We always hear about spring cleaning. But, sometimes, the best time to organize your house and yard is during the winter. Most of us have more spare time during the colder months.
You can start now to prepare your shed for next year’s yard work. Get started making it easier to access and use all your hardware, tools, and supplies. Take a look at these excellent organization ideas for your mobile home shed.
What can you use your shed for?
Sheds are one of those structures that you can use as solutions for many any space-related challenges. If you can think of it, you can probably store it in a shed. Sheds can be especially useful to add some additional space if your mobile home itself isn’t exactly expansive.
Here are just some suggestions on how you can use your shed:
- Storing gardening supplies and equipment
- Setting aside any furniture, appliances or other belongings
- Kids playroom
- Workspace for your crafts or hobbies
- Stowing hardware and tools
- Music or art studio
- Mini home gym
- Potting shed
- Storing bicycles or other outdoor gear
Whatever its purpose, you will be able to get much more out of the space if you organize it to suit your needs.
Top ten ideas for organizing a shed
1 – Work out a system
Any serious organization project needs a system. In short, you need to figure out how you are going to arrange and store all your items. There are two main ways you can organize all the hardware in a shed.
One is to organize the items by size. Choosing to do this can help you save on space. But it means that it can take longer to find what you’re looking for.
Alternatively, you can organize your items by purpose or task. For example, put all your gardening tools in one tub. While this system could be less efficient in terms of space, it will make it much quicker to find things.
Figure out which way will work for you and for the way you work.
2 – Get a magnetic bar
Magnetic bars are a fantastic idea for organizing your mobile home shed. You can use them to store and hang any of your equipment that has metal parts that can be attracted to magnets.
Overall, this solution is relatively hassle-free to install and use. On top of this, it doesn’t take up much space.
Just remember that different magnets have different strengths. So you need to check that the one you buy will be able to hold the tools you’re aiming to store.
3 – Label everything
To some people, this might sound like going overboard. But trust us – it really works. Get out your label maker and print labels for all your bottles, shelves, cabinets, tubs, and other containers. Doing this can save you from hours of rummaging through crates and drawers.
If you want to, you can create labels for broader categories like “cleaning supplies.” Or fashion them to list specific items in a container like “turpentine” or “wood cleaner.”
Now you can get the most out of your organization system. And you don’t have to worry about forgetting where to put something once you’re done.
4 – Use similar size and shape containers
Generally, it’s better to use identical storage containers. Or at least ones that are similar in shape and size. This is so you can stack them and place them next to each other neatly and without any wasted space.
For a shed, sturdy and heavy-duty plastic tubs work well. People often prefer to choose ones that are see-through.
5 – Install a pegboard
If you don’t want to use a magnet strip, a possible alternative is mounting a pegboard. The benefit of this is that you can store more kinds of equipment in this way because the items don’t have to be able to attach to magnets.
You can mount the board on an empty wall. Experiment with a variety of hooks and attachments to create the exact combination you need for your tools. It can be helpful to label the spots so that you return every item to its correct place.
6 – Hooks for long-handled tools
Usually, one of the trickiest parts of shed storage is finding a place for all your long-handled tools such as rakes, brooms, shovels, and pickaxes.
One option is to invest in some all-purpose hooks to a surface. Some people prefer to attach them to the back of the door.
You can then hang all your long garden tools from the hooks.
However, keep in mind that the heavier the equipment, the stronger the attachments need to be to hold them.
7 – Don’t skimp on shelves
One of your best friends will be shelving. Installing shelves will help you to keep your supplies organized and out of the way by significantly increasing the surface area that you have to work with.
There are a variety of shelves that you can install on their own or in combinations with others. For example:
- Floating shelves
- Open shelving
- Freestanding pieces
- Build your own folding shelves
But, no matter which shelving option you choose, make sure that it is sturdy. And remember that utility isn’t all that counts. You can get both form and function.
8 – Nifty screwdriver rack
Another tricky thing to store is all your screwdrivers. You want to keep them organized and within reach.
One project is quick and straightforward. You can take a wood plank and drill holes into it for each of your screwdrivers. Make sure that the gap is wide enough for their shanks. All that is left to do is mount the wood to the wall with brackets.
Check out this great tutorial for building your own from scratch.
9 – Storing chemicals
Storing chemicals and potentially hazardous materials is always a concern, especially if you have kids or pets in the area. If you keep these materials in your shed, you need to install a dedicated cabinet for them.
Preferably, you should use a container that you can lock so that no one can access it without a key.
On top of this, you need to remember that when storing chemicals you should:
- Keep the containers out of sunlight.
- Try to make sure that the container doesn’t get too hot or too cold.
- Don’t take the substances from their original bottles and do keep the labels intact.
- When storing fuel and fertilizer together, try to put them as far from each other as possible and make sure the area is well ventilated.
10 – Keep things off the floor
Two critical goals in organizing any space are making things easier to use and find and keeping the area clean. That’s why you should avoid putting any of your equipment and supplies on the floor. Otherwise, it will collect more dust and get messier much quicker.
Instead, you’ll want to use walls and so on for vertical storage. Doing this helps you to find extra space. Plus, it should make it easier to move around the shed.
11 – Use jars
We think that one of the best ways to store small bits and pieces like screws and nails is to put them in jars. This will allow you to keep like with like. But it will also help you make sure that you don’t lose any parts.
Use clear containers so that you can see everything inside. Besides this, for an eco-friendly option, consider reusing any plastic or glass jars that you use in your home – like bottles for jam.
12 – Hanging jar organizer
Putting some of your hardware in jars is a brilliant step. However, you still need to figure out where to put those bottles. If you want to, you can simply arrange them in a drawer, cabinet, or on a shelf or counter.
Alternatively, you can use space more intelligently by setting up a hanging jar organizer.
The setup for this is pretty simple. All you need is a drill, some screws, jars, and a cabinet or shelf with some space underneath. You can use any container as long as it has a screw top.
Remove the lid from the bottle and attach it to the bottom of the surface. You can then unscrew the container when you need to take something out – replacing it when you’re finished.
13 – Get a potting bench
To get the most out of your shed, you should install some kind of work surface. Firstly, this will help you work much more efficiently and get through your list of tasks, even when the weather is a bit nasty.
But it can double up as a storage and organization solution as well. It can give you a temporary place to store any work-in-progress while keeping the mess confined to that space.
You could use cabinets with a countertop for this. But a freestanding bench can also work as long as you can fit some storage containers underneath.
14 – Pallet for long-handled tools
Luckily, there is more than one way to deal with tools with long handles. Another cheap and very nifty option is to use a pallet. You should be able to pick one up from any of your local hardware stores.
Once you have one, you can lean it against a wall and place the handles of the equipment between its slats. If you want to, it can be useful to secure it to the wall so that it won’t fall over.
15 – Hang hoses and cords
One major cause of clutter in a shed is hoses and cords. If you’re not careful, they can get all tangled with themselves and your other equipment.
So don’t leave hoses and cords lying around on the floor. Attach hooks to your walls or even the beams of your shed. Roll up the rope, hose, or cord, and then loop it over a hook.
16 – Get a caddy
There are always a few items that you use more than any other. Because you take them out so often, it is easy to become lax and leave them lying about. And that is where the trouble usually starts.
That’s why it’s a good idea to get a caddy in which you can place some of your essential tools. Preferably, you should use a container with a handle so that you can carry it around as you work.
If you want to, you can buy a wire basket for this. Or for a free option, you can clean and reuse a paint can.
17 – Find extra space
We’ve already mentioned that you want to avoid using too much floor space. Instead, you can create more space by installing new surfaces and using the walls. But did you know you can use the beams and ceiling of your shed as well?
You can install hooks, racks, or even hoists for bicycles here.
Finally, you will be fully optimizing the layout of the building.
As a note of caution, keep in mind that the ceilings in shed usually don’t have a lot of support. So depending on the structure, you might want to avoid hanging cumbersome or heavy items in this way.
18 – Gardening gear
No one wants to mess up their favorite T-shirts while working in the garden. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have some dedicated clothes or gear at hand for any messy work. On top of this, it can be handy to have a set of overalls, gloves, and a cap.
You shouldn’t just leave the clothing lying around. Instead, secure a rack to the wall next to the door with pegs or hooks to hang your things. Put a basket underneath in which you can place your shoes or boots.
19 – Ducks in a row
The shed is all yours, so you can organize it as you see fit. Therefore, we recommend that you arrange it according to your priorities. Ask yourself, what do you use the most? Do you use your gardening supplies more often or your woodworking tools?
To make life easier for yourself, you can organize your things so that the items you need regularly are close at hand.
Build it yourself
Building your own mobile home shed is all about getting that bit of extra space that you need. If you organize it effectively by using shelves and our other ideas, it will help you keep both your house and yard clutter-free. Plus, it will keep your supplies dry, clean, and in good shape for longer.
