Overhaul your garage

Is your garage a dumping ground for tools, sports equipment, outdoor toys, seasonal decorations and maybe even a little extra food and drink? Heck, is there even room for your car anymore?

There's something overwhelming and paralysis-inducing about garage clutter. Not only is it in a "room" of the house you literally have to shut the door on -- and can therefore blithely ignore -- but also the stuff in it is often large and heavy, making it difficult to tackle without some help.

If you've been putting it off, the change of seasons is actually the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and get to the bottom of that mess in your garage. In that spirit, here's a list of must-have tools and top tips to get you over your inertia and on your way to a shipshape garage:

Shopping listClear bins and labels. You'll need places to store things like sports equipment and seldom-used tools. Clear bins and easy-to-read labels enable you to find what you're looking for (or put something back in the right spot) within seconds.

Rolling shelves. Most garages don't come with extensive built-in shelving or cabinets. As a result, things end up piling up on the floor. Rolling wire shelves -- and, really, rolling shelves of any stripe -- will help you minimize the mess on your garage floor by using the vertical space. I specify rolling shelves mainly because in garages you frequently need to shift items around. For example, should you get a new snowblower, you will have to find a spot for it inside. If your shelving is on wheels, it's much easier to accommodate new items when they come in.

Hooks. They're the hardest-working organizational tools. They make it easy to locate (and put back) items you use on a fairly frequent basis. They are also good for keeping dangerous tools out of the reach of children. Hang a few in your garage for tools, small and large. They are great when it comes to storing brooms, rakes, saws, coolers, bikes and snow tires.

Ceiling-mounted shelving. Overhead storage can be a lifesaver in a garage. You can get excellent ceiling-mounted shelving from stores like Sears for less than $55. Perfect for those things you need to keep but don't use very often.

Digging out

Pick one small area, like a workbench, to focus on first. Declutter it completely before moving on to another small space. If not having enough time is the thing that has been holding you back, make a garage-detoxification "appointment" with yourself after dinner every night for 30 minutes.

Edit first. Simply decide what's important to keep in the area you are cleaning and toss or donate the rest. You might find it helpful to grab a large contractor bag for the trash items and a large, empty cardboard box for items you can donate.

Sort second. Once you're done getting rid of unnecessary items, sort what's left into smaller groups (sports equipment, tools, bikes, etc.). This will help you figure out what kind of shelving, hooks and storage bins you need to install so you can give everything a proper home.

Organize according to use. When you're planning out the layout of your garage, make sure you take into consideration which items you use the most, and where you use them. The lawnmower should be close to the opening of the garage, and the boot rack closer to the house doorway.