Sort by destination, not emotion
Create keep-in-garage, move-inside, donate, recycle, hazardous-disposal, and trash groups. Resolve the outgoing groups before designing storage for what remains.
Give retained items a zone
Group by use and access frequency. Heavy items stay low, daily gear stays visible, chemicals need suitable protected storage, and seasonal items can move high.
Make the system easy to reset
Use large readable labels, avoid stacking more bins than you can access, and keep some open capacity. Schedule a short seasonal review before storage areas overflow.
Budget more time than feels necessary
Sorting a genuinely cluttered garage usually takes a full weekend, not an afternoon. Spring and early fall tend to be the easiest windows, since temperatures make it tolerable to keep the garage door open for hours while you sort.
Your next step
Use these guides to compare the system types and plan the next zone without losing sight of access, clearance, and installation requirements.