Decluttering a cluttered garage

I am working on Decluttering a cluttered garage, I did some renderings  First image is the revised  where I use Overhead Garage Storage Lift (like lift 1 lift 2  or something like that or if someone has recommendations) 2nd is what it looks like currently and the picture below is the clutter. First image, it might work during the winter, but during riding time and the kids would be hitting one or both cars trying to get the bikes out. I thought about putting the bikes outside during the summer, however there is consistently people stealing in our neighborhood. I think even locking them we would become a target. What say the hive?

I think you need a shed......get all of the non-car stuff out of the garage.

I built one - 10X16 - and it's a game changer. It's easier to find the stuff I need to do yard work and such, and I can actually move around now in  my small two car garage. 

I often wonder how people got their full sized Mercury or Pontiac in this 1964 built garage with its 7 foot wide doors!

Store the bikes vertically; it will free up more space. There are many choices of racks/hangers that will do this.

In reply to Turboeric :

I would but my kids are to young to be able to grab them which adds another job to my list.

Putting all the kid toys in a separate enclosure would be my choice.

Shed is definitely a good idea. I had one built and awaiting the end of monsoon season for them to deliver it.

However, you can also go vertical in the garage. I have a long 24" deep shelf framed up with 2x4s in mine:

Yes, I'm standing on the event horizon in the pic.

I'm also going to build up a rack for the black/yellow HF parts boxes to organize abit better.

Edit- Poschenut speaks the truth. Maybe one of those plastic 8x8 sheds? You could put it next to the garage depending on how your lot is laid out; abit more secure than bikes in The open, and less chance of destruction of other stuff when kids are trying to get bikes out.

Clear extra stuff out - why do I need three rakes and five of the same shovel?  

Keep the best one and put the rest out at the curb on garbage day and make somebody's day. 

I see where more shelves and hooks will clean up a lot of this. It's hard to tell but all my shovels hang on two big hooks. 
 

We moved bikes out of the garage and into something like this:

It's weather tight, bikes roll in/out, lightweight panels are easy for kids to deal with and it's lockable.

Bikes aside, what's the plan with the karts? I keep mine in the trailer unless I need to actively wrench on one, but, man, those things take up a ton of floor space and aren't very wieldy. 

I built this.....I keep my ZTR in it along with the genset and all the yard tools, shelves for misc outdoorsy stuff, chain saws, loppers, lil red wagon, mulch, fertilizer etc.......

Kid's bikes and such would fit in there easily. Just like with a garage, building it too small is always a regret. This 10X16 is pretty much perfect for our needs, but the 10X10 I originally was going to buy would have been tight.

I have one of those plastic sheds like STM317 posted, but the damn squirrels have chewed the top up like crazy, I may get one more season out of it before I have to get rid of it.....we have to keep our roll away trash bins inside something like this or behind a wall so you can't see them from the street......city ordinance, not HOA.

Step 1 is decide a purpose.  Is this a storage garage, a working/project garage, or a parking garage.  That dictates layout.

Step 2 is to declutter.  If I havent touched it in a year AND it adds to the footprint on the ground, it goes on Marketplace.  If it doesnt sell in 2 weeks, it goes in either the trash or to the Salvation Army.  If its worth less than $50, its straight to the trash or Salvation Army.  Eveyrthing else goes in clear storage bins.  Once the bin is full, I go thru it and trash the stuff that is the worst.  Think things like bolts, sensors for cars you don't own, oddball fittings, those little plastic hardware bags that come with all the Chinesey stuff you get on Amazon...

Once you have those two steps sported, the rest is easy.  

I wouldnt leave bikes outdoors unless they are 20 dollar yard sale bikes.  I use a Feedback Sports rack in my basement for long term storage (fat bikes in the summer, road bikes in the winter, BMX bikes, dirt jumpers, etc).  The bikes me or my wife are actively riding are kept in the garage on a separate rack and cable locked together.  

For big dumb items I just cant bear to part with, the over-the-garage-door storage systems are handy.  

One of my karts I am selling, the other one is going to be horizontal in a couple weeks. However I like the idea of the overhead storage that moves up and down for me kart. One thought was to buy a enclosed trailer to store all of my kart stuff, however I don't really have a car that can tow them well. Shed was my original idea but requires permits and likely some level of grading and my budgets in the $100's not $1k+. I like the idea of the horizontal storage shed, I think I can get away without being troubled by the HOA and city. Whats the safety on these plastic ones? Also a thought is to build my own out of wood, if cost effective. I would also need to find a place to store my small open trailer because that is where the most leveled area is.

My step 1 is buy a house, since a lot of my garage-strangling clutter is things that should be in a house, a leftover from when I had to clear out all of my appliances from the breakroom at work in 2023.

Step 2 is ???

Step 3 is probably more project cars.

I got nothing since my solution was to store my bikes in my living room... but I'm guessing that isn't an option for most people. 

Bearing in mind, a few of my bikes cost more than all but one of my cars... 

dont have fancy drawings or drawing skills

but happy with how mine turned out

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/shop-talk/anthony-gs-forced-me-to-spend-money/208165/page1/

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

My step 1 is buy a house, since a lot of my garage-strangling clutter is things that should be in a house, a leftover from when I had to clear out all of my appliances from the breakroom at work in 2023.

Step 2 is ???

Step 3 is probably more project cars.

Is step 2 the mean lady you bought a house with yelling at you to get rid of stuff?

In reply to RBCA :

You're not mean or average.

Yeah, if you don't have a basement and you only want to spend a few hundred your options are limited. But I agree with getting rid of stuff rather than trying to find more nooks and crannies to put it in.

The plastic sheds are surprisingly tough to get into once locked, but it's not impossible. If placed out of sight - like behind a fence or in the back yard - that will help. 

I still think the more non-car stuff you can get out of the garage, the better....