Updated June 16, 2022
Cleaning out your garage can feel like an overwhelming project.
Cobwebs, unorganized tools and lawn equipment, half-empty paint cans, dusty holiday decorations, bags of yard waste, and old athletic equipment all seem to find their way into the garage, leading to an unsightly, cluttered mess.
Even the dirtiest garage cleanouts can be completed with minimal stress and relative ease, but only if a good plan is established first.
In this guide, we'll outline the 5 steps your garage cleanout plan should include and how to find the help to get it done.
Jump to:
- Step 1: Determine What to Get Rid of
- Step 2: Decide on a Disposal Strategy
- Step 3: Get Quotes from Local Disposal Companies
- Step 4: Hire the Right Company for the Job
- Step 5: Organize Your Decluttered Garage
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Step 1: Determine What to Get Rid of
In most instances, people don't want to get rid of every last item in the garage.
Rather, they want to get rid of some and organize the rest.
So, unless you want to get rid of everything in your garage, you'll want to start your garage cleanout by determining what will go and what will stay.
Now, "what will go" could end up being sold in a garage sale, donated to a local charity organization, recycled at your local facility, or trashed, so create three separate piles for these categories.
We recommend keeping your pile of things to toss in a place that is easy to access for when it comes time to dispose of it.
If you do want to get rid of everything in your garage, the separating aspect of the cleanup can be skipped, and you can go straight step two.
Keep reading:
- Decluttering: A Guide for Success
- Benefits of Recycling Junk vs Throwing It Away
- The Health Benefits of Decluttering
- The Hidden Risks of a Cluttered Home
Step 2: Decide on a Disposal Strategy
For cleanups involving more than a small pile of trash, junk, or debris, we usually recommend renting a roll-off dumpster.
A 10 yard dumpster is typically big enough to handle a garage cleanout, but some rental providers also offer smaller dumpster sizes if your project is very minimal.
The national average cost of a 10 yard dumpster is $250-$450 for a one-week rental.
If you have a garage packed full of items to toss, you may need to rent a 20 yard dumpster or a 30 yard dumpster.
On average, a 20 yard dumpster costs $350-$550 and a 30 yard dumpster costs $450-$650.
A faster alternative to renting a dumpster is hiring a junk removal company to handle the garage cleanout for you, or at least the removal and proper disposal of the items you no longer want.
This is a great option for those who want the job done as quickly as possible and don’t mind spending a little more to make that happen.
Expect to pay at least a couple hundred dollars (for a small garage cleanup) or more to have a junk removal company clean out the entire garage for you.
Keep reading:
- Comparing the Cost of Junk Removal to Dumpster Rental
- The Fastest Way to Clean Out a Cluttered Garage
- Garage Cleanout Costs and How to Save Money
Step 3: Get Quotes from Local Disposal Companies
Hometown makes it simple for homeowners to request quotes from dumpster rental or junk removal companies, allowing you to easily determine which service is best for your particular project.
Start by clicking "Find Pros" at the top of this page, and select the service type you're interested in getting quotes for first: dumpster rental or junk removal.
From there, you can browse all the local companies serving your area.
Then, read more about their services, see what their customers have to say about them, and request free quotes from as many companies as you'd like.
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Step 4: Hire the Right Company for the Job
We recommend getting three or more dumpster rental quotes and getting multiple junk removal estimates whenever you can to help ensure you pay a fair price for whatever service you choose and get quality work from a professional and reliable company.
When you reach out to companies for a project quote, be as detailed as you can when describing what you need removed and how much.
It's easy to get a dumpster rental quote over the phone, especially when you're clear about the type and amount of debris you have to dispose of.
Junk removal companies, on the other hand, will typically send one to two employees to your home or business to provide an in-person quote for the job, unless you only have an item or two.
These quotes are free and you are not obligated to hire them if you don't like the price they quote you.
If you agree to the price of their garage cleanout services, they get started right away.
Read more:
- The Cheapest Ways to Get Rid of Unwanted Junk
- When Is It a Good Idea to Hire a Junk Removal Company?
- Find Same Day Junk Removal Services
- How Do Cleanout Services Work?
Step 5: Organize Your Decluttered Garage
Once your unwanted junk is removed, it's time to finish organizing the items you're keeping in your garage.
Purchase additional shelves to maximize storage space, label waterproof storage bins to keep water and dust out, and limit the amount of items you bring into the garage moving forward to maintain your clean, organized space.
Everything in your garage should have a designated storage space.
If you must bring new items into your garage, it's a good rule of thumb to remove one item in order to minimize clutter from piling up again.
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Find out how to improve your garage: