A closed garage is one of the most exciting features of a new home — yet over the years that all-important room slowly gets taken over with broken gear, old paraphernalia, and all sorts of other unwanted stuff. Eventually, your precious vehicles are left in the driveway (or worse, on the street) and you are sheltering decades’ worth of junk in your no-car garage.
Before your cars rot away under the hot summer sun, it is time for you to finally address the mounting organizational problem in your garage. Instead of hoarding an unnecessary mess, you can free up the space and protect the items you need most. Here are seven superfluous items we usually allow to take up valuable garage real estate and how you can get rid of them quickly and painlessly.
1. Your Old Clothes
I need you to take a deep breath and repeat after me: “I will never again fit into my clothes from high school.” Besides the fact that you will never again have the outrageously fast metabolism of a teenager, the fashions of your youth are unlikely to swing back into trend. Your boxes full of old clothing are simply taking up space better devoted to some other use.
However, even though you will never don your old wardrobe, someone else might. Unless your clothes are stained or torn, you shouldn’t send them straight to the incinerator. Instead, you should see if anyone you know is interested in a clothing swap. If nothing else, you should donate the clothing.
2. Your Kids’ Old Toys
You might remember your kids’ looks of glee when they unwrapped their soon-to- be favorite toys. You might remember them carrying their toys everywhere, whispering secrets or imagining stories. However, it is more than likely that all your kids remember of their toys is the day they outgrew them and moved them into the garage. Despite all the sentiment you associate with them, the toys will never be played with again as long as they sit in your garage.
Dozens of children’s charities, including hospitals and homeless shelters, are eager to accept gently used toys. Alternatively, you can see if any friends or neighbors have small children who would appreciate a big gift. If you absolutely must keep something from your kids’ childhood, you can pick one important item to save; everything else must go.
3. Your RV, Boat, ATV
Recreational vehicles, including boats, ATVs, and camper-trailers, require an exhausting amount of time and resources to use. Not only must you store them for most of the year, but you must pay exorbitant costs to keep them running well. Worse, most families prefer to spend their free time plugged in rather than mired in the wilderness somewhere. If you can’t remember the last time you hitched up your boat or RV and spent time in the wilderness, you no longer have any use for such a monumental waste of space.
Selling your RV or boat might sound like the most profitable choice, but it could be months before you find a worthwhile buyer. Instead, there are a handful of charitable organizations that accept boat and vehicle donations and provide generous tax deductions to boot.
4. Your Outdated Tech
Technology is improving at a break-neck pace. While this is a boon for consumers, who now receive the newest products faster and cheaper than ever before, garages and storage spaces are filling up with old tech most people no longer want. Your once-beloved VHS tapes and CDs are likely gathering dust while you enjoy a wider variety of media on better machines.
Like your other unused stuff, you can easily donate your outdated technology to charities that will accept it. However, some of the oldest tech, like CRT televisions and computers, will likely be rejected; fortunately, you can upcycle your tech in various fun, exciting ways.
5. Your Unfinished Project
Everyone has had at least one hobby that didn’t quite last. Unfortunately, the remnants of that short-lived love likely linger in your garage. Whether it is a partially constructed coffee table, a malfunctioning stereo, or a grimy aquarium, your unfinished projects always seem to migrate to the garage. Unless you or a family member is willing to complete the task right away, there is usually no hope for the abandoned artifact. The best solution is to salvage any valuable pieces and throw the rest away fast, before you convince yourself you might work on it again in the future.
