subject: Getting The Most Out Of Your Garden Shed [print this page] Can't find your trowel? Lost your spade? Misplaced your lawnmower?
Okay, you probably haven't lost your lawnmower, but you might well have misplaced some of your smaller tools. The fact is that for many people, a garden shed represents the ideal way to store tools but can quickly turn into a dumping ground where it is almost impossible to find anything. So, if you've got a disorganised shed, or want to make sure that your tidy shed doesn't get into a state, it might be worth having a look at ways to maximise its use.
Everything in its right place
It might sound obvious, but only put things that need to be in your garden shed, in your garden shed. It might even be necessary to take everything out of your shed to see exactly what is in there. If you have an untidy shed, you might soon find there are items that you don't use which are ready to be thrown away. Get rid of them and you will start creating space for the items that really need to be in your shed.
Implement a system
Don't think that just putting things away neatly will do the job. Why not divide everything that goes into your garden shed into categories which each have their own section of the shed. It will be a lot easier when you need to find one specific tool if you know where to look for it.
Space is the key
By now, you should have a good idea of where everything is stored. But, it might still be difficult to get some things out if you've had to stack or pile them up. There are a couple of solutions: shelving and hooks. A few shelves on the walls of your shed will provide plenty of extra storage space. For example, hooks (or just nails if you prefer) will give you a handy place to hang any gardening clothes. As well as shelves and hooks, there are all sorts of storage units to choose from. Think about the dimensions of the items that need to be stored and buy a suitably sized unit.
Prioritise your items
It is important to consider which items you use most often because they should be in accessible positions. Make sure that they are stored fairly close to the door so that you can get them out quickly; all those extra 20 seconds retrieving them from the back of the shed will soon add up.
Once your garden shed is well organised you will recoup the time you have spent sorting it out almost straightaway. No more frustrating searches for your tools; you will find them in next to no time. As well as the obvious time benefits, your shed will also look much more impressive once it has been neatly arranged.
