40 garage hacks that are borderline genius | loveproperty.com

2022-06-15 16:07:20 By : Ms. Catherine Zhou

Perfect for creating an easy-access gardening corner, this handy potting bench with drawers, is the ideal place to stash your gardening equipment. Add hooks or nails close by to hang your large tools and install shelves to store smaller items such as secateurs. Lastly, a welly boot rack can double up as pot storage.

This practical wooden shelf organises your power tools but also doubles up as a charging station. The clever wall-mounted shelving keeps power tools safely within reach while the open design has holes to string electrical cords through so you can plug in power tools to charge on the shelf. That means there’s no need to pull them from the toolbox and waste valuable worktop space! 

Make use of every square inch of shelving by screwing lids of plastic storage jars to the underside of shelf planks. Like this storage hack by Benita Larsson, smaller hardware such as nails, nuts and bolts can be stored neatly together to keep any work surfaces clear and uncluttered. 

Sports fanatics and families can have a lot of balls which are hard to store. Stop them from rolling around the garage floor by creating a dedicated area children will enjoy popping them away in. Bungy ropes and cords are foolproof as the flexible material keeps the awkward sphere shapes in place while allowing easy access. 

If tool storage is your main reason for reorganising your garage, it's important to keep everything you use regularly to hand. Hang your favourite tools on a wall, or like The Wood Brothers have, merge it with a workbench at the back of the garage. You can also use magnetic storage for ease.

Wall track rails make handy storage options for large items like fold-up chairs and step ladders. The metal versions used here by  Driven By Decor can be adjustable and take all sorts of hook styles. Or, if you prefer something a little more stylish wooden peg rails add a practical, rustic touch.

Give unwanted furniture a new purpose as a thrifty and practical storage solution. We love this vintage-look garden tool storage by Trash to Treasure. Turned on its side the metal locker keeps long-handled items safely stored while a pegboard mounted to the side is a genius way to store smaller tools.

Keep cordless drills safe and orderly with these under-shelf holders made from ordinary PVC pipes. A video by YouTube channel Well Done Tips shows how to cut the pipe to length – you can use a hand saw or a rotary tool – and then uses a heat gun to gently soften the pipe, widening it out until it fits the body of the tool perfectly. Any rough edges can be sanded before drilling three holes in the top and using these as guides to insert screws and washers which attach directly to the shelf. 

Small parts like screws and bolts can easily get lost in a busy garage. To keep everything safe, invest in some custom-built shelving so that everything has a home. This secret compartment in this unit built by Garage Decor and More is the perfect solution to tidying up all those loose bits. 

Storing bicycles off the floor will keep them clean and dry as well as free-up much-needed floor space. These colourful Cycloc storage brackets are modern, minimal and easy to use. With an option to store horizontally or vertically the bike will become a feature in itself. 

Alternatively, narrow garages may benefit from a bike lift that pulls the bicycle up and stores it out of the way at ceiling level. Attach the bike to roped hooks and then lift it to the desired height with a pulley system that locks into place. This solution is also practical for undertaking bike repairs. 

Looking for brilliant utility room ideas? If you don't have a laundry room why not convert a small area in the garage? And just because it's in the garage doesn't mean it has to be dark and dreary either. If it wasn't for the garage door you'd never guess this utility space was apart from the main house. SwatchPop! founder, Kristen Yonson has painted and tiled around a large sink to create a practical wet area. With proper ventilation, you can also stack a washer and dryer to make a fully functional and stylish laundry room.

Repurposing a wooden pallet is a shortcut to bespoke shelving but, of course, it's cheaper and easier to achieve. This gorgeous project by Funky Junk Interiors uses a pallet as a base for the unit, fixed to the wall and topped with a rustic wooden shelf. Power tools are lined up along a thick central 'shelf' while small items like screws and nails are kept neatly in jars. We love how she's attached these weathered metal baskets to the front for extra storage, too. 

Organise and store your spray paint collection by keeping them beautifully colour coordinated in a hanging shoe caddy. As it's designed to hold a pair of shoes it will hold two full cans perfectly, just as blogger Hi Sugarplum! has done here.

If your household plays a lot of sports there is bound to be different pieces of equipment stuffed away in the garage. The nature of tennis rackets, balls and hockey sticks is that they can be hard to store together, but these clever storage solutions from The Container Store have got you covered. Wall-mounted ball claws grip onto any shape or size ball and the storage cart on wheels has three sections to keep things orderly. Use these wall tracks to hang rackets and a net to catch all the leftover bits and pieces.

Enjoy the convenience of extra cold food storage without cluttering up your kitchen. An outdoor fridge or freezer is the ideal place to store larger food items or seasonal feasting supplies. Whether it's a large capacity chest freezer, a compact under-counter or an upright classic fridge freezer, look for a garage-ready version that is designed to work in outdoor temperatures.

Dropdown shelving suspended from the garage ceiling is an ideal solution for items that are used infrequently such as Christmas decorations, seasonal camping gear or sentimental keepsakes being saved for the next generation. The overhead racks utilise the wasted space and keep everything safely off the ground, where flooding, spills or damage is more likely to occur.

Love an eye-popping statement floor? Painting a garage floor will instantly refresh the space and is an inexpensive and relatively easy DIY project. Whether you want to gloss up the existing concrete floor with an all-over grey or fancy creating a vivid statement like Sarah Hearts' yellow polka dot design, a specialist epoxy or latex finish paint will add protection from mildew and oil spills. 

Using lidded storage bins in the same colour will keep a small garage smart, streamlined and organised but can, of course, be confusing when searching for specific items. Add vinyl lettering to the boxes to identify the contents; it's an easy attention-to-detail job that will save bags of time when hunting for seasonal decorations, sports equipment or a bucket and spade for that spontaneous trip to the beach.

A pegboard is a huge asset to any garage wall: you can use the hole-punched surface in any configuration that you need. Whether you buy a ready-made steel version with everything included or prefer to challenge yourself with a weekend project like this one by The DIY Mommy, you'll find that it's a versatile storage solution for hanging up almost anything. 

Prevent accidental damage to car doors by adding protection to garage walls. Sticking a sponge-like material to the wall adjacent to where doors open will absorb most of the impact to minimise scraping the paint or denting the door.

As part of a major overhaul of her workshop and garage, DIYer and remodeller Brandi uses chalkboard paint on her wooden shelving. She uses a no-primer needed spray paint directly onto the front supports, which she then divides up and labels using chalk. It makes identifying what's in these storage boxes much easier and it looks pretty stylish too! 

If your garage door is an up-and-over design, it can be yet another effective storage surface for long items such as fishing rods, sports bats and sticks or long-handled gardening tools. Fix brackets to the back of the door and slide the equipment through. Mesh tote bags are also handy for tackle boxes or sports shoes and will keep all equipment in one place.

Sturdy metal shelving will hold a lot of weight and withstand changeable garage temperatures. Variously sized storage bins and crates make great open storage partners especially when they have lids and are stackable to keep possessions protected from the elements. 

Converting a garage can serve many purposes and if yours has an internal door it can double as an effective mud or boot room. This family garage wall has been converted into four individual locker-style spaces with bespoke joinery. Each cubby has a shelf, coat hooks and a storage crate; label them to encourage children to put their outdoor things away when they come in. The bench to the right also has extra storage space beneath it, too. 

A garage can hold many hazardous tools and equipment so maintaining a safe environment is vital for peace of mind, especially amongst families. Keep flammable liquids and dangerous tools locked in metal drawers and cupboards. You can even buy heavy-duty storage totes with lockable lids for added safety and security. 

Updating your kitchen? Make use of existing cabinets by transferring them to the garage to use as practical and streamlined storage. Allow for outdoor conditions by first priming the garage wall with a protective damp proof paint or mount a sheet of plastic between the garage wall and wooden cabinets. 

Adding castor wheels to garage storage and furniture makes it easy to manoeuvre in small spaces, especially when it is full of heavy items. To maximise floor space, try and work out the height of the furniture so that one piece can nest within another. That way you can wheel out the cabinet to give yourself extra leg space and work surface when you're working on a project.

A garage needn't be a dark, dusty and masculine space. Ugly tools, gardening equipment and household items can all be hidden way in attractive storage solutions like belly baskets, fabric cubes and cute buckets in colour coordinated shades. Finish with matching lights and an outdoor floor rug to make the garage feel homely and put together. 

When space is at a premium then multi-functional furniture is a brilliant solution, and this fold-down work desk is a fantastic way to add much-needed counter space. It will offer a sturdy place for projects and folds up flat when not in use to save floor space. You can even build it with an incorporated cupboard to store tools. 

Good lighting can turn a dark garage into a bright and functional space and there are lots of ways you can use clever lighting design to your advantage. A window, skylights or glazed garage doors will flood the room with natural light bringing with it the same benefits as it does to the rest of your home. When natural light is not an option, LED lighting is super bright and energy saving. If the garage is used as a workshop think about adding extra task lighting, too. 

If installing expensive lighting is beyond your budget create a cool cavern atmosphere by hanging string lights around the room. Choose large festoon lighting for the ceilings and tack ambient fairy lights around the workspace for additional low-cost task lighting. If you get battery-powered versions you won't even need a plug socket.

Love country decorating? Mount wood or heavy-duty plastic cladding to garage walls to hang multiple items and tools from the joins with S- hooks and nails. It's a more traditional way of keeping possessions off the floor to maximise space. Why not add colour to the garage by painting the cladding an uplifting shade for a touch of homely character?

Bring cheerful colour into the space by decorating the front of the fridge and freezer using a rainbow of paint cards mounted to magnets. Tie the fun look together – just as blogger Blue i Sky has done here – by labelling the storage bins with similar paint swatch cards. 

A curtain rail with drapes that hang to the floor will hide a multitude of sins. It makes a practical as well as a homely solution to hide cumbersome items that are hard to store. This is especially beneficial if the garage has other uses, like this family utility area by East Coast Creative.

Parking the car in the garage can be a challenge especially if you are in a hurry. Make sure you hit the perfect spot every time with this clever tennis ball trick. First, park the car in its correct bay position then hang a tennis ball on a cord to the ceiling so that it just touches the windscreen. That way the next time you park you will know exactly when and where to stop (once the ball makes contact with the windscreen) without accidentally hitting the back of the garage or skimming the sides. 

For those who might struggle to turn around and see a tennis ball this DIY wheel stop idea from YouTube handyman Ronald Walters is a brilliant and simple solution. It uses wooden planks on a made-to-measure frame that braces against the back wall and acts as a gentle kerb as you’re reversing in. Add a five-inch vertical length of electrical tape on the passenger side to act as a visual guide to when you need to stop.

Just because your garage is a functional space doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. This cool layout from IKEA divides the space with the placement of furniture so that there's a mini-workshop for bike repairs, a space to sit and have a coffee plus bags of storage for all the usual seasonal items like garden cushions and even delicate plants that can't survive the winter. Some cool industrial-style lighting and a slick of sage green on the end wall makes this an inviting place to be. 

While it may be tempting to stick things wherever they fit, your garage will be much more functional if items are organised keeping like items together. Abby Lawson from Justagirlandherblog.com recommends planning your zones before you start buying shelves or bins so you can be sure everything will fit neatly.

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