Garage Reorganization Part of U.S. Trend

Robin Levinson shows off her recently renovated garage by HouseWall Garage System, Monday, Sept. 11, 2006, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Companies such as GarageTek out of New York and HouseWall Garage Systems in South Florida are helping people get the junk out of the way and let homeowners put the car back in the garage. These companies seek to help people get the stuff off the floor with specially designed wall paneling that makes for easy installation for hooks to hang bikes and ladders. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Wilfredo Lee - AP)

HouseWall already has eight franchises in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri, Dagen said. He wants to have 20 franchises by the end of the year.

Its customers call a local franchise and a team comes to the home, inspects the garage and recommends a remodeling plan using a 3-D computer rendering. Workers then install the wall paneling, hooks, shelves, racks, cabinets and other accessories, with hundreds of possible combinations.

"You don't have to do anything. If you get more toys, you can get more hooks," said Levinson, who owns a jewelry company with her husband.

Still, this process does bring an expenditure that's usually more than if a family dedicates a weekend to do it themselves by just throwing out old belongings, installing shelves and re-stacking boxes. Home improvement giants such as Home Depot and Lowe's rely on the do-it-yourself approach to sell shelves, cabinets and wall hooks to individuals, while also offering installation services.

Butensky said GarageTek targets the top 20 percent of home value in its markets and shapes its message to reach women who want a "neat, safe room." GarageTek even offers lighting to accentuate the look of the room.

Housewall's projects range from $800 to $17,000, Dagen said. The cost includes a professional organizer to suggest how to stack and sort.

However, Izsak said the industry can satisfy any price point as Americans keep buying more stuff. For example, retirees with fixed incomes who have trouble moving around can employ these companies to do work they can't.

"The garage industry is ripe for many more players in the market," said Izsak, who wrote "Organize Your Garage in No Time." "Probably what's going to happen, there are going to more and more cost effective players in the market, and prices could come down."

Looking forward, both GarageTek and HouseWall have made deals with developers to offer their systems as amenities for new home buyers. And, a big selling point for Dagen is protecting cars from the sometimes harsh elements of South Florida's climate _ salty air for homes near the beach, the threat of damaging thunderstorms or hurricanes.

"The irony is that people are leaving their expensive Lexuses, Volvos and BMWs in the driveway or on the street, yet their garages are full of worthless junk," Izsak said.