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Most garages aren’t for storing cars at all. Holiday decorations, lawn games, gardening tools—they all end up in there, usually in a half-open box stacked on top of a wobbly bin. Don’t wait until summer rolls around and you can’t find your tennis racket to tidy up this often-overlooked space. Back in January, ClosetMaid surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults about their organization habits and found that the garage was the second space on their improvement to-do list (respondents listed bedrooms as their first priority). In response, the company just expanded its ProGarage product line. Now you can customize the steel cabinets to include floor and wall-mount options, as well as tabletop surfaces. 

While the aluminum handles and workstations on wheels are ultra-functional, the ProGarage pieces will cost you upwards of $1,000 once you start to mix and match. If that’s not in your budget, never fear: There are plenty of budget-friendly ways to get your garage in good shape this winter. Here are four tricks we discovered on Instagram.

Label Heavy-Duty Bins

 

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Airtight plastic bins protect your belongings from bugs and water damage, plus they stack easily on shelves. Get what you need (then get out) in a flash by clearly marking what’s in each one. 

Put the Walls to Work

 

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Corral smaller items with an old-school pegboard. Bike helmets and umbrellas can hang from straight hooks, while sidewalk chalk and baseballs can sit in mesh bins. 

Toss Tools in Wall-Mounted Baskets

 

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Bid adieu to visual clutter: The Container Store’s Elfa system works its magic in this space, where a series of drawers help keep unsightly screws and drills out of sight.

Conquer by Zones

For everything that doesn’t fit neatly into a container, such as luggage or furniture, gather it together on the floor and line it up. That way you still have room to squeeze in a car. 

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