There's a funny thing that happens to garages around Wisconsin during the summer.

They slowly stop being garages.

The lawn mower gets parked in one corner. Bikes end up along the wall. Tools migrate toward the door. Summer gear gets stacked wherever there's room.

Then there's the stuff that was only supposed to be in the garage “for a little while.”

By October, you look around and realize there's technically a two-car garage sitting there.

There's just not room for two cars.

Then Wisconsin Winter Shows Up

During July, parking outside isn't exactly a hardship.

January is a different story.

That's when you're brushing snow off the car before work, scraping ice from the windshield, digging around the tires after the plow comes through, and wondering why the lawn mower has a better parking spot than you do.

That's why fall can be one of the best times to take a serious look at what's occupying the garage.

You don't necessarily need to get rid of any of it.

You might just need to move some of it somewhere else for a while.

What Can Come Out of the Garage?

Start with the things you're probably not going to use much over the next several months.

Bikes.

Summer gear.

Extra furniture.

Tools and equipment.

Seasonal household items.

Business equipment that's taking up space at home.

Depending on the item and proper storage preparation, even vehicles or motorcycles may be candidates for additional storage space.

The goal isn't to empty the entire garage.

It's to ask a much simpler question:

What deserves this space more during a Wisconsin winter?

For a lot of us, the answer is the car.

Give Yourself Some Breathing Room Before Winter

At Stand Up Storage in Greenville and Pulaski, our drive-up units make it straightforward to move larger items in and out, and customers have 24/7 access when they need their belongings.

If you're considering storage, you can also rent and move in the same day when we have the right unit available.

Maybe you'll need the extra space for a few months.

Maybe you'll discover you like having a usable garage and keep the unit longer.

Either way, there's still time to get organized before Wisconsin reminds us what's coming.

Because when the first real snowfall arrives, there's a pretty good feeling that comes from hitting the garage-door opener and pulling the car inside.

Especially when your neighbor is already looking for the ice scraper.