A GON Reader Asks

Hi Maria,

It's Karen again from the Jersey Shore! I finally figured out why I can't get my room organized. My son won't sell his car that takes up the garage so I have nowhere to put all the stuff in my room. I just want to empty the whole room but I don't have anywhere to put it all. What can I do? Thank you!

This Fabulous Reader Tip was submitted by:

Karen
Jersey Shore, NJ


Maria Gracia responds...

Hi Karen,

Sometimes it seems like we all struggle with finding enough room for our stuff, doesn't it? It sounds like there are a couple of things going on here. First, there is your son's car. Does he drive it? Is it a hobby that he works on here and there in his spare time? Or does it sit there unused and untouched? How old is your son, and does he have a job? Or perhaps your son is in college and was not able to take his car with him?

The second part is the room you want to empty. Are these things that you really want to keep? Do you use them? Do they make you happy? Can they be stored in the garage environment without suffering damage from heat, cold or uninvited guests that sometimes show up in a garage (mice, opossums, etc.)?

Is there a compromise? Can you weed out some things, so you need less storage room? If your son has a lot of tools and parts taking up space, can he organize it, and make more room? Could shelves be added to hold things? In other words, can space be made to share?

If your son is grown, has a job, and this is a fix-up project, or a vehicle he is holding onto 'just because' or 'until I can fix it up enough to sell it,' or if he does not even live with you, but uses your home as a storage unit, I think you are justified in telling him he needs to find another place to park his car. If he has to rent space, it might be the impetus he needs to get rid of it.

If he is still young and lives at home, that's a bit different. Can he park outside? Maybe build a small covered space for it?

Perhaps you might be holding onto some things that you could part with, things you don't really need? If you had no garage at all, would it be worth the money to rent a storage unit for all the stuff? When I ask most people this question, the answer is almost always a big NO. If you're planning to store items in plastic bins stacked in the garage, are these things you truly need to keep (meaning you'll use them weekly), or will they just sit there gathering dust?

I'm saying this in the gentlest, kindest way possible, but you have to be very careful that you're not using your son's car as an excuse to not weed out clutter you may be having a difficult time parting with. This may not be the case at all, but it's definitely a question to ask yourself and honestly answer.

Since I do not know details, I can imagine more than one solution scenario. I would start with a calm talk with your son, no judgment, no blame, explaining that you need more storage room and it would be beneficial to have some of the space in the garage. Ask him to help come up with ideas for creating space for your things there. Work together on a compromise if you can that will give each of you some of what you both want.

I hope I've provided some ideas that will help. Please write again...I'd love for you to follow up on how both you and your son resolved this, and am hoping for good news.

Maria

P.S. I love, love, love the Jersey Shore. Just you mentioning that you live there makes my heart happy!

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