20 Items Your Shed Needs

Do you know what’s going in your new shed? Have you thought at all about your storage layout yet?  Start visualizing some of these things as you search. Here are 20 items most sheds need. These are all fairly small items that hold a big impact on the usefulness of your backyard shed.

Indoor Lighting

If your shed will be used as a workshop or hobby space you may decide to hire an electrician to wire your shed. Even a shed strictly used for storage can benefit from a few lights, especially if you’ve opted out of adding windows. 

Outdoor Lighting

Whether it’s just for security or for those random night runs to find a tool or missing decoration, you’ll be glad you installed a motion sensored lighting system. A solar powered outdoor light also could be a great option for you. 

Emergency Kit or Bucket

Take a 5 gallon bucket and make sure some of these emergency items are sealed inside.

• Duck tape
• Towel
• Toilet Paper
• Multiple pairs of work gloves
• Blanket
• Trash bags
• See what else should be stored in your kit!

Air Compressor

You will be surprised at the number of uses you find for this, from cleaning out tough spaces, to airing up your lawn mower or car tires, an air compressor can help with many different home projects. Check out more ideas here!

Standard Tool Kit (his and hers)

No more fighting over tools. Get two sets of standard tools; one for you and one for your spouse. Keep a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, box cutter, wire cutters, wrench, scissors and measuring tape in each kit.

Bike Rack

Love to bike but are tired of rearranging your shed every time you want to ride? Keep it within reach and off the ground with a wall mount. 

Tall Shelving

Use every inch of your vertical space. Build shelving or add a tall shelving unit, then easily label and store decorations, sports equipment, seasonal items and more in plastic bins.

Workbench

This is great for the avid woodworker, or the standard homeowner. You’d be surprised at how many projects you could stop doing in your kitchen floor and start doing inside your organized shed with a designated workspace.

Sawhorses

They’re your project sidekick. Need an extra workbench? Put a piece of plywood on top. Need a painting drying rack? There you go! Even if you’re not a pro in construction, you’ll find uses for it as you work on small home projects.

Peg Board

Store tools, hobby supplies and more all from a peg board. Our Handyman shed style has this option on one wall of the storage space. To help you stay organized, place all of your tools on the board and draw around them. That way you never forget where they go. See our Handyman Shed.

Hooks (doors and walls)

Adding a few hooks to the walls or the back of one of the doors will provide you with even more storage possibilities. Hang extension cords, hoses, sports equipment and more. They’re simple, affordable and can help you keep your floor clear of odd sized items.

Windows

With Cook sheds you have the option to add windows or additional windows to most of our designs. Windows are perfect for allowing just enough natural light for you to find what you need or to give you a decent view as you work. Also, during the summer you’ll enjoy letting in a small breeze to keep air flowing through your shed.

Seating Options

Add a simple workstool or folding chairs for easy access and storage. Whether you have guests over or just need a place to rest during your work, you’ll be glad to have a couple of seating options available.

Broom and dustpan

This will make cleaning up easy! You can sweep out dirt and dust that’s made its way in, or you can sweep up sawdust from your latest project.

Fan

Those summer days can quickly make any project in your workshop miserable. A small fan can help keep the air flowing as you work on your garden or home projects.

Extension Cords

Whether you’re running electricity from the house, or just need more slack from one side of the shed to the other, you can never have too many of these lying around! Keep them wrapped tightly and hung from the hooks we talked about earlier.

Shovel, Rake, Hoe

Even if you don’t have a garden, you’ll find many uses for these around even the most simple landscape. Keep them hung on the back part of your shed unless you’re an avid gardener and will need them regularly.

Garden Shears and Trimmers

These can easily be hung from your peg board so you find them quickly each spring. Even if gardening is not your favorite hobby, you’ll still find bushes you want to cut back or flowers you need to prune.

Work Gloves

From gardening, woodworking, yard work, painting, etc., you’ll be glad to have this added protection. They’ll keep you from splinters, blisters, dirt stained fingers and more. Always keep an extra pair handy just in case you’re working on a project with a friend or family member.

A Loft

By adding a loft to your portable building will open up floor space for your work or larger equipment. With the additional storage, it will help you stay organized and keep boxes off clutter off the main pathway. With Cook you can add a loft to the Utility Shed, or you can choose between the Lofted Barn and Lofted Garage styles.