Winter can be a great time to get a few jobs off your to-do list that would be pushed to the back of the queue if the sun were shining.
A rainy and cold day is the perfect time for tasks that you’ve been avoiding for months, perhaps even a couple of years. One of them is likely to be cleaning out the garage.
As household jobs go, reorganizing your garage certainly isn’t a highlight because it’s probably the No.1 “dumping ground” in an American home.
However, if you’re finding yourself stepping around or over items to get into your vehicle, it’s time to take action.
And if you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, your efforts will be a valuable investment. Buyers put a premium on storage space, and a well-organized garage is an attention-getter.
However, when storage spaces are overflowing, it has the opposite effect on buyers. They tend to remember the home as cluttered and having insufficient storage space.
Here are eight items you should eject from your garage immediately:
Paint pots – Half-empty cans of paint litter most American homes. Please don’t pour them away. Instead, find a recycling program or disposal facility. Before doing so, smear each paint color on a white piece of paper and file them away so they can be color-matched in a paint store should you need to repaint in the same color.
Building materials – Off-cuts of wood are another common sight in a garage. Again, it’s important to dispose of them responsibly.
Old sports gear – Why not donate or resell sports gear that hasn’t been used for an age? Children’s sports equipment is usually in high demand in schools and local clubs. Don’t let the equipment gather dust when someone can get enjoyment from it.
Ignored bikes – Kids outgrow everything, bicycles included. It’s time to let them go, either by selling them online or donating them to a local charity.
Electrical equipment – Storing electrical equipment is a bad idea unless your garage is temperature-controlled. Fluctuations in humidity and temperature can damage sensitive electronics. Recycle your electrical items.
Outdoor furniture – Many of us reuse our outdoor furniture for as many summers as possible. However, the years take their toll. If the furniture is rusty, faded or not used regularly, throw them away.
Party memories – Remember that summer when you had a huge party and everyone came? Well, a few guests never left – trestle tables, plastic chairs, and cups and plates. They can go in the trash now.
Holiday lights – If you discovered during the holidays that your lights were looking their age, and one or two bulbs were not working, don’t hang on to them. This is another box you can remove from a shelf.