It’s very easy for outdoor sheds and garages to become dumping grounds for things we don’t want to have to look at, and they often do not get the same level of care and attention that we give to our homes.
It doesn’t have to be a daunting task – there are some easy steps you can take to make your garage much better organised.
Sort Out Your Stuff
Start by making a pile of things that you no longer need, and arrange either to take them to a car boot sale or charity shop, or to the tip if they are not of any use to anyone. This can be time consuming but it will be worth it when you find you can greatly reduce the amount of stuff that you need to store. If you find items that you want to keep, but not necessarily in your garage, then find homes for them instantly. Don’t leave them to pile up as they will no doubt end up back in the garage. Key locking safes are ideal for storing valuable items and are a great addition to your garage.
Create a Tool Wall
It’s an old idea, but a very effective one. Use one of the walls in your garage as hanging storage. Using nails hammered into the wall, hang your tools up, and then draw around them lightly with a pencil. Proceed to go over the pencil marks with a black marker on the wall so that the outlines are clearly visible. This makes it really easy to see where everything goes and when anything is missing. Attach small jars (empty food jars are ideal) underneath a shelf by screwing on the lids and use these for storing small and fiddly items like screws and nails.
Use Walls and Ceilings
Keeping the floor space for bigger items like bicycles and lawnmowers is easier to do if you make the most of your wall space and ceiling space. A pegboard can be made easily with cork tiles and attached to the wall. Using hooks, you can then hang up difficult to store items like electrical cords and garden hoses, or long tools like brooms. This makes the most of your wall space and leaves the floor clear for any bigger items. There are some products available that allow you to store things using your ceiling, like specially designed hoists for bikes and shelving units that are specifically made for attaching to the roof of your garage.
Get Some Good Storage
Find some old kitchen units or other storage units that have shelves and drawers, so that you can arrange items in an organised way that means you can find them again. Once you have them arranged, make sure to keep on top of them and don’t let your system fall into disarray! Large plastic boxes with lids are ideal for stacking items and are inexpensive. For valuable items,
key locking safes are perfect storage solutions and can be bolted to the floor for extra security.
