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7 Important Garage Storage Ideas to Think About for A New Custom House

Bysuzettegebhardt

I’m going to tell you a (not very) sad story about our new custom house.

Yesterday, my in-laws stopped by to visit. The garage doors were flung wide open and we were in the backyard. My son had baseball gear strewn everywhere, bikes were toppled in a pile, and I was in the midst of completing some long overdue backyard projects.

In short- the place was a mess.

My father in-law took a look around and laughed. “Do you wish you had built a bigger garage?“

“Yes!” I replied half-jokingly.

“Now we’re going to have to build a barn!”

All jokes aside… I really thought an extra-deep 3 car garage would be big enough. Never in our married adult life have we lived in a home where we would BOTH be a able to park our cars in the garage at the same time. What a luxury!

I felt confident that it would work out perfectly fine.

I was wrong.

And if you are in the process of planning a new custom house, I am here today to share what I learned the hard way so hopefully you won’t make the same mistakes I did.

Planning a garage for a new construction house is different than trying to maximize storage in an existing garage in that you get to plan ahead for creating space for how you uniquely live.

As much love, attention and effort as I put into planning every last detail of our interior…I completely neglected to plan appropriately for our garage.

Here’s what I wish I had done differently during our build when it comes to the garage space.

1. | Invest in Built-In Storage Before Move-In

Have you ever fallen into the trap of saying “I’ll just get to that later?”

It seems like the responsible choice when you’re spending all this money on your home. Not everything can be a top priority. So the garage seems like an easy place to “save for later.”

That was my plan. But the reality is that once you are finally finished with the building process, the last thing you’re going to want to do is move everything out of your garage, call the cabinet makers back out, and start a whole new construction project.

I really wish I had pushed harder to have our garage storage system in place before we moved in.

Here is a partial list of things that are commonly stored in the garage:

  • Muddy Shoes/Boots
  • Painting Supplies (NOT PAINT… that should be stored in the basement).
  • Seasonal Lighting + Extension Cords
  • Seasonal Decor (Indoor + Outdoor)
  • Off-Season Cushion, Rug and Patio Furniture Storage
  • Winter Supplies (Snow Shovels, Ice Melt, Window Scrapers, Snow Blowers)
  • Ski + Snowboard Gear
  • Outdoor Games (Spikeball, Rampshot, Cornhole)
  • Pet Supplies (Kennels, Leashes, Toys)
  • Emergency Preparedness (First Aid, Fire Extinguishers, Generators)
  • Tools + Hardware
  • Gardening + Lawn Care Supplies
  • Camping + Boating Supplies
  • Car Cleaning Supplies ( Keep a kit in an easy to grab place)
  • Car Parts
  • Party Supplies

That is a LOT of stuff to plan for. And this is why some sort of storage system is absolutely necessary in a new custom house.

Organizing Systems To Consider

2. | Plan To Use The Overhead Space In Your New Custom House

Overhead storage space is great because it keeps things up off the floor and out of sight. A little planning before your build makes it easy to utilize this valuable garage real estate in your new home. Here are some ways to help you use this underutilized space.

Attic Access

Does your floorpan have attic space above the garage? If so, plan to use it!

  • Discuss your plan to use attic storage with your builder so you can plan to take appropriate measures to ensure the space is structurally sound for storage.
  • Ask your builder about including a pull down ladder for easy access.
  • This space is especially great for storing infrequently accessed items such as holiday decorations.

Hoists

Most new custom home plans specify high garage cielings, which provides ample opportunity for maximizing ceiling storage. If you know that you have large specialty recreation gear that will need a home (think kayaks, canoes, etc.), consider installing a hoist system.

These keep large items up off the floor when not in use, but provide easy access to gear when needed.

Overhead Racks

Basic overhead storage racks are a practical, affordable garage storage solution BUT they are not an easy DIY project. Ask your builder if they can be installed prior to move-in!

Overhead Rack Link

If budget allows, another awesome idea is a motorized lift system which gives you all of the storage of an overhead rack with access at the touch of a button!

3. | Be Conscious of Wall Space

Our garage has TWO big, beautiful sets of windows. I love the light that pours in.

But you know what I didn’t consider?

The windows take up the majority of our garage wall space.

And wall space, in a garage, is gold.

Wall space allows you to keep items up off the floor and display them in a way that makes them easy to access. When you lack wall space, you lack options.

As you design the garage for your new custom house, this trade off is worth considering.

Almost EVERY garage storage system I listed above requires wall space to install. Beyond that, many items that are commonly stored in the garage are large and require wall space to store.

Consider things like:

  • Trash and recycling bins
  • Brooms + Tall Garden Tools
  • Ladders
  • Golf Clubs
  • Skis + Snowboards
  • Sleds
  • Folding Tables + Chairs
  • Deep Freezers Or Garage Refrigerators

Make sure to account for the wall space dedicated to these items as you create your garage storage plan for your new custom house.

4. | Consider Floor Space Needs

When we moved to our current home in a rural area we didn’t own many of the following items (we didn’t need them before!). But since moving to a bigger piece of land, we now have larger equipment eating up a large portion of our garage space.

These examples of “extra” items to consider are dependent on where you live, your lifestyle, and the age of your family but I feel like they are worth mentioning.

If you are planning to be in a home for a long time, it pays to think a bit ahead into the future.

Do you foresee yourself wanting to own these items?

If so, you should plan for them now!

They take up a lot of floor space (up to a full garage bay or more) and accumulate quickly.

I’m talking about things like:

  • Bicycles + Electric Toy Vehicles
  • Riding Lawn Mower
  • Side-By-Side/ ATV
  • Golf Cart
  • Wheelbarrow
  • Extra Vehicles
  • Extra Furniture
  • Patio Furniture + Garden Supplies (Off-Season)
  • Generator
  • Air Compressors
  • Snow Blowers
  • Trash and Recycling Bins

5. | Include a Work Station

Even if you are not a person who thinks they spend a lot of time “working” in the garage, there are inevitably some tasks that just need to be done out there sometimes.

Plan to have a basic workstation located somewhere in your garage plan for your new custom house.

The basics include:

  • Good Lighting
  • Utility Sink
  • Work Surface
  • Trash Can
  • Electrical Outlets

Place your workstation in an easy to access location (either near the entrance to the home or near the exterior man door if you have one).

6. | Make Sure You Have Electrical Where You’ll Need It

I listed this in the previous item, but it’s important, so I’m going to expand on it a little bit.

Go above and beyond in the elecricity department to save youself from a lifetime of tangled extension cords.

Here are some additional power points (beyond what is required by code) to consider including:

  • Charging Station for Power Tools and Electronics (Blowers, Drills, Woodworking Tools, Radio, etc.)
  • Wall Mount Shop Vac
  • Electric Vehicle Charger
  • GFI Plug-Ins For Deep Freezer and Garage Fridge
  • Sprinkler Control Box (Eye Level!)
  • Wall Mounted Heating + Cooling System

If you’ve taken the time to plan out your garage storage layout in advance, you’ll know exactly where you will need extra outlets!

7. | What are your Zones?

Finally, I’m going to end with the same organizing advice I always give for every space.

Plan things out in “zones.”

This makes it easy for everyone to know where items are located. Plus, when it’s time to put things back… that’s easier too.

These are some examples of zones in a typical garage; I wish I had planned for all of them when laying out our space!

Seasonal Gear

  • Inflatables
  • Pool + Beach Equipment
  • Camping
  • Outdoor Games (Spikeball, Rampshot, Cornhole)
  • Kayaks + Paddle Boards
  • Winter Sports (Skis, Snowboards, Boots)
  • Sleds

Kids’ Stuff

  • Kids’ Sports Equipment
  • Outdoor Toys
  • Bicycles, Scooters, Ride-Ons

Frequent Use

  • Coolers
  • Folding Wagon
  • Camping/Sports Chairs
  • Umbrellas

Tools

  • Power Tools
  • Woodworking Tools
  • Hand Tools
  • Flashlights

Yard Maintenance

  • Lawn Care
  • Gardening Tools
  • Pots + Planters
  • Sprinkler Parts

Car Care

  • Buckets
  • Cleaning Solutions
  • Rags/Sponges
  • Vacuum
  • Car Parts

Holiday

  • Exterior Lighting + Decor
  • Extension Cords
  • Interior Decor

Who would have thought that planning garage for a new custom house had so much to consider?

It’s easy to underestimate the importance of planning this highly functional and important part of the home.

I know I did!

Hopefully this article has given you the information you need to avoid making the same mistakes. If so… then my mission was accomplished.

Thanks for reading, and happy planning!

xoxo,

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