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The garage tends to become the dumping ground of the home. All of that junk is taking up valuable space and if you’re planning a garage conversion it can be quite tiresome trying to get it all out in time while making sure you don’t throw away anything important or sentimental. This is a guide for how you can clear out your garage in the most time-efficient and hassle-free way. 1. Schedule It https://atlantachallenge.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Coach-schedule-canstockphoto46807654.jpg Before you move a single box, make sure you’ve set aside enough time to complete the clean-out. Getting rid of unneeded belongings and finding the right new storage places for the things you want to keep is a time consuming process. If you already have a busy schedule, add cleaning out the garage to your list of things to do. The best thing to do is to estimate the time you will need thinking in days, not hours. Schedule it on your calendar as you would any other task and respect the commitment. 2. Be Prepared https://xtrastoragecompaniesfl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/55385251_m.jpg All of the things you’re getting rid of need to go somewhere. Depending on the amount of stuff that you want to throw away, you might need to look into renting a skip or dumpster. Your local waste management should be able to provide you with one, and in most cases, they will pick up the dumpster and dispose of the unwanted items and trash themselves. Any unwanted belongings that are in good condition can be donated to local charity organizations, and consignment stores are another great option for selling household items. More expensive items can be sold through online auctions on Craigslist or EBay. Another important thing to research is where you can dispose of any toxic substances such as old pesticides, paint or motor oil. It’s a good idea to look into a proper way to dispose of old batteries and electronics as well. Before you start clearing things out make sure that you have enough packing boxes and trash bags on hand, as well as any other packing supplies you may need. You can find used boxes for free or extremely cheap at your local grocery store or pharmacy, or on Craigslist. If you’d like to use new boxes they can be found at your local home improvement store or online. 3. Get Organized http://kristinharad.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/3.jpg In order to avoid getting lost in the chaos and stay on task while cleaning out your garage, it’s best to organize by clearing out some space beforehand and marking off different zones in the garage. To get as much empty space as possible move your car and any larger items such as bicycles and lawn equipment outside and create a large, empty area in the middle of the garage. Create several areas for all of your belongings such as: Trash, Donate, Sell, Keep, and To Be Decided. You can mark off the different zones with chalk or painter’s tape and place all of the items in your garage into one of the zones. When that’s done, go through all of them one by one and deal with all the items accordingly. Consider all of the things that you have stored in your garage, such as holiday decorations, arts and crafts supplies, tools, etc. To make going through things even easier, tackle one category of items at a time, and sort them into one of the previously created zones. Try to go through all of the items from one category before moving on to a different one. If you’re feeling stuck on something, place it in the To Be Decided zone, which you will revisit at the very end of the clear out. 4. Don’t Get Distracted https://www.15dn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Focus.jpeg When you’re clearing out your home, it’s easy to get lost in nostalgia and get distracted by all of the items that you’d forgotten about. Keep your end goal in mind and don’t let these little discoveries derail your efforts. Keep reminding yourself of why you’re doing this, and envision what your newly converted space will look like. It’s perfectly okay to hold on to items that hold sentimental value, but don’t get sucked into keeping things “just in case.” Chances are, if something’s been in your garage long enough for you to have forgotten about it, you don’t really need or want it.