Organize Your Garage

Source: Flickr: Matt Howry

Drive down any street in America and keep an eye out for homes with the garage doors open. You might find one or two per block, on a warm summer evening, in a good part of town.

Now, without being creepy, peak into the garage, and tell me what you see.  Furniture, holiday decorations, boxes of old clothes, aging sports equipment, enough canned food to feed a small country.

Count how many cars are sitting on the street because the garage was taken up with stuff. Garages were built to house our cars but somehow they became America's favorite storage facility. As if packing out a 2400 square foot house wan't enough space, the garage is seen as n extra 200 feet of prime real estate.

Why Do People Pack Out Their Garages? 

It's starts with a small compromise and a pile in the corner of something you think you will need later on in life.  Then a few extra boxes later, dumping stuff in the garage doesn't feel so bad. There is nothing more dangerous than the "I'll do it later" pile.

Apathy may be one cause, but fear seems to be the primal issue.  We love to keep things we don't need out of fear that we will need them again.  We are fearful of regret or that we won't be able to afford a replacement if we end up needing it.

Help! My Stuff is Taking Over My Garage 

Maybe you're reading this and you're thinking that your garage is starting to look like this.  Well, I'm here to help!

First, read How to Emotionally Detach From Items.  Once you've identified that your clutter is an emotional attachment, you can begin to fix the ways you think about your stuff.

Here are some questions to ask yourself: 

Can my stuff be used by someone else?

Would having money in the bank be more beneficial than owning this stuff?

If I haven't used an item in 5 years, realistically will I ever use it again?

Would I feel less mentally cluttered if cleaning the garage wasn't on my perpetual to do list?

Is the mental stress of these items worth their replacement value?

Start Small 

Going through a whole garage is a lot of work, probably too much work for one weekend.  Pace yourself.  Go one box at a time.

Make it a goal to get everything off of the floor and up onto a shelf. Shelving kits are cheap and can help you organize things like tools, paint cans, cleaning supplies, and sporting goods.

Sell your unneeded items on ebay, have a garage sale, or donate them to charity.


It's a lot of work, but wouldn't it all be worth it to come home to this everyday?

A clean garage
Source: Flickr: Dave Nakayama 

Appliances For Your Tiny House

A cute tiny house.
Image Source: Flickr: Tammy Strobel

The tiny house movement is gaining speed, interjecting into society the idea of living smaller and more self-sufficiently.  Tiny houses require far less maintenance, are cheap and quick to construct, easy to clean, are extremely movable, and are energy efficient.

The 100-200 square foot models can be mounted on a trailer, while the 200-800 square foot category are usually put on a foundation.  With the small square footage, the appliances need to shrink in order to have room for all of life's conveniences.

In a tiny house, kitchen space is a limited commodity, so everything has to be downsized to allow enough space to prepare food.  The whole idea of a tiny house is to live a peaceful, clutter free lifestyle, so cramming every square inch with appliances would be missing the point.  Instead of 4-6 burners on a standard kitchen, most tiny house owners opt for only 2.  The above Kenyon stove is approximately 23 by 14 inches and has a 6.5" and an 8" burner.  

If you absolutely must have an oven, the Danby 20" Propane oven/burner combo is the ticket. Ultra-compact, the Danby squeezes in 4 burners and 2.6 square feet of oven space.  Yes, you can live in a tiny house and cook Thanksgiving dinner.   

This little 15" by 15" sink won't make you lose out on counter space while doing the dishes.  You can either hand wash your dishes or use on of Danby's compact dishwashers.  How many dishes can the one or two occupants of a tiny house really go through in a day????  

The Danby 18" dishwasher is the perfect solution for small living dish cleaning.  It's got 7 cycles to choose from and has enough space for 8 full place settings.  See, Thanksgiving will be a cinch! 

This mini fridge, perfect for RV's, boats, offices, dorms, small apartments, and especially tiny houses.  Sure, it might make you feel like you're college kid again, but having that room to store frozen goods, all in 3.2 cubic feet, makes it all worthwhile. One or two people don't need a monster sized fridge.  Tiny home owners tend to be the type who like fresh local food anyway, so you really don't need more space for one or two people. 

The next question to ask is how you are going to power all of these appliances.  There are three common routes to go: Solar, hooking up to power-lines, or propane.  

Propane is fairly inexpensive, but will add to your monthly cost.  For extreme sustainability, solar might be the choice for you.  The solar option has a heavy upfront cost, but is virtually free to run for the life of the product.  Even though it's got enough power for blenders, stoves, air conditioners, and laptops, you might not be able to watch tv, cook a turkey, run the dishwasher, and have the fridge running at the same time.  

Building a tiny house is a huge commitment and the task can seem a little daunting.  Luckily, hundreds of people have gone before you and have been the guinea pigs, trying out all kinds of arrangements so you don't have to.  All of the products above are affordable and available to be purchased online.  You can order your whole kitchen in a few hours on Amazon. Good luck!

Other Posts on Tiny Houses You Will Enjoy

Coolest Ideas For Tiny Houses

What Would You Do Without A Mortgage?

Micro Houses

How I Built A Minimalist Desk

My office

For my entire writing career, I have been typing away at my kitchen table, enduring the constant distractions that come with the location.  I am perpetually moving my laptop and books off the table in order to use the table for it's intended purpose.

Solution:  I built a $48 minimalist desk.

Legs: $14 from Ikea
Top: 17.00 Pine wood from Home Depot
Paint: $15 for spray paint plus top coat
Screws: $2
Total: $48

I also purchased a power drill ($10), a tape measure ($1.50), and sandpaper ($3.00).

That super cool 70's chair I picked up at a used store for $3.

I wanted a space that would be clutter and distraction free, where I feel inspired to be creative and productive.

I'm typing this post with a lovely view of the pine trees out my bedroom window.  It may not yet be a tiny house in the woods, but that dream is getting closer every day.

I found a paint that makes it look like hammered metal

I can't help but think of generations past who built incredible structures with nothing but hand tools.  They had no power saws and Home Depots.  Making a table wasn't a late night, after work event, but rather, a backbreaking, wood chopping, lengthy endeavor.

Growing up in a world of convenience and cheap parlor tricks, I have an intensely deep desire to live a simple life, to work with my hands, and to be self-reliant.

There is something magnificently satisfying in seeing the outcome of one's labor; to use creativity and ingenuity to its fullest extent.  There is also a security that comes with it.  If the economy falls, or the lights don't turn on tomorrow, no worries.
I'll strike a match and build myself a bonfire.