Sheds are a staple for rural and suburban homes due to the convenience of being able to store tools and equipment for yard work. The average shed is typically 10x12 feet, so it’s important to utilize the space effectively. Making your shed a highly organized storage area, as well as a proper workspace, should be the ultimate goal for anybody that takes pride in their shed and wants it to reach its full potential.
Here are some suggestions for making the most of your workshop shed and maximizing the space.
Eliminate Clutter
It might be easy to neglect your shed because most of your time is spent in the house, but it’s important to maintain a high level of organization in order to make the time you spend in the shed less stressful and more productive. Eliminating clutter is a fast, easy way to make your shed feel less crowded.
Clean Your Shed
It’s easy to overlook cleaning your shed, but it should be treated the same as your house and cleaned regularly. Whether you’re tracking in dirt from the yard or collecting wood shavings from a recent project, sheds get dirty fast and should be cleaned properly. Storing a shop vac and other supplies in your shed will make cleaning up your messes convenient.
Prioritize Equipment & Tools
During the organizing process, a great first step is to take inventory of what you already have and find out what you need, what you have too much of, and what you don’t need anymore. It might finally be time to get rid of that old lawnmower you keep telling yourself you’re going to fix up and give yourself some more room to work. Some people tend to hoard a lot of junk in their shed, but if you’re serious about using your shed as more than just a dirty, messy storage space, then consider how useful some of the more obscure items you’ve gathered over the years truly are. If you can part ways with those tools, then you’ll be well on your way to transforming your shed for the better.
Utilize Shelves
Adding shelves above your workbench and along other walls will prevent your floor from collecting clutter and becoming difficult to navigate. Floorspace is going to be limited, so relying on shelves for storage will be the most effective way of freeing up your shed so that you can work on any projects you have.
Build a Tool Rack
Instead of relegating your shovels, rakes, and hoes to a pile in a corner of your shed, build a rack for them so you can house them in a more pleasing and easy-to-access way. Consider making smaller racks for your hammers and screwdrivers too. You’ll thank yourself when all of your tools are organized and in plain sight.
Invest in Organizers
When you have a lot of small tools, nails, and screws laying around your shed, it can be a nightmare to find the exact one you need when there is no organization in place. Having shelves is a great first step, but taking it one step further and adding small bins with labels will make it easy to separate smaller items that tend to get mixed up on a more cluttered workspace.
Build a Ramp
Incredibly simple but often overlooked, building a ramp up to your shed doors makes your life so much easier when you are hauling wheeled machinery or a heavy wheelbarrow. Taking the time to add a ramp will save you from unnecessary stress in the future.
Personalize Your Workspace
While this might not be the first thing you think about when trying to make the most of your shed, adding some personal touches can go a long way in making your shed feel more like an extension of you and your home. Take some of your favorite pictures of your family and hang them above your workbench. If you have a favorite sports team, hanging a team pennant on empty wall space can help make you feel just a bit more at home when you are working hard on a project. There is no right or wrong when it comes to personalizing your shed. It might not seem important or even necessary, but personalizing your shed makes it a much more satisfying place to work.
If you’re in the market for a new shed, be sure to check out our selection! Don’t forget to look into the workshop package for additional storage and utility options.