When hurricane season arrives, most homeowners think about stocking up on water, batteries, flashlights, and nonperishable food. But there’s another area of your home that deserves attention before the next storm approaches: your garage.
For many homeowners, the garage becomes the place where everything ends up. Bicycles, lawn equipment, holiday decorations, tools, sports equipment, boxes, patio cushions, and everything else that doesn’t have a designated place can quickly pile up.
Normally, that may just be an inconvenience. But when a hurricane or tropical storm is approaching, an overcrowded garage can make preparing your home more difficult.
Your Garage Can Be an Important Part of Your Hurricane Plan
One of the most important steps in hurricane preparation is securing items that could become damaged or blown around by strong winds. FEMA recommends bringing loose, lightweight objects such as bicycles, garbage cans, and patio furniture inside before a hurricane.
That’s where having an organized garage can make a big difference.
When you have plenty of open space, you can quickly bring in outdoor furniture, bicycles, grills, and other appropriate items when a storm approaches. But if your garage is already packed from floor to ceiling, finding room for those items can become a major challenge.
The Problem With a Cluttered Garage
Imagine a hurricane is approaching.
You need to bring in:
- Patio furniture
- Bicycles
- Outdoor toys
- Lawn equipment
- Garbage cans
- Grills and other appropriate outdoor items
But your garage is already filled with boxes, old furniture, decorations, sporting equipment, and things you haven’t used in years. You may find yourself moving piles from one side of the garage to the other just to create enough room. And when you’re racing the clock before a storm, that’s the last thing you need.
Start With a Garage Cleanup Before Hurricane Season
You don’t have to wait until a storm is in the forecast to get organized. In fact, the best time to prepare your garage is well before a hurricane threatens your area. Walk through your garage and divide everything into a few simple categories:
Keep
Items you use regularly should remain easily accessible. Think lawn equipment, tools, bicycles, and other frequently used belongings.
Donate or Sell
If you haven’t used something in years, hurricane season might be the perfect motivation to finally let it go. Donate usable items or sell things you no longer need.
Store
Some belongings are worth keeping, but don’t need to occupy valuable garage space year-round. Holiday decorations, seasonal clothing, extra furniture, sports equipment, and keepsakes are great examples.
Dispose
Broken items, empty boxes, and things that are no longer usable simply take up valuable space. Getting rid of them can make your garage dramatically more functional.
Give Your Seasonal Belongings Somewhere Else to Live
Here’s where self storage can make hurricane season preparation much easier.
Your garage doesn’t necessarily need to be the permanent home for everything you own. A storage unit can give you additional space for belongings you want to keep but don’t need sitting in your garage every day.
Consider storing:
- Christmas and holiday decorations
- Extra furniture
- Seasonal clothing
- Bicycles and recreational equipment
- Business inventory
- Moving boxes
- Extra household items
- Equipment you only use during certain times of the year
Moving these items into storage can give you back valuable garage space while keeping your belongings organized and accessible.
Let Mini Price Storage Help You Make Room
You don’t have to get rid of belongings simply because you’re running out of room at home.
At Mini Price Storage, we can give you the extra space you need to organize your home, clear out your garage, and keep seasonal belongings stored until you need them. Whether you’re preparing for hurricane season, getting ready for a move, tackling a home project, or simply tired of navigating around piles of boxes, self storage can be a simple way to create more room.
And when you store with Mini Price Storage, you’ll also enjoy a variety of free amenities, including:
- FREE Move-In Truck
- FREE Climate Control
- 1 FREE Month
- FREE Heavy-Duty Lock
- FREE Unit Alarm
- 50% OFF Moving & Packing Supplies
Call us today at 1-866-531-2675, visit our website, or stop by one of our convenient locations, because when hurricane season arrives, you’ll be glad you made room for what matters most.