The first thing to do when organizing your garage, or any space for that matter, is to decide what you want to use the space for.

The garage used to be the place to park your car, but more and more frequently, the car is being parked in the driveway and the garage has become essentially another room of the house.  Garages are turned into playrooms, entertainment rooms, exercise rooms, or just a place for storage.  Some people use their garage for a hybrid of uses - parking their car, storage and a kids craft area for instance.

However you use your garage, you do want it to be functional and not just a catch-all area for stuff you can't decide what to do with or will never actually use.

Typical uses for your garage are likely to be:

• Parking your car
• Storing seasonal decorations
• Storing gardening supplies
• Storing household repair items and tools
• Archiving files

You also want to be aware of what NOT to store in your garage. Anything that will be affected by damp or large temperature changes really should be stored in the house.

Items to avoid storing in the garage are:

• Vinyl records
• Video cassette tapes
• Other electronic media
• Photos
• Clothes
• Bedding
• Wine

As you go throught the process of deciding what you want your garage to be used for, keep in mind your priorities in life right now.  If you used to have a hobby 10 years ago, but really haven't done it since then, be thankful that you gained so much enjoyment from it then, be thankful that you gain enjoyment from your current hobbies and let the old stuff go.

Even if you're not a car buff, Jay Leno's garage provides an insight into what you can do when you can do anything you want with your garage.  Notice though that Jay is very particular about what he has in his garage.  He is very clear that his garage is for restoring cars.  Everything in his garage supports that activity.  You don't see old suitcases or piles of memorabilia (except for things related to cars he has restored) in his garage.  You can do the same, even if you choose to use your garage for several reasons.  Be very clear about what you are using your garage for, and limit yourself to items you are using, items you love or items you need and that are related to activities that you are currently engaged in.

The National Association of Professional Organizers Los Angeles Chapter Associate Member OrganizIt!,winner of the Los Angeles Organizing Awards Best Garage Design for 3 years, has some great examples of what people are doing with their garages. Gus Gougas, owner of Organizit!, says that the garage is the next area of improvement in your home to add value to your house.  Other ideas can be found at Garage Envy, another finalist at the Awards.