If you don't have a lot of extra space in your home, you may not have a place to work on crafts, grow an indoor garden, or just relax and watch TV with your friends. A solution could be to clean out your garage and convert it to a spare room or hobby area. You might be overwhelmed at the thought of getting rid of a bunch of junk, but the job's a lot easier if you rent a dumpster. Here's what you should know about renting a dumpster to clean out your garage.

Start With A Plan

Talk to the rental company about their policies, including the length of the rental. Many companies rent by the week, but you might be able to rent a dumpster just over the weekend so it doesn't block your driveway for too long.

If you'll only have the container for a couple of days, plan your project in advance. You may even want to sort things ahead of time and have a junk pile ready to throw in the container when it arrives. Then you won't have to worry about paying extra because you have to keep the dumpster longer than you anticipated.

Round Up All Your Household Junk

While your focus may be on clearing out the garage, if you're going to have junk hauled away, you might as well throw out as much stuff as you can. You can rent a dumpster of different sizes, and you pay the same whether it's full or not.

However, keep in mind if you overfill the container, you might face additional fees, or the company may not pick it up until you take some things out. Also, learn what you can't put in the container, such as electronics, and what you can't mix, such as tree branches and furniture. Each company has its own rules, plus rules they have to follow as set by the local landfill, so you want to know how to use the dumpster properly to avoid problems at pickup time.

Cover The Dumpster If It Rains

If you're going to throw out a mattress or upholstered furniture that will soak up a lot of rain, consider covering the container with a tarp so the items don't get wet. Being soaked with water makes the load heavier, and that could potentially put you over the weight limit if your things don't dry out in time.

Renting a dumpster isn't difficult since all you have to do is call the rental company and explain your purpose for renting so they can help you choose the right size. The company delivers the container and picks it up so all you have to do is toss your junk inside and be free of garage clutter for good without worry over how to get rid of it.