YOU NEED A PLAN TO TACKLE THAT MESS IN YOUR GARAGE

Garages have a way of going from deep storage to cluttered chaos. But with careful planning and a game plan, most garages can be organized in a day or a weekend, experts say. And if the job’s simply too much, consider hiring a professional organizer. “I don’t think you can just wake up one morning and say, ‘ I’m going to organize the garage,’ and be successful at it,” says Regina Lark of the Los Angeles-based company A Clear Path: Professional Organizing and Productivity. “You need planning. You need muscle power....” The first step is to set aside a full day. Lark suggests three or four hours to take things out, sort them and decide what to keep. Then set aside another three or four hours to put everything back in an organized way, and make a trip to the donation centre.