Best Garage Storage Ideas and Solutions to Organize Anything

As long as there’s plenty of room to park the car, it’s easier than you’d expect to have the garage’s leftover space consumed by camping gear, cleaning supplies, holiday décor, and other essentials, and trust me—as someone who regularly tests all kinds of consumer products, anyone’s garage can be overrun by your stuff.

I’m certainly no packrat, but it felt like my garage-testing lab was filling up too quickly, that is until I researched and applied the best floorspace-preserving techniques I could find and test out for myself.

With the addition of pegboards, a series of hooks, and extra shelving, I’ve reclaimed my own garage with space to spare for future review testing, and I’ve listed the 15 most useful garage storage ideas that worked for me and others online to help tidy and organize yours too.

Our top picks for the best garage storage ideas and solutions

How we selected the best garage storage ideas

Everyone has their own preferred way to keep their garage neat, while giving themselves extra floor space, and I wanted to highlight the best techniques for tradespeople with an array of tools and materials, sports enthusiasts with golf clubs, helmets, and bikes to spare, and everyone in between.

After a ton of research and experience with storing my own gear for maximum garage space, the most interesting storage solutions were simple, dependable, able to hold plenty of items, and relatively affordable.

What to consider when choosing a garage storage product

Garage size

It doesn’t matter if your garage is spacious or cramped, it’s a good idea to measure your space as well as the storage solutions you are considering to ensure that your containers, shelves, or overhead storage unit will easily fit in corners, along walls, and suspended on the ceiling.

Storage type

The kind of storage product you need will be most influenced by the types of items you need to store. For example, bicycles can be suspended on a wall-mounted bike rack, and pegboards are the easiest way to organize and lay out your tools while getting the most from your garage’s vertical space. Both heavy-duty storage containers and steel cabinets are excellent solutions for hiding and protecting large amounts of gear from the elements. Big and bulky things like luggage, sleeping bags, and holiday decorations are easily tucked away into an overhead storage unit, and simple wall-mounted shelves or racks work well as a catch-all for frequently used items and long equipment like fishing poles and surfboards.

Your storage needs

There are many excellent storage options for your space; however, you should think about your budget, what you need to put away, and the best solution for your one-of-a-kind garage and collection of belongings.

How can I maximize my garage space?

There are a few key techniques to keep in mind when making plans to reclaim your garage space, including:

Spring cleaning

You may be surprised at the amount of space you’ll recover in your garage if you simply throw out, sell, or donate things you don’t use or need anymore. Some of the easiest things to toss in the trash are expired, broken, or contaminated with moisture or bugs.

Vertical and ceiling space

Why clutter up the floors and corners, when you can hang items on pegboards, hooks, and rail-based shelving systems, or fill up an overhead ceiling rack with bulky belongings?

Containers

Although recycled cardboard boxes may work in a pinch, it’s worth getting a few stackable heavy-duty containers with sturdy lids to minimize the clutter and organize your garage. Consider buying a set of label stickers so you can recall what is in which bin at a glance.

Cabinets

Best reserved for large collections of stuff and big garages, a well-made steel cabinet is a top pick for securing your tools, gardening supplies, sporting equipment, and camping gear.

Is it cheaper to buy or build garage shelves?

Since the materials needed to build your own garage shelves are notably cheap, it’s tempting to go ahead and do it yourself. All you need are some quality 2x4s, plywood, wood screws, and a power drill, and if you already own a drill, it’s certainly more affordable to make your own shelves in whatever size you want.

However, if you’re not used to making measurements, cutting wood, or comfortable working with power tools, it may be far more convenient to buy a premade shelf set despite the extra cost.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How do I store bulky items in my garage?

It’s easy to place smaller things like tools, cleaning supplies, and Christmas lights, in a cabinet or on a shelf, but big and unwieldy items such as bikes, ladders, and luggage can be a challenge.

Hooks are a cheap and efficient way to get big items like ladders, ropes, roses, brooms, rakes, and shovels off the floor and onto the wall.

Although quality overhead storage racks tend to be pricey, these sturdy metal shelves can hold hundreds of pounds, and are well-suited for bulky things including sleeping bags, luggage, coolers, and pet crates.

Cabinets are a must-have for securely storing a sizable collection of power tools, sports equipment, and camping gear in one handy location.

When it comes to surf boards, lumber, fishing poles, and other extra-long items, a simple wall shelf is an excellent way to free up wasted floor space.

What are the categories for garage storage?

There are many types of items that are commonly stored in a garage, and here are the best ways to keep each of them:

Sporting, camping, and other outdoor gear: You may love the great outdoors, but storing bulky items such as golf clubs, coolers, sleeping bags, and balls seem to take up a lot of space between adventures. Enclosed storage solutions like cabinets and stackable boxes will get all of your essential sports equipment and camping gear out of sight and protected from dust.

Construction and gardening tools: Whether you’re the proud owner of a beautiful garden or your home’s go-to repair person, pegboards and hooks are hands-down your best garage space-saving solution. Larger tools such as rakes and shovels are suitable for hooks, while smaller handheld tools like trowels, screwdrivers, and hammers are a snap to arrange on a handy pegboard for instant access.

Holiday décor: The electric lights, inflatable reindeer, and glittery wreath may impress the neighbors during the winter, but labeled stackable storage bins and boxes are the best place to neatly organize and protect them throughout the rest of the year.

Automotive equipment: Every motorist has at least a small collection of fluids, tools, and extra parts just in case something happens to your ride. It’s a good idea to store oil, antifreeze, gasoline, and other hazardous automotive-related items in a metal cabinet or container far away from potential heat sources. Consider keeping your other car, truck, or motorcycle tools, parts, and tools in the same general area for future convenience as well.

How do I hide junk in my garage?

It’s like they say, “One homeowner’s junk is another’s treasure,” but too much of it spread across your garage will make it look unkempt, and well- “junky,” so here are a few quick tips to keep your home’s ugly essentials out of sight:

Bins and boxes are an simple and effective way to categorize and put away the smaller things you’re sick of looking at, but whether it’s scrawled with a marker or a adorned with a stylish label sticker, it’s a good rule of thumb to tag your storage containers for quick access in the future.

Storage cabinets and drawers are simple to set up and place against your garage walls, and will hold a substantial amount of “junk.” If you have a big garage and too much stuff to manage, a sizable steel storage cabinet is an excellent investment for tidying up your space.

If you use your garage as a TV or gaming area, consider hiding extra stuff inside decorative drawers, storage beds, or chests. Some chairs, tables, and ottomans were designed with extra storage space in mind, making them the best addition to your live-in garage area.

If you’re tripping over gardening tools and sports equipment, it’s time to give your space a makeover with these must-do garage storage ideas.