How to organise your shed like a pro

Australian musician John Williamson once sang that “All Australian boys need a shed, a place where he can go, somewhere to clear his head”.

But can shed-loving blokes – or their handy female comrades – really clear their head if their sanctuary is, well, a bit of a shemozzle?

Marty Leist, the partnerships and engagement co-ordinator at the Australian Men’s Shed Association, quips that when it comes to a messy shed, “it’s not about the person looking, it’s about the person using”.

He happily admits his own shed is a “disgraceful” mess. “But I know exactly where everything is.”

However, for those unsure about where to find a particular screw, spanner, or hose attachment, there are fortunately plenty of tried-and-tested tips to keep a shed of any size in relative order.

So, where to start?

Professional organiser Amy Revell, of The Art of Decluttering, says the first step when setting up – or tidying up – a shed is to figure out its main purposes.

Are you welding in there, are you repotting … or is it just storage?

Then it’s about creating different zones, such as power tools, gardening equipment, stuff for the pool, or bits and bobs that may be useful in the future.

Categorising the contents of your shed will also help you take stock of what you already own, and even offload excess items.

You may realise, suggests Revell, “I have three shovels, and that handle gives me blisters every time. That’s the one that’s going.”

Once you’ve got your categories, she says it’s about finding the right storage solutions for each, from pegboards, to hooks, shelving and containers – while making sure to utilise your shed’s “prime real estate”, the vertical space.

She’s a particular fan of hooks in sheds, which can create a set home for everything from hand tools to ladders, hoses and bikes.

“That’s what I love about sheds; you can use all those random little spaces — hooks are everything in a shed,” she says.

“You need shelves obviously, but your lawnmower is not going on a shelf, and your whipper snipper’s not going on a shelf.”

When it comes to a work or hobby shed, Leist says it’s all about utilising the perimeter so that you can maximise your floor space.

If you have the space, the workbench should be the centrepiece of your garage or shed.

Things you use regularly should be in easy reach of your bench.

“That’s where the vertical storage is the best, because that’s the visual stuff, and they’re the things that you use the most, like the spanners and maybe the saw and the hammer and the tape measure,” says Leist.

While most tools are cordless these days, Leist recommends hanging a power point above the workbench, which also keeps leads off the ground.

Magnetic strips and hooks can also provide a visual overview of your tools.

Toolboxes will ideally be tucked away under benches, says Leist. If they have wheels, even better.

“And instead of drawers, try plastic tubs that can slide in and out so the whole contents can be taken to where they are needed and slipped back just as easily”.

The key to any well-organised shed, says Revell, is creating a home for everything, then putting everything back where it belongs once you’ve finished using it.

For some truly ingenious ideas to lay out your piece of backyard paradise, Leist suggests popping your head into one of the 1300 or so Men’s Sheds dotted around Australia.

“You know that saying, ‘My Dad can do anything’? Well, there’s 30 or 40 dads in every shed. And if there’s a good idea to do something, you’ll find it at a shed,” he says.

Other shed organisation tips

• Keep paints, thinners and flammables out of reach of little hands, and close to ventilation.
• Leave space around your vice – you’ll need room to manoeuvre around it.
• Hide things in drawers and cupboards.
• Vacuum regularly to keep your shed clean and your health in good nick.

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