Willow Glen is a bustling whirlwind this time of year. Between decorations, ski gear, and holiday ephemera, “San Jose’s Local Treasure” ends up full of clutter and mess in the back rooms, closets, and garage spaces across the neighborhood. Old town charm takes a lot of “stuff” to pull off—especially when the holidays hit.

Every new year, we seem to get a barrage of clients coming to us saying that it’s their New Year’s resolution to finally clean out their garages. They’ve allowed their garages to be taken up with clutter until they’re practically useless even for car parking. These desperate organizers come in droves, seeking creative and efficient ways to get their storage under control.

I probably don’t need to tell you that San Jose is a very popular place to live, but you might be surprised to learn it’s the largest city in the Bay Area by population. While it started out as a small farming community, it overtook San Francisco as the place to live in the Bay Area in the 1990s and is often called the Capital of Silicon Valley.

The more popular a place becomes, of course, the more people—and less space—there is. In response, people devise creative solutions for creating extra room—like converting a garage into a guest bedroom, TV room, or home office. But what happens when all you really want is an actual garage?