Let’s face it, if you have kids, you have a lot of STUFF! I have four kids, and they are all active in various activities and like to do different things. The variety of their outdoor toys include:

Balls (basketballs, footballs, baseballs, soccer balls etc.)

Accessories such as mitts, bats and shin guards

Bikes (and unicycles!) with helmets

Roller blades and necessary pads

Skate boards

Skis (for us older people) and Snow boards (the younger generation)

Footwear (winter and ski boots, snow shoes)

Camping equipment (tents, coolers, propane stoves and lanterns etc.)

Fishing poles and equipment

Unlike indoor toys, most of these items are not usually kept in my kids’ rooms, but in the garage for easy access. My struggle is to constantly keep things organized so that we can find what is needed, when we need it, and quickly. I have quite a few home built shelves in my garage as well as many handy hooks, but when I found out that a friend was moving into a brand new house and could organize her garage from scratch, I was jealous!

I love to organize, and garage organizers are one of the greatest things invented since sliced bread. Lucky me, she asked for my advice, and I was happy to oblige. Besides all of their toys, they also had a lot of gardening tools and her husband likes to do wood working, so there were a lot of items to organize, important if they also wanted to put their cars in the garage.

My first recommendation in garage organizers was to get a full storage system to go along one wall. The full system included various full length cupboards, as well as lower cupboards with a work space and then cupboards up above, just like in a kitchen. This type of system was perfect for her husbands tools because the wall above the work space comes with a slat or peg wall where many of the often used tools can be hanged for quick and easy access. These types of garage organizers are systems that come in all sorts of configurations and materials, so anybody can find something that will work for them.

Along the second wall is where I suggested putting the garage organizers that I am most excited about. These are the systems with a lot of customization options, and can easily be rearranged at any time to fit evolving needs. These are the garage organizers that include all the handy shelves, baskets and variety of hooks. There are different systems out there that all use the same basic structure. First, there are slat type pieces that attach to your garage wall. These can usually be purchased in different widths and lengths. You can create an entire wall of slats, or just one slat that is 4’ long, it just depends on your needs and available space.

Once you have the wall attachments in place, that is where the fun begins! You can get hanging baskets (wire or mesh) for all of your balls, there are shelves with hooks attached to the bottom for hanging bikes or other items, and then there are all sorts of different sized and shaped hooks for hanging most anything onto the wall. From these hooks you can hang ladders, hoses, garden tools, dollies, extension cords, leaf blowers, skis and snow boards (you can rest them on two hooks), fishing poles and the list goes on. You can also find garage organizers with special shelves designed for different items, such as a shoe rack or a cleaning caddy. Some systems have fold away work stations, which is great for gardening supplies and potting plants. Some system even have small bins for storing really small items (nuts and bolts). The best thing is that these garage organizers (hooks, shelves, baskets etc.) can be moved around and arranged on the slat wall any way necessary.

Yes, I am going to have a lot of fun organizing my friends garage. With all of the different garage organizers available today, and the great flexibility of the different systems, I will be able to find a place for everything that she needs to store, and she will be able to access it easily. Best of all, everything will have its own place, so the garage will STAY organized.

Remodeling a garage to a room is often a cost-effective way to add living space to your home.

1. Because the foundation, roof and exterior walls are already built, you will not incur these costs.

2. You will be able to remodel the area with little disruption to the rest of your home.

3. You may already have the electrical wiring in place (most garages have lights and at least one electrical outlet) as well as plumbing.

4. Depending upon local building codes, you may not need a building permit for your project.

Why would you need a building permit? This can vary from one location to another, but the primary issues are:

* Structural soundness

* Exits

* Heating and cooling

* Windows

* Ventilation

* Insulation

* Plumbing

* Electrical

In some areas, failure to build to local code can require that you restore the space to its original condition before you sell the house.

The best place to start remodeling a garage to a room is to determine what you have to work with in terms of floor, walls, access, etc. You will likely have a cement slab floor and an adequate roof. If there are no windows, you will need to decide whether to install them, how many to install, and where you will place them. If your garage has finished walls you will need to determine whether the walls are insulated. If they are not insulated, you will need to make decisions about how you will insulate. You will need to plan for heating and cooling and adequate lighting and electrical outlets. Do you need plumbing in the room? If so, you will need to determine whether there is or is not plumbing in the area and what changes are required.

Your next decision will be whether to use the entire garage for your new room or only part of it. If you have a two-car garage, you might decide to finish only half of it into living space. In this case, you might want to pay extra attention to soundproofing.

Converted garages can serve a variety of functions. Garages can be converted into everything from a kitchen to a living room or a family room, den, home theater, home office or an extra bedroom. You might discover enough “attic” space to finish two rooms (one above the other) or to open the ceiling and design your new room with a vaulted ceiling.

The next decisions will determine the appearance of the finished room.

1. What kind of flooring will you use? You will find that a slab is conducive to almost any kind of flooring you choose to install. Be sure to seal the slab before you begin installation of any flooring materials. And, if you install carpet, you might want to invest in double padding to make the room more comfortable. You can also build a traditional joist floor over the garage slab to match the floor level in the rest of your home.

2. What kind of ceiling do you want? Depending upon the planned use of the space, you might choose a vaulted, exposed beam ceiling, a pitched ceiling, a tray ceiling, a drywall ceiling, or a drop ceiling.

3. Finally, you will need to decide on the walls. You can choose paneling or sheetrock, or you might want to consider constructing the walls of insulated board. If the room will be used as a playroom or a home office, this might be just the solution you need.

Finally, you will need to decide whether to do the work yourself or hire a contractor. You might decide to hire a contractor for some of the work, like electrical, plumbing, etc. and do the rest yourself. Either way, you’ll find that the cost of converting your garage to living space is far less than adding a room to your home.

To get a quick estimate of the cost for this project check out www.remodelestimates.com, and to help you organize your project invest in an organizer like the one at www.remodelingorganizer.com.

A garage conversion is a great remodeling project. It’s the perfect way to get the space you need at the lowest possible cost. Enjoy!

Copyright 2007 by ABCD Publishing