Unpack to Organize - The Garage

The garage can often be pushed to the bottom of the priority list when it comes to unpacking a home. However, the garage is often a major storage space. There are a lot of items that need to be unpacked, organized, and stored in an easily accessible way.

The first thing to do when unpacking a garage is to go through all your items and purge. It can be a challenge to part with items and easy to justify keeping old exercise equipment and gardening tools, but try asking yourself when was the last time it was used, if you are very likely to use it again, and if there will even be room for you to store it.

Once items have been decluttered, sort like items with like. For example, gather all the hardware tools, gardening tools, sports equipment, and others into separate areas.

After you determine what items you have, and they are sorted together, the next step is to plan out the storage in your garage. Creating different “zones” for each category of items is a great way to stay organized and make it easier to find specific objects. This guide can help you plan out where to set up zones around your garage. 

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Now, depending what objects are in each zone, the type of storage must be determined. For example, peg boards are useful for tools and hardware. Racks are good for larger tools like shovels and rakes. Check out our next blog post coming later in the month for 5 Ways to Maintain Order in Your Garage!

In these before and after photos of a garage Calm Order worked on, wall panels were installed on the wall, and hooks, baskets, and racks were added to store the items.

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Before image of a garage Calm Order organized.

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After image of a garage Calm Order organized using wall panels.

It can be easy to post pone unpacking and organizing the garage. As Peter Walsh said, “later is the best friend of clutter.” Don’t leave it until later – get unpacked to an organized garage now! [INSERT TWEET THIS LINK].

Unpack to Organize - The Office

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An office room can be made up of multiple parts and items will all need to be unpacked and placed in the right spot after moving. From computer cords and accessories to paper clips and pencils, unpacking an office may seem like a daunting task – but it doesn’t have to be!

-       First, take stock of all of the items you have, and make sure that each item is necessary and will have a place to go. This is your chance to purge old or damaged supplies, or donate unused items.

-       Next, plan out your office space. Before moving in desks and shelves, make sure you know where everything is going. Also, determine what drawers, shelves, and cupboards will store what items, what files and folders will go in what cabinet, and if any other shelving materials need to be purchased. This plan will help relieve a lot of stress when it comes time to put office supplies away!

-       Once all of the furniture and larger pieces are put in place, it’s time to tackle the electronics. Computers can have a lot of attachments and wires, so don’t rush this step. Make sure everything is connected properly, and that cables are kept neat and organized to prevent anything from catching on them. Other electronics like a phone, printer, and lamp, can also be set up.

-       Start unpacking your office supplies with the frequently used items first, like pens, pencils, paper, and calendar. Use drawer organizers to help keep all your office supplies organized. Try to tackle only one box at a time – don’t get overwhelmed!

-       Filing cabinets and bookcases can then be unpacked, because the items typically aren’t needed right away. Any paper weights or office decorations can be added too, but remember, try to keep the decorations to a minimum, because a lot of them only invite more clutter into your space.

Creating a plan for your office space, and knowing what items need to go where before you start unpacking your boxes will make unpacking into an organized space a lot more feasible. There are a lot of different components that go into an office, so unpack step by step until the space is complete!

Moving Tip - label your electronic cords Before you take them apart. It will help you know what cord goes with each device!

Essential Organizing Products for the Bathroom

Bathrooms never seem to have enough space or storage to properly organize all of a person’s toiletries and supplies. However, with the right products, one can maximize the limited space available in a bathroom and store all their items in a stylish and organized way! Below we’ve listed some “essentials,” and where you can get them for yourself:

1. Drawer unit

A three or four drawer unit is perfect for storing travel supplies, extra soaps, razors, or other smaller items. Most units like this can easily fit under a bathroom sink or in a bathroom vanity unit. Find this product here.

2. Pull out drawer unit

For larger bathroom tools and supplies, a pull out drawer unit can be attached inside a bathroom vanity or cabinet, or a shelf unit with pull out drawers can be placed under the sink. These units allow a person to see the items stored in the drawer and easily access them.

3. Drawer inserts

Drawers are often easily cluttered, because supplies can get thrown together when there is no way to separate them. A simple draw insert can easily keep makeup supplies, hair accessories, and other bathroom items separate and organized – and easy to find! Find this product here.

4. Over the door units

Doors can often be overlooked as storage places, but a simple hanging unit can store a lot of items. This one below is perfectly sized for a bathroom vanity or cabinet unit, and can easily fit hair tools and accessories as well as other assorted items. Find this product here.

5. Over the toilet storage

Another area that is often overlooked is over the toilet storage. Instead of having to mount a unit on the wall, this standalone unit easily fits over most toilets, and can store anything from washcloths, towels, soaps to extra toilet paper, Kleenex, and more! Find this product here.