Your Garage Clearance Checklist

#ReclaimTheGarage

As the weather warms up and the skies clear, increasing numbers of households turn their attention to spring cleaning, especially those areas of the home that get left by the wayside in the colder months. Garages are one such location that is commonly ignored throughout the winter. What starts off as the odd item that you plan to take to the tip when it warms up quickly becomes mountains upon mountains of junk, old furniture, and clutter.

Reclaiming the garage after months of neglect is an enormous job, but there are things that you can do to make the process easier. From arranging to hire a skip to finding adequate storage, it is possible to make this heinous chore more palatable.

If you’re planning to make a start on reclaiming your garage, follow this handy checklist to help you smooth out the bumps in the road.

1. How do you want to use the space?

The starting point for any garage clearance project should always be to consider what you want to achieve. A tidy and clutter-free garage could be used for storage, as a gym space, an office and more. Not only will determining how you want to use the space once it’s tidy influence what storage and furniture you buy, but it will also help keep you motivated throughout the entire process.

Storage

One of the most common uses for a garage is simply for storage. When a garage is free from clutter and junk (and has adequate storage!), it can prove to be an effective space for the entire family. By taking advantage of floor-to-ceiling storage and not shying away from brackets and hooks, you can safely and easily store a lot in a tidy garage.

Home gym

Home gyms have become more popular over the years, and this trend has only been boosted by the pandemic. If you like the sound of the convenience of a home gym, your tidy garage could be the perfect space for you to enjoy a workout at home whenever you wish.

Man cave

For many households, a man cave will be at the top of the wishlist. Whether it is a gaming room, a bar or space to play cards with friends, this can all be achieved in a garage. The simple addition of heating, comfy furniture and lighting can make a world of difference.

Home office

Whether you are already working from home full time or just like the sound of having your own space to tackle paperwork that is free from distractions, a home office could be just what you are looking for. Simply address security, make sure the space is insulated and warm and that you have access to power, and you’re good to go!

2. Get some help

Clearing out a garage is an enormous job, there’s no denying it. You will need to go through every single box, bag and corner in your garage, especially if the junk has piled up for a long time. It’s a lot of work!

The entire process will be so much easier, quicker and more enjoyable if you rope in friends and family to help out. It’ll take a weight off your shoulders, and you can always pay back the favour at a later date.

With family and friends to help out, the time will go so much faster. You might even get a new perspective on the job to make the task even easier and more efficient!

3. Arrange skip hire

Once you’ve convinced your family and friends to help out, the next step is to hire a skip. For many households, skip hire is the easiest and most convenient way to deal with all the waste from a garage clearance since it saves you the hassle of doing countless runs to the tip. When you work with an expert skip hire company such as Norris, the entire process of hiring a skip is easy, seamless and affordable too.

Most households can have a skip right outside their garage door, making it incredibly easy to move the junk from the garage to the skip. For the majority of people, our 6 yard skip proves to be more than big enough; this size holds approximately 60 to 70 bin bags. If you have a particularly full or large garage, however, you might need one that’s a little bigger.

Your skip can be used for just about any waste and junk that you find in your garage, and it does usually prove to be much easier to load than skip bags or bin bags or even worse, many trips to the tip.

4. Get some new storage

You won’t be throwing away everything that is currently in your garage. There will be things that you’ve either forgotten you had, or that you use on a semi-regular basis that have just ended up buried under all the junk.

If your garage is small or you need to keep as much floor space as possible, opt for vertical storage options. Think about floor-to-ceiling shelving units, or consider see-through stackable boxes. Not only does this leave the floorspace clear, it also reduces tripping hazards.

If you store cleaning items in your garage, get some new brackets or hooks to hold mops and brooms, and handy wall-mounted organisers for your chemicals and cleaning supplies.

Larger items such as ladders and bikes can be difficult to store. If you find that your ladders, bikes and other large items are constantly getting moved around, consider installing wall brackets or racks to keep these items organised and out of your way.

5. Dispose, donate, sell or store

Once you’ve arranged your help, had a skip delivered and your new storage solutions are in place, it’s time to start sorting through the junk. The easiest way to do this is to split the pile out into items that can be disposed of, donated, sold, or that you need to keep and store.

First, filter out everything that needs to be disposed of. Get rid of anything broken, unusable, any rubbish that you were meant to take to the tip, and anything else that you should get rid of. Once most of the waste is out of the way, you’ll have much more space to work!

There is no doubt that you will find things that you once loved but no longer use or need. Rather than getting rid of these items, consider either selling them or donating them to a charity shop where they can be loved by someone new. If you do decide to sell the items, you’ll be amazed at how much your unloved items could be worth!

When it comes to clearing out a garage, arranging skip hire really does prove to be a worthwhile investment, especially if you do have a lot of junk that you need to get rid of. It can save you the hassle of tip trips, and relieve the stress of making sure that your waste is handled by a licensed carrier.

When you book your skip hire with Norris, you can benefit from great service and working with a company who have a strong focus on sustainability. In fact, Norris works to divert 99% of the waste they collect away from landfill!

Hire a 4 to 12 yard skip

Whether you need a 4 yard midi skip, a standard 6 yard skip, a larger 8 yard skip or for the really big jobs we have a 12 yard skip, Norris can help you out. When you need to hire a skip, get in touch with the experts at Norris.