Garages and garden sheds can quickly become an obstacle course of clutter, much like an attic or the empty guestroom. It doesn’t take long before you collect everything from toys and tools to old clothes and furniture. The good news, there are actually some amazingly simple storage tips for a more organised garage and shed.
To simplify and organise your life, remember that your garage is not a dumping ground. With a little bit of efforts and loads of planning and decluttering, you and your family can greatly benefit. It all starts with putting a plan in place to get rid of everything you no longer need, want or knew you had. If you absolutely have to keep things for whatever reason, rather rent a self storage unit.
Like many of our readers, your garage probably also contains old boxes, bags, shoes and other stuff that don’t belong. While there are several important points, the one thing that you should take from this is being ruthless when sorting through everything. More importantly, don’t store unwanted items just for the sake of it.
Professional Decluttering Advice
Before deciding which storage tips and ideas would work for you, you first need to get your hands dirty. Don’t worry, it’s not really dirty but it does involve clearing out all the extra junk. Here are some expert decluttering tips anyone can follow:
- Don’t fall victim to organising your clutter by adding shelves to create more storage. It makes the space appear smaller and only adds to the “organised mess”
- If you can’t throw away a family heirloom, give it to a family member. You can also sell the item and donate the proceeds to the relative’s favourite charity
- Ditch all the clothes that don’t fit as you can sell, donate and throw away the rest
- Stop collecting random magazines! Unless they are original comic books, first edition novels your grandfather wrote or have another significant meaning, just recycle it
- Don’t let unwanted gifts pile up either; rather give it to someone who really wants it or donate it to a charity shop
- Confidential documents should be scanned for digital storage
At Space Centre Self Storage, we can offer useful tips on how to best go about decluttering. We can also provide a unit, of any size, to help store those items that you just can’t let go of.
Shed And Garage Storage Tips
Not everyone has a garden shed or garage big enough to store all the toys, garden equipment, tools and a car. However, there are a few creative ways you can maximise the available storage space.
Storage Bins
Many people feel that stackable storage bins are possibly one of the best storage tips for an organised garage. They are ideal to properly separate and organise your stuff while keeping it safe from the elements. The only downside though is that you often stack them to the rafters and against the wall which means accessing them can be challenging.
One way to solve that problem is with your own DIY easy-to-build storage towers. It is a stylish and effective way to ensure easy access without having to move everything around. You can also use different colour bins for specific items or simply label each box to indicate its contents. Another option is to use the sides of the wooden frame for wall-mounted accessories.
Opt For Sturdy Shelves
A garage without shelves will only lead to more clutter as they are essential in maximising space and keeping things organised. Shelves are the perfect storage solution for paint or petrol cans, tools or anything else that otherwise just ends up on the floor.
Whatever type of shelving you choose, remember to use strong materials and the appropriate supporting brackets to hold the weight. Position the shelves at the appropriate height so you don’t always have to bend down or get on a ladder and keep it away from the garage door.
Magnets For Tool Storage
While magnets are most often associated with a kitchen than the shed or garage, a magnetic tool holder could be a fantastic addition. You can use it to store saws, files, screwdrivers, pliers or any other tool made from metal. A great tip is to use your magnetic tool holder for storing paintbrushes so the bristles won’t get squashed and dry much easier after cleaning.
Hanging Wire Baskets
Wire baskets are among our favourite storage tips along with hooks and stackable storage bins. You may agree that some of the hardest items to store include bags of charcoal or fertiliser as they can easily tip and spill all over the place. Balls are also especially difficult to store properly as they just tend to roll off shelves and end up underneath the car or bench. Wire baskets can solve all those problems as you can hang them on hooks for easy access to tools or toys.
The All-Purpose Hooks And Brackets
Let’s face it, hooks and brackets are incredibly useful as you can use them for almost anything. From storing bicycles and ladders to garden toys and sports equipment, hooks can do it all and also very easy to install. You don’t even need those expensive, specialised variations as you really only need the simple screw-in hooks.
This calls for some creative thinking as placing hooks and brackets strategically can make all the difference in your garage or shed. Considering all the available space, you can use them on the plywood, against the wall or from the ceiling. A great example is using those big “ladder” hooks or brackets to store several tools with long handles while “ceiling hooks” for bikes can easily go onto the wall.
Shovel Racks
In a similar fashion to hooks, you can also use shovel racks for spades, forks, brooms and hoes. These are ideal to properly organise all of your long-handled garden tools so you can see where everything is while freeing up more space elsewhere.
It’s also quite easy to make your own shovel rack using an old pallet or a piece of plywood. Simply cut slots into it and securely attach it to a wall. What’s more, you can even hang long tools on the back of your shed door.
Garden Shed Work Bench
The joys of gardening should be coupled with a large and sturdy bench for prepping and potting plants or to store hobby-related tools. Very few sheds have space for a bench but you could consider building (or buying) a fold-down table instead. They can really help you save space while providing all the work surface you need. If you’re not a DIY specialist, foldable tables or benches are available at most home improvement stores. Whichever option you decide on, just make absolutely certain that you attach it to a strong wall.
For great DIY projects, you may want to read ‘Four Ways We Added Storage & Function To My Beloved Shed’.
Organise With A Calendar
An organised garage or shed start with planning and what better way than using a calendar? Adding big, strong and durable calendars are fast becoming a popular trend and for good reason. Keeping notes of landscaping or weekly tasks, as you do with a shopping list, remind you of what is next on your ‘to-do’ list. Some even use it to list the proper times to plant, cultivate or harvest throughout the year which is a challenge in itself. One innovative way to use a big enough calendar is to tape seed packets to the corresponding dates for planting.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have a shed, garage or both, our best piece of advice is to go through it at least once a year. This way you will be able to identify anything you no longer use and simply throw it away. Sheds and garages can quickly accumulate random items that shouldn’t be there which only take up valuable space. While some items may be multi-purpose, you don’t need to keep everything “just in case”.
If you recently decluttered and came up with interesting storage tips for garages and sheds, please share with our readers. You can comment below or find us on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook.
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