Clean it all out
You'll never really know what lurks in your garage until you empty it. Just clearing out the garage will help you find missing items-and missing space. Just don't forget to check the weather before you pick a day to empty the garage.
Set a deadline
If you're planning on a garage sale to help cut down on the clutter, run an ad in the local paper or put up signs before you clean out the garage as motivation to make sure you get it done.
Start simple
As you empty the garage, sort everything into three piles: keep, donate, and discard. That way you won't spend time reorganizing until you completely empty the garage.
Incentivize
If the kids keep moving long-forgotten toys to the "keep" pile, offer to let them keep the money from the garage sale for items they contribute.

