Up and down the country, hundreds of thousands of us are living in fear of our dirty little secret that seems to grow, bigger and more intimidating by the day.

The cause of many a family argument, what can we be talking about? A messy garage of course! Your garage can be a fabulous extension of the home or extra space that you can rent from someone else, however so many of us fail to make the most of this wonderful space. Unorganised mess can make the garage seem out-of-bounds, and a trip inside needs preparation, care and can give any explorer sweaty palms at the sheer thought.

In this article, we’ll show you how to banish those fears, helping you to transform your garage from unloved hole to a tidy, well-organised and useful space.

Create Incentive

People are most likely to respect a place, if they enjoy spending time there. If your garage is dark and damp, then you’re far more likely to treat it as a dumping ground on your hurried visits to and from. Turn it into a light, inviting space however, and you’ll have an incentive to keep the space much more loved. Think about all the various different uses for your garage, and how you could use this space to potentially create another room to the house. Maybe you’re pining for a home gym. Maybe having a playroom would help transform your family home. If you don’t need your garage for storage, or it would be more useful used for something else, change things up! A fresh lick if paint, some nice lighting and more homely flooring will make all the difference. By creating a space to be proud of you’ll subconsciously become far more respectful.

Organisers

If keeping your garage as exactly that, is key, then make sure you come up with a way to store your belongings. Rid the old, overflowing cardboard boxes and replace with storage units. Use old furniture to make useful cabinets for hardware, car equipment, cleaning items extra. Cube units are easily affordable from a variety of homeware stores and can be used to create bright and breezy storage solutions. Old work/school lockers can be purchased from a variety of places, and these make a fabulous way of keeping tools safe and out of harms way. For all the odds and sods that find their way to the garage, make labelled buckets available; dog toys, balls, and so on.

Vertical Storage

In order to maximise your available space, consider vertical hanging solutions for things like bikes and play equipment. Special poles exist that can be used to stack bikes, and you can even drill holes to the ceiling from which to hang items. Fishing rods and sporting equipment can be hung along the ceiling. Fabric shoe hangers can be re-purposed to hold tools, paint cans and even wellies.

Waste Centres

In the run up to bin day, garages can take a little bit of a hit, as they become a dumping ground for excess waste. To overcome this, make a “recycling and waste station.” Get separate bins or barrels and label each according to waste type – plastic, cardboard, glass etc. By creating a neat and tidy rubbish collection point, not only will you make putting the bins out a much easier task, you’ll also be saving space within the garage and your home.

Parking Places

If you have a young family, create space for toys, while giving responsibility and fun to youngsters by using brightly coloured tape to mark out their own “parking spaces” on the garage floor. This will keep toys to within a specific area, and make assigning job roles and responsibilities to your children easier.

Magnetic Strips

Use screws to fasten magnetic strips down at least one side of the garage. You’ll be able to then create a hanging space for garden and household tools, off the ground, but in an easy to see way.

With our 6 tips you’ll be able to help inject some love back into your garage, By making a clean tidy and pleasant space you’ll get more use out of it.

At Lockup Garages, we know that there is a range of benefits of our garages. This is particularly true when it comes to the storage of your car. You may be thinking about investing in a lockup garage so you can keep your car inside. There are plenty of reasons why this is a great idea, from security to maintenance, so how can you benefit from keeping your car in a garage?

Increased Security

Many people don’t have a driveway or a garage attached to their home, so they are left contending with on-street parking. This can be a little worrying, particularly if you live in an area that is busy, either with pedestrians or other road users. When you’re leaving the house for work in the morning, the last thing you want to see is a knocked off wing mirror, a cracked windscreen or a scratch in the paintwork, but this can be a real worry with on-street parking.

Keeping your car in a garage means that you don’t have to worry about these things, and you can be confident that when you leave your car, it is left safe and sound.

Insurance Benefits

As your car is less likely to be damaged or stolen when you leave your car in a locked garage, there are a number of insurance providers who will offer you reduced premiums. Keeping your car in a secure location means you are less likely to need to make a claim due to damage or theft, so your insurance provider will be happy to hear it!

The reduced insurance costs can mean that renting a garage space practically pays for itself, making the decision a wise investment.

Keep Your Car in Good Condition

Not only can you keep your car safe from damage when you store it in a garage, you can also ensure that it is kept in good condition. Safe from the elements, your car is less likely to take on damage from bad weather such as hailstorms and strong winds.

It is also protected from extreme temperatures such as ice which can make it difficult to even get into your car on a wintery morning. This helps to keep your car in good condition and makes things a little easier for you.

There are plenty of reasons why renting a garage can be hugely beneficial for you, particularly if you intend to store your car in it. Whether you’re hoping to keep your car safe, or simply want to ensure that it is kept in the best condition, a lockup garage could be the perfect choice for you.

We have a number of garages up and down the country, so you can find a location that is ideal for you. Find out more about our vacancies or get in touch with a member of our team if you would like to know more about our garages.