Overhead Garage Storage Guide

Chances are, if you own a home, you store more than cars in your garage. Both first time and repeat home buyers rank garage storage as one of their top 10 most essential features, according to a recent poll by the National Association of Home Builders. This isn’t a surprise, considering an in-depth study by UCLA's Center on Everyday Lives of Families found that only one in four garages could actually fit a car because they are so full of other stuff. 

The race is on for finding the right garage storage solution to reclaim your garage, and reduce the stress that can be caused by the excess clutter. The fastest growing storage solution takes advantage of space that often goes unused—and that’s the space overhead. 

We believe that garage storage shouldn’t be complicated or hard. Garage Smart takes overhead garage storage systems to the next level in functionality, convenience, and safety. 

It’s all too easy for a garage to fill up quickly, all it takes is one box or gadget or bag at a time. Even large garages aren’t immune when bikes, watercraft, Jeep tops, and other large items are involved. As homeowners look for garage storage solutions, more are turning to the ceiling. Overhead garage storage has several benefits over using the floor or walls to store items.

Moving storage overhead frees up valuable garage floor space for other purposes. If you’re among the 75 percent of households who have been parking your car outside, overhead storage can help you move your car back in. This can help extend the life of one of your most expensive possessions by protecting it from the elements and also reduces the likelihood of theft or vandalism.

One of the prime reasons people store items in the garage is to protect them from the damage that may be caused by keeping them outside in the elements. Overhead storage fulfills that requirement, and adds further protection from the risk of flooding. In addition, storing items off the floor keeps them away from pests like mice or rats.

It’s much easier to get something out of your garage than to go to a storage unit or climb in most attics. Moving storage overhead helps organize your items so they are easier to find, and with motorized overhead garage storage from Garage Smart, your stuff is even more accessible. 

When you store things overhead, you free up the space those items previously occupied. If needed, you can use that space for other items you don’t use often. This may help to reduce clutter inside your home. Or, use that newly freed up space for other uses like hobbies, a home business, or even a special pet area.

Overhead storage allows you to put items out of reach of children and pets, who may be harmed by towering stacks of boxes or items that aren’t child-safe. It’s also safer than stepping around clutter or other potential hazards spread across the garage floor or moving pile after pile of boxes to hunt for a certain item.  

Space inside a garage is at a premium, both depth and width, since they are usually built to hold a certain number of vehicles with little room to spare. Stacking items against the walls or using a wall storage system eats up that precious width, further limiting what you can do with your garage. Moving items overhead can help you claim back your full space. 

Once the garage is full, people often turn to renting a storage unit. In fact, almost 10 percent of households in America pay an average of almost $90 per month to use self-storage. Instead of spending money every month for a unit, overhead garage storage lets you keep your possessions at home—and more money in your pocket. 

So you’ve decided that overhead garage storage is a good option for your storage needs. How do you choose from all the overhead garage storage systems out there? Hooks can store things like bikes, but getting them on and off the hooks can be a pain. Ceiling mounted racks can hold a variety of items, but you need to climb up and down a ladder to access them. And storing bulky things like skis, kayaks, or canoes? They pose their own unique challenges.

A newer idea in ceiling storage is designed to alleviate these and other annoyances to make overhead garage storage more convenient: motorized overhead garage storage. This uses a motor and pulley system to lower or raise storage racks by pressing a button. Garage Smart has redefined overhead storage by giving you all the benefits without the hassle.

Garage Smart’s lifting solutions can help you store almost anything with ease:

• Bikes
• Kayaks/canoes
• Jeep tops
• Holiday decorations
• Boxes
• Sports equipment
• Outdoor gear
• Lawn equipment
• Ski equipment
• Strollers
• Kids ride-on toys
• Cargo carriers
• Paddle sports gear 

Garage Smart’s garage overhead storage pulley systems are your solution for hassle-free garage storage. All our products are smart, easy to use, and, most importantly, safe. 

You don’t have to sacrifice safety for convenience. All Garage Smart products are designed with safety as a top priority. The MyLifter Motor passes rigorous testing for tension, life cycle, environmental factors (extreme heat and cold), durability, and quality control. We’ve even programmed it not to lift if you overload it. The motor’s internal lock will not let your bikes slip or fall, even during a power outage, keeping your family and your possessions safe. 

All of Garage Smart’s products are created to give you unequaled versatility. The Universal XL HD Lifter can be adjusted for any larger item up to 200 pounds—your kids’ electric car, a canoe, paddleboard, etc. Use the Platform Lifter for boxes, bins, lawn equipment, or skis. For larger items, simply lift two Platform Lifters together. Have a bulky item, like a bicycle child trailer? Simply clip it to the motor cable to hoist it overhead by itself.

Unlike other systems that have dangling remotes or manual controls, Garage Smart lets you use your smartphone or tablet to control all products (Apple iOS and Android compatible). You can vary the speed, see how much weight is on the lifter, and set stopping points for the top and bottom stopping locations, so even if you get distracted or kids get a hold of your phone, the lifter will never go too high or too low. 

Above all, Garage Smart storage is intended to be the most convenient and easy-to-use ceiling storage you’ll find. Straps, hooks, and brackets are designed so you expend the least amount of effort in accessing and storing your possessions. No ladders, heavy overhead lifting, or juggling required. Then raising and lowering your items is a piece of cake with our app.

We want you to love the ease of your Garage Smart products, and that starts with simple installation. With written and video instructions, most people find DIY installation easy. And for those who don’t want to do it themselves, our third-party installation pros can take care of the installation for you. 

Garage Smart can give you the best overhead storage options on the market, but there are additional things you can do to get the most out of the valuable overhead storage space in your garage. 

Garage overhead storage is ideal for storing a wide range of items. One of the best uses is for storing seasonal items like yard equipment, holiday decorations, and camping gear. Storage bins allow you to easily store and stack almost any small items. 

Weed out items that have outlived their usefulness, and don’t waste valuable overhead storage space on them. Are all your kids in college? Then you probably don’t need to keep all those baby clothes. Is that old tent really going to last for another camping trip? This is the perfect time to declutter.

Clean and dry any items that may corrode like bikes or lawn equipment. Make sure that clothing and other things that may be appealing to insects or moths are in airtight containers. For other equipment or gear, follow the manufacturer’s storage maintenance guidelines. 

Strategically organizing and storing like items in the same area will reduce the chance of misplacing items, and will help you find things much easier when you do need them. 

Label anything that you can’t immediately identify. This is a must for storage bins in particular. Make sure labels are easy to read and won’t peel off under extreme hot or cold conditions. Also, be sure labels are facing out so you don’t have to move heavy boxes to find what you’re looking for.

Let Garage Smart free up valuable floor and wall space in your garage with our safe and convenient overhead storage solutions. Clear out clutter, maximize space, and transform your garage into an area that is functional and organized. Then, sit back and relax knowing that your possessions are safely put away. But don’t worry, you can easily get to them at any time with the simple touch of your phone screen.