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Tips for Organizing Your Garage or Shed

Tools hand on an organizer in a garage.

Garages and sheds are our bastion for anything that might not belong in any primary living spaces. We turn them into getaway offices, catch-all storage repositories, workshops, and even media rooms. 

But if you are running up against limited space and need to find a way to fit a variety of larger belongings, such as bikes, canoes, paddleboards, or kayaks, you might run into trouble. These things take up a lot of space, and are often awkward shapes that don’t fit neatly into stacks or piles.

Advantage Storage wants to walk you through some of our best approaches to shed and garage organization, so you might come away with ideas you can implement for yourself. At the end we’ll circle back to a brief, encouraging discussion about the merits of self storage, and how it can help if your lack of space is stressing you out.

Garage and Shed Organizing Ideas

From hanging bikes to stowing kayaks, your garage or shed is a reliable storage space for your favorite hobby items. Here’s some practical advice on how you can give them an organizational boost.

Garage Bike Storage Ideas

One way to store a bike is by hanging it from the ceiling. This can be done by attaching hooks to the ceiling and then attaching the bike to the hooks. Hanging a bike from the ceiling can free up a lot of wall and floor space that would otherwise be occupied, and if you plan it correctly, it could hang above something else, making optimal use of vertical space. 

Another way to store a bike is by hanging it on the wall. Find some studs in the wall and screw in steady hooks or garage storage shelves capable of supporting its weight. If you have multiple bikes, this can be easily replicated with each of them, maximizing your use of wall space. 

Another tip for storing bikes is to keep them clean and dry. This means that you should not store your bikes in an area where they will be exposed to the elements. Rain and general moisture will quickly cause most bikes to rust, damaging their value and longevity.

Kayak Garage Storage

One of the great things about kayaks is that with the right tactic, they can be stored in a garage or shed without taking up too much space. Here are the best methods for storing a kayak in a garage or shed: 

  • If you have the space, store the kayak on its side on a set of racks. This will keep it out of the way and off the ground. Certain racks will allow multiple kayaks to exist side-by-side. 
  • If you don’t have racks, you can store the kayak upside down on some sawhorses. Just make sure that the sawhorses are stable and won’t tip over. 
  • Another option is to hang the kayak from the ceiling. This is a good option if you have limited space, but it does require some extra hardware and effort. 

Kayaking is a wonderful hobby that can be a bit unwieldy whenever not on the water. But if you approach your storage options with the right mentality, you can minimize the amount of frustration you feel while trying to decide where your kayaks belong.

General Garage and Shed Organizing Ideas

Once you’ve figured out how to handle your larger equipment, you can start knuckling down on the rest of your garage/shed layout. 

First, consider what items you need to store in your garage. Make a list of items such as holiday decorations, tools, sports equipment, etc. A strong, well-articulated storage plan can make the act of carrying out that organization so much easier. Where is everything going to go? What can you hang? What supplies fit in which cabinets and containers? 

Then you must consider which of the many different types of storage solutions available for your garage works best for you. Garage storage shelves are a great way to keep things off the ground and easily accessible. If you have larger items to store, consider using overhead storage or investing in some heavy-duty plastic bins that can stack on top of one another. 

Finally, don’t forget to label everything! This will help you find things quickly and easily when you need them. With a little bit of planning and effort, your garage will be organized and functional in no time.

Shed and Garage Organization with Advantage

Advantage Storage pulls no punches in the versatility, accessibility, and overall convenience of our storage units. Every facility is equipped with top of the line security features, a commendable staff, a clean environment, and user-friendly rental policies. 

If you’ve found yourself struggling to make your garage or shed work (we get it, sometimes a couple kayaks just make it impossible), we encourage you to test the waters of self storage. With unit sizes that range anywhere from a small closet to a large garage, we will make our space work for you. Check out the full list of our facilities to find a location and staff that will get you started and save you a lot of hassle. A nice, orderly garage is one call away.

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