BobbyeBethea72

What's in your garage? If you happen to be like a lot of Americans, it's "everything but my auto." In fact, according to a GarageTrends Survey, the average American shops $6,500 worth of gear-ranging from sporting gear to luggage-in the garage.

If the believed of tackling all that clutter makes you shudder, rest assured, there's a solution. Life-style expert Korey Provencher has a basic technique for transforming your garage from a parking lot for your stuff into a cheerful, organized space that makes life safer, easier and far more effective.

"Quit considering of the garage as the world's most significant closet," says Provencher, a frequent guest on ABC's "The View." "With my S.T.O.P. method, in one particular weekend your garage can turn out to be the most helpful room in the house."

S.T.O.P. and Get Garage

Clutter Beneath Handle

Provencher's S.T.O.P. program will assist folks go from paralyzed to organized:

S-Sort: Haul everything out into the open so you can see what you have-and what you can get rid of. Sort it into categories like tools, toys and sporting gear.

T-Talk and Trash: Get the complete household involved and choose what you want, what you can donate to charity and what is just trash. Even though you're throwing stuff away, give that grungy tennis ball hanging from your ceiling a toss-with new technology, you won't require it any longer to park perfectly every time.

O-Organize: Don't place something back until you've produced a manageable method. Organize by category, by seasons or create various color-coded zones so family members have their personal space.

P-Spot: Place every thing away and make a household pact that everybody will constantly place things back in their place. The point is to keep organized for life, not just a handful of weeks.

With the garage organized, Provencher also recommends a 21st century engineering makeover. "The new garage door openers are a lot quieter, much more stylish and some even come equipped with a battery backup," he says. "You can also add accessories that will automatically turn on the lights in the garage or property or alert you if the garage door is open. And don't forget that tennis ball? Replace it with a laser-operated device that aids you park perfectly every time."

Here's a technologies checklist from The Chamberlain Group, Inc., the world's biggest manufacturer of garage door openers and house access accessories:

• The EverCharge Battery Backup, available on the professionally-installed LiftMaster brand or the Whisper Drive Plus, will give power to the garage door opener, keypad and remote controls for up to two days for the duration of a power outage.

• The straightforward-to-install Laser Garage Parking Assist is the high-tech replacement for the tennis ball. It guides you into the perfect parking spot every time by displaying a vivid laser light onto your dashboard.

• If you leave the door amongst the garage and residence unlocked or have accidentally left the garage door open throughout the day or, worse, the night, Chamberlain's Garage Door Monitor is a must. The sensor sends a signal to the Monitor inside the residence and will flash a red light if the garage door is open. garage door round rock overhead door round rock review cedar door online