One of the things that most of us are guilty of when it comes to storing items is getting it packed away quickly and put up in a closet, in the basement or out in our storage shed so we no longer have to deal with it. The problem with that is we sometimes don’t take the time we should to pack things away carefully and protect it. This causes massive issues ranging from breakage to warping that we just did not anticipate before we packed it away.

To alleviate that problem we should carefully consider what we have and where it is going before we ever do anything. Placing old vinyl records in a hot storage room on the bottom of a pile of heavy books is not the ideal way to store these items. That goes for any multimedia that can melt away in heat. Out brains know this but for some reason we do it anyway and then think later that we should have known better. Same thing goes for storing paper items, books, letters, etc on the bottom of a basement floor or storage facility at or away from home. It takes minimal amounts of water to get soaked up in these paper products and totally ruin them.

A little forethought goes a long way when determining the best way to protect those items that you want to store.

If you are one of the lucky people that have four days off to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday then you may have time to purge all those items that you don’t need or use anymore.  I can’t think of a better way to help yourself and others by giving the things you no longer have use of away to those who have less or are struggling with purchasing Christmas for their families; especially those for children.

It’s also a great time to rethink your storage whether it is in the home, attic, garage or onsite/offsite storage shed.  Think about it this way; do you have to empty the entire area to get to those Christmas decorations?  If so, you may need to redo your storage space and make it easier to get in and out to retrieve the things you need during a given year.  After all, it gives you something to do with those three other days!

If you find yourself a little short on funds these days, it might be wise to look at ways to save money when you want to tackle any project either by yourself or one you would like to hire out to a contractor.  The one place you don’t want to skimp on is the materials as you need to have good solid materials to build anything you do so it will stand up over the test of time.

Another option is to purchase either a kit of some kind that has different sizes to choose from where you can simple put it together or install it to get what you are looking for.  There are some very good kits for garages, sheds, greenhouses, pergolas, closest and garage storage, arbors, fences and many others that can come in handy if you cannot afford a custom made item.  If you want to get something done bad enough you will find a way.

One of the best values out in the market today is vinyl or plastic garages.  When you compare these types of garages to brick and mortar garages, you will notice there are many sizes available at good competitive prices.  Adding to this the fact that a vinyl garage is much easier to put together as well as faster to install, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that vinyl garages are in the running as a good choice.

I will concede that a brick and mortar garage might be prettier, but let’s face it; they do the same things; keep your vehicles safe and protected and give you a place to store some of your valuables and other lawn and garden items.  So, if money is an issue and you need a garage, look at the vinyl garages that are available online and compare them.  You will find them to be an option.

For those of us who do not have a garage, we have to decide what is most important; the added storage a garage gives us; or protection for our vehicles, before we decide to either pay the expense of building a garage or settle on an alternative.  Another consideration is how much space we have on our lot to build from scratch, erect some kind of a kit or just do with what we have.

If protecting the car or truck is the ultimate goal, a simple carport is a great alternative way to accomplish that end result.  Carports are easy to install and can be purchased in many different sizes and colors so you can cover more than one vehicle or a boat, camper or RV.

If storage is what is most important to you, obtaining an outdoor storage unit would be a good alternative.  They come in various sizes and most have foundation kits that are very helpful.  You will need to check with your codes department in your county or town to make sure what you want to do is within their guidelines.

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It’s the time of year to kick back for part of your weekend and enjoy your favorite college or NFL teams.  If you’re having an issue with sharing your space with a spouse, roommate or kids, it might be a great idea to start making plans to build your own space for next season.  (Face it, if you build it now, you will miss the games!)

Where in your house, inside and out, can you squeeze out some space that you can call your own?  It may be in a garage, on a patio, a spare room, basement or covered porch.  It doesn’t really matter where it is; just that there is some place you can call your own.

Start with that space in mind and visualize how you would want to transform the area into your very own TV and entertainment zone.  Start saving a little money every week or month to put toward the renovation for next spring or summer.  Make a few small purchases to keep you motivated and focused on the project and when its right take action and do it! 

Today’s garage is no longer just a home for the family car and a couple of bikes. With the availability of many different styles of shelving units, wall and ceiling hooks, cabinets and containers, your garage can move into the area of totally organized storage space. Things can be kept under wraps or suspended from ceiling or walls, with most items right at your fingertips for ease of use.

If you have items that need to be stored and you don’t mind them gathering a little dust or winding up being home for some dead bugs, then store them as is. However, if you want a bit more protection, plastic storage containers may be the answer. Lightweight, fairly inexpensive, and available in various sizes and shapes with lids that snap on and off, these containers can be purchased at any home improvement store and hauled home in even a small car.

Just make sure you build your storage around the space for your beloved car.  You want to have ample room to get in and out of your vehicle.  You don’t have to delay any longer; get to work and organize your garage today!

Why not turn your garage into more than just a storage space for vehicles or tools? Just add a work bench in a corner or along one wall and you’ve created an area where you can repair items or build any number of projects. First determine the size your work bench needs to be by thinking about what types of projects you’ll be working on.

With a length of five feet and a depth of two feet, you should have ample work space for smaller projects. However, if your plans include bigger projects using lots of parts and tools, you may want a larger work area.  Taking an entire corner or even half a double garage might work better for someone who really wants to get their hands dirty.

Of course, every work bench needs tools readily available. A good way to keep small tools handy is to hang a sheet of peg board on the wall behind your bench and suspend smaller tools using hooks made especially for use in peg board. A shelf attached to the underside of your work bench can hold larger tools and a drawer in the work bench is great for handling small items.

Your very first project just may be building out your work space.  If you don’t have a garage, you can always build out space in a shed or barn.

Whether you choose to call it a shed, a storage unit or a barn, its main purpose is to house stuff that can withstand some temperature changes and stuff that doesn’t belong or fit in your house. If your shed doubles as a garage, you’ll want to make sure you maintain enough room for your cars.  However, with a bit of organization you will have room for many other things as well.

By adding a few simple shelves, which can be both hand-made and attached to the walls, or purchased and assembled as free-standing units, you’ll increase the storage capacity immensely and almost immediately. A trip to your local home improvement store is sure to give you many ideas as to what’s available for such things as hanging rakes, shovels or other tools with long handles.

There are even hooks which make it possible to hang bicycles from the rafters and don’t forget the pegboard.  With a few changes and additions you will have much more than a storage shed, you will have an organizers work of art.

Several years ago my wife and I decided we lived in a house that was just too big for two people.  It was a 2400 square ft home with a half basement where I stored all my tools and lawn equipment.  We decided to sell the home and rent a house and see if we could live smaller.

So we found a house that was 1800 square ft and rented it for 1 year.  What we found out was it too was just to large for us.  We never went into one of the bedrooms, the dining room or another small living area.  However, this house did have 1 car garage where I stored my lawn equipment and tools.

At the end of that year we decided to go ahead and look for a smaller home and buy again, which we did.  What we realized after we bought our present house is it is a great size for us.  We utilize all the space but we had one major problem.  Since there was neither a garage nor a basement, there was no place to store the lawn equipment or tools.  The answer was a storage unit and we have never looked back.