Is cleaning out and organizing your shed the next warm weekend project?  

If you filled up your shed almost immediately after it was delivered, you’re not the only one! No matter if you have one of our Slim Sheds or our largest Lofted Garage, they can fill up fast if you don’t stay organized.

Thankfully, if you chose (or will choose) a Cook portable building, our Rent to Own program allows you to trade up to a larger shed if you decide you need even more space. 

It can sometimes be a daunting task to open up more storage space. But, it can be done!

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The first steps for your project are to: empty, clean and purge. 

 

Don’t think you can part with anything right now? Ask yourself these questions to help you determine what you can purge and what you need to keep.

• Have I used this in the past year?
• Does it hold any sentimental value to anyone in my family?
• Will anyone be upset if they discover this in the trash?
• If I donated it, could it be used by someone else safely?
• Can I fix or clean this up? Is it time to buy a replacement?

After you’ve purged at least a few things, now you can re-examine where everything needs to go inside your shed. Here are 4 space saving tips for your portable shed:

 

Clear the Floor Space in Your Shed

The floor is usually the first area to be filled, but try to save this space for larger items like bikes, ATVs or mowers. Use the wall space wisely, laying out where it will be best to hang items or put a tall shelf.

You may decide to stack and mount wood or plastic crates to build a low cost shelving option. Or you may want to look at using painted pallets to create shallow shelving, adding pops of color and plants to your shed. Learn more about these shelving ideas in this video!

 

Organize Hoses and Cords 

These can become tangled or get lost behind larger items.  Without the proper storage, they can be torn or damaged.

You especially want to be careful with how you store your electrical cords. Before each use, you want to inspect the cord to ensure it is in good condition before plugging it in.

These should be wrapped and hung properly so they are easily accessible and ready to use when needed.

 

Track Your Tools

Everything in your portable building should have its place. One way to ensure your tools and smaller items go back exactly where you want them is to hang them and trace them.

Once you have all of your tools hung, take a marker and trace around each of them. This will remind you after each use exactly where its home is. 

You’ll be able to easily see what’s missing and allow you to optimize your wall space.

 

Use various wall organizers

Add hooks, build shelves, even consider a shoe organizer! The clear plastic inserts allow you to see the smaller random items you are storing.

They make a great spot to store cleaning supplies or your collection of nails and screws.

If you have shelves already, you can save space by reusing paint cans and mason jars to hold tiny items. These are easy to label and don’t take up too much space on the shelves. Have a lot of gardening tools to organize? Find more creative tips for organizing your garden shed here.

 

You’ll love opening up your shed and knowing exactly where everything is and how to tell others to find it. These tips will free up space so you aren’t having to rearrange your entire storage building every time you have something new to put away.

If you haven’t found a shed yet to help you keep your home and yard organized, take a look at our different shed styles by clicking below. 
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