You pull into your driveway and stop the car. You don’t even bother to lift the garage door because you know that your car just won’t fit. It’s full of your stuff. It’s a space you have been promising yourself to clean up, but never get around to it.
“The garage is one area of your home that misses out on the love it deserves”. Says Suzanne Butler, Feng Shui & Manifestation Expert from Harmonising Energies Feng Shui, “We are often focused so heavily on the rest of the home, we forget what is even in there until we are hunting down the Christmas Decorations and somehow the space has become nothing but a dumping ground.”
“It doesn’t have to be like that” Suzanne goes on to explain. “It is literally a practice of letting go.”
Here are 5 tips to decluttering your garage you can immediately do without a second thought
Electrical Cables
That collection of random cables can be moved on. “Don’t stress, you aren’t the only one with a basket of them” Suzanne says, “But unless you have a full Sony Entertainment system from 1982, you will never need that input/output coloured cable again.” Throw it out!
Empty moving boxes.
“Moving is painful, expensive, and time sucking, and I know it’s a good box, and you possibly paid good money for it” says Suzanne, “But keeping them in a potentially damp environment is a breeding ground for rodents & silverfish to take up residency. No one wants that, and they are also a potential fire risk. And really, when are you actually going to move again? They won’t be any good to you when you do. Get some of your money back from Facebook Marketplace – people are always after moving boxes.”
Miscellaneous “Mystery” Boxes
The third is anything random in a plastic tub or box labelled miscellaneous. Suzanne explains “If you are using the garage to store superfluous items that you don’t remember even having or can’t find a place for them inside your home, you do not need them. Move them on to a new home via Facebook marketplace or the local buy nothing group and potentially make a few $$, or simply throw them out”
Half Finished Arts & Crafts Projects
All of those art and craft projects you started but haven’t finished. “Collect all the materials and donate to a local preschool or childcare where they will be used,” Suzanne advises. “If you are someone who struggles to finish everyday tasks, having these lying around can certainly contribute to procrastination and add to stress levels, so lets nip it in the bud and make space.”
Bags or boxes of items you have wanted to donate
“ I see it all the time with my clients,” says Suzanne. “Piles of items usually scattered around the house that they will ‘take to the op shop’. It’s a task that seems to always be half finished.” She continues. “Instead of telling yourself you will do it later, load up the car, and deliver the items to where they are supposed to go. Whether that is hand me downs for your sister’s children or blankets and towels to the local pet rescue. Move them out of your space”
So what are you going to start with first?
Declutter and let your garage do what it is supposed to do. House one of your most valuable possessions – your car.
Want a helping hand to get your decluttering journey started? Download my fun decluttering checklist here
