With summer just around the corner, you might be thinking “it’s time to get that barbeque up and running”. It’s only after you open the shed door that you remember the wall of clutter blocking your path to the BBQ, and that’s when you realize that you need to start decluttering.
And what better time to clear out your shed than the summer?
Clearing out your shed can be a daunting task, especially if you’ve been using it as a dumping ground for the last few months. But don’t worry, we’ve got some great tips to help you clear out your garden shed this summer:
1. Make a plan
Before you start clearing out your shed, it’s important to plan what you’re going to do with everything. This will help you to stay organized and prevent you from having to put everything back in the shed at the end of the day. Although this step might seem like one of the more boring tasks, it’s definitely worth taking the time to plan everything out.
2. Start with the easy stuff
As soon as you start clearing out your shed, you should start with the easy stuff. This will help to motivate you and make the whole process a lot less daunting. Start by clearing out any items that you know you won’t be using again, such as old garden tools or broken garden furniture. Once you’ve cleared out the easy stuff, you can move on to the more challenging tasks.
If you have children, ensure to ask their opinions on what items they want to keep and get rid of. This will help them to feel involved in the process and make it more enjoyable for everyone; plus, your kids might see an item that rekindles a passion they once had.
3. Donate, recycle or sell
When you’re clearing out your shed, you’ll probably come across a lot of items that you no longer need but are still in good condition. Rather than throwing these items away, you could donate them to a local charity shop or recycle them. If you’ve got some larger items that you think someone might want to buy, you could even try selling them online.
For example, bikes are a particularly popular item when selling and buying second-hand. To get a good price for your old bike, however, you might want to ensure it’s in working order. Test ride it, clean it, and if possible, get a professional to service it. There are lots of articles on-hand with tips on how to remove rust from a bike, if your bike has spent years out in the cold.
4. Give everything a good clean
After you’ve sorted through everything in your shed, it’s time to give everything a good clean. This will help to freshen up the space and make it feel more ordered. Start by sweeping the floor and dusting down any shelves or surfaces. You might also want to give the walls a quick wipe down.
If you’ve got any larger items that need cleaning, such as garden furniture or a BBQ, you could try cleaning them with a pressure washer. This will make the task a lot easier and ensure that everything is sparkling clean.
5. Invest in some storage solutions
Once you’ve cleared out your shed and given everything a good clean, you can start thinking about storage. This will help to keep your shed organized and prevent it from becoming a dumping ground again.
There are lots of different storage solutions available, so you’ll need to think about what would work best for you. For example, if you’ve got a lot of small items, you could invest in some plastic storage boxes. If you’ve got larger items, such as garden furniture, you might want to invest in some shelves or racks.
6. Label everything
The minute you’ve sorted out your storage solutions, start labeling everything. This will help you to stay organized and ensure that you can find everything when you need it. You could either label the storage boxes or shelves, or you could label the items themselves.
7. Hang up any tools
If you’ve got a lot of small tools, such as spades or trowels, you might want to hang them up. This will help to save space and ensure that they’re easy to find when you need them. You could either hang them on the walls or on a pegboard.
8. Put up some shelving
If you’ve got a lot of larger items, such as pots or plant feed, you might want to put up some shelving. This will help to maximize the space in your shed and ensure that everything is easy to find.
9. Keep it tidy
Once you’ve finished decluttering your shed, it’s important to keep it tidy. This will help to prevent it from becoming a dumping ground again. Put everything back in its place after you’ve used it and make sure that the floor is clear.
10. Enjoy your new space
Once you’ve finished decluttering your shed, you’ll probably find that you’ve got a lot more space than you thought. So, what are you going to do with all that extra space?
If you’re looking for some inspiration, you could use the extra space to create a garden office, a workshop, or a playroom for the kids. Or, you could simply use it to store your gardening equipment or outdoor furniture.
We hope that these tips have inspired you to start decluttering your shed.