizing process consists of 3 parts: Separating, Categorizing and Storing.  Lets get started.

Separating

This is going to be hard for some folks. Really hard. Start by making small signs that read Keep, Donate and Trash. Next, physically go and touch every item that is in your garage and ask yourself this question. “Have I used this in the past year?” If the answer is yes, then it goes in the pile marked keep.  If the answer is no, then decide if its good enough to donate to a charitable organization or if its junk that you’ve been storing for years. Place the item in the appropriate pile. Now do this for everything in the garage.

When you are done, there should be three piles. The good news is that you are only going to have to focus on the keepers. The trash pile is self-explanatory.  The donate pile is really easy.  If there are just a few items, load ‘em in your car or truck and drop them off at a collection point. If you have a lot of items or large items, call your charity and they will come and get them. Lets move on with the keepers.

Categorizing

Regardless of which type of storage system you’re using (shelving, cabinets, ceiling-hung or a combination of several), you want to make your organizing system “user-friendly”. If not, things won’t stay organized for very long. We advocate the separation of long-term storage items (things you use infrequently like seasonal decorations, the Christmas tree, luggage, etc.) from the things that you use on a regular basis ( bikes, sporting goods, yard tools and strollers). The long-term storage items need to be placed up high, since you only need them once in a while. The short-term items need to be placed low enough so they are convenient to get to.

Once you’ve separated long-term storage items from short-term storage items, let’s get into the weeds a bit with the short-term storage items and start to group them logically. Yard tools together, sports equipment, bikes, toys, automotive, hobby stuff, strollers and car seats, ladders, etc.  Whatever grouping makes sense to you is fine. We’re finally ready to start putting stuff away.

Storing

Regardless of your storage system, start with the long-term items and get them up as high as you possibly can. Once this is done, you’re ready to tackle the short-term items. The items that you use the most should be stored closest to the door for convenience. Other items can be stored by groups as necessary. Another reason for grouping your items is that by default, it’s a basic form of organization unto itself.

Getting Help

Organizing a garage can be an overwhelming task.  It may be prudent to consult a professional organizer for guidance and assistance.  The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has chapters throughout the country.  Or, you can contact a garage storage professional such as your local Monkey Bars Storage dealer.  They will provide you with a free consultation regarding your particular garage storage needs and make cost-effective recommendations to transform your garage organization resolution into reality.

ATTENTION ALL CHRISTMAS GARAGE ORGANIZATION SEEKERS!

Only eleven more days until Christmas.  It’s time to get serious about doing some shopping.  Remember last year when you waited until  Christmas Eve and  did your shopping at Walgreen’s?  Not that your better half didn’t appreciate the Canada Mints and Yanni’s Greatest Hits CD. I’m sure they were really impressed.

But this year, you can do better. Much better.

There is still time to contact your local Monkey Bars Garage Storage dealer and get something they really want.  Garage organization.

Choose from the wall-mounted and patented Monkey Bars shelf / rack system, a ceiling-hung rack or two, a garage vacuum system or maybe even that epoxy garage floor coating they’ve been talking about for months.  A bike rack would be a great stocking stuffer, too.

And if you call them now, you can have it installed before the big day. Heck, they’ll even help you load up your new system after they finish the installation and put a red bow on it for you.

But time is running out.  Do your shopping at http://www.azgarageconcepts.com or call us at 602-714-0033.

Or, there’s always Yanni’s Greatest Hits, Volume II.

Time to get those decorations out.

Strings of lights. Carolers. Angels.  

Boxes and boxes of ornaments. And lets not forget the tree in that giant box.  It’s all stashed away in the corner of your garage.  ‘Tis the season.

We all love Christmas and the wonderful decorations that come with the season.  But those decorations are taking up space.  Lots of space. Now that you’ve moved all this stuff, maybe its time to start thinking about getting the garage organized before you have to put it all back in the corner on the floor.

If garage organization is in your future, consider this. The Monkey Bars Garage Organization System stores more of your stuff in 1/3 the space of conventional storage systems.  And all your stuff is off the floor, too. We use the proven principle of separating long-term storage from short-term storage.  Long term items like Christmas decorations, go up high on the shelf (which is rated to hold more than 1,000 pounds every 4’); while the items that you use more often such as bikes, golf clubs, folding chairs and yard tools are hung on movable bars and hooks within easy reach below the shelf.

Most installations can be completed in less than a day, and the entire installation is warranted for life. Best of all, when the installation is complete, we even help you load all your stuff onto the shelves.

So if you want to get organized before you take down Christmas or have the need to start next year off right, call us at 602-714-0033.  You can also check out our website at http://www.azgarageconcepts.com.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Monkey Bars of Phoenix.

5 HOME IMPROVEMENT & REMODELING IDEAS

We’re still in a buyer’s market according to the latest real estate statistics. For those looking to purchase a home, the time is right. Prices are down and interest rates are low. On the other hand, more homeowners are making the decision to stay in their current location, at least until the market returns. With this in mind, more people are looking for home improvement ideas that will not only make their home more comfortable to live in right now, but will also increase the value of their home when it comes time to sell. This is a smart consideration, since many home improvements can actually detract from your home’s value when it comes time to sell. Believe it or not, most people aren’t really looking for a back bedroom that’s been converted into a recording studio.

So, how do you know which home improvement projects are the best overall investments and which should be avoided? Below, we’ve given you 5 solid home improvement ideas that will increase the value of your home. When making your final decisions just keep in mind that the more people your remodeling idea will appeal to, the better off you are.

Updating Kitchen Appliances – Most people consider the kitchen to be the focal point of the home. Because of this fact, updating your kitchen with the latest appliances will always pay off. According to statistics, you can expect to recoup up to 120% of the investment you make in your kitchen. With that in mind, new tile, cabinets, and countertops are always a sound investment as well.

Add a Garage Organization System – Everyone these days is trying to fit more stuff into smaller spaces. With that in mind, the addition of a garage shelving system is very attractive to potential buyers. Garage overhead storage and the addition of garage storage shelves along one or more of the side walls can provide a place for holiday items, stored memorabilia, luggage, sporting goods, and other large items that would normally take up precious space in the back of a closet. By using hooks along with the garage storage shelves, you’ll also be able to get yard tools, hoses, bikes, and other items up off the garage floor. Garage organization systems are a smart addition to any home, but if your home is lacking in square footage, investing in extra storage space can make it or break it when it comes to selling your home.

Fresh Paint – Repainting is almost a given when you are about to sell, and luckily it’s one of the most inexpensive ways to increase your home’s asking price. While you are living in your home, paint your rooms whatever color makes you happy, but always revert to warm, neutrals when you get ready to sell. You may think a red bathroom decorated with Scarface memorabilia is awesome, but chances are good that your new home buyers will not agree.

Energy Efficiency– One of the first questions many potential home buyers ask these days is, “How much is your average electric bill?” By saving your statements for the past 12 months and providing the figures, you’ll have the upper hand over other homes for sale. Installing energy efficient windows and Energy Star rated appliances can reduce your energy bill by as much as $500 per year. If you can show the drop in your monthly bill after the installation of certain items, you’ve got a huge selling point. There are also tax credits for energy efficient windows that you may qualify for.

Home Office or Room Addition – Garage organization and storage shelves are a great first step, but have you considered a garage remodel? By turning a portion of your garage into an extra bedroom or home office, you will create more space for yourself as well as appealing to a whole new group of people when it comes time to sell your home. With more people than ever working from home, a home office is a very attractive feature.

With these solid ideas you should have an excellent starting point and source of inspiration. Whenever contemplating certain projects, just keep in mind to create a win/win situation, — useful to you and to potential buyers down the road.

National Clean Out the Your Garage Day

Today is National Clean Out The Garage Day here in America.

This is a great opportunity to better utilize one of the biggest spaces in your home. If you’re doing it today, just follow the 5 step process that we outlined in a previous post. You’ll feel better when its done.

Even if you don’t actually get out in the garage today and finally make room for your car, at least you can start thinking about it. Take a look at what you have in there. Is there anything that you can live without? When you come across some items that you don’t want anymore, you can turn those items into cash by having a garage sale. If its junk, just get rid of it. If its still in good condition, is it something that you can safely donate to a charitable organization such as St. Vincent de Paul or Goodwill? (If you have a few items, you’ll have to drop them off yourself. But if you have a lot of stuff, they will come and get it from your home.)

See, you’ve already made a dent in your garage chaos. Watch for upcoming posts on the actual process of cleaning and organizing that garage of yours. We’ll help you through the process when you’re ready to start.

Be sure to check out our website http://www.azgarageconcepts.com for a complete line of garage organizational products.