Organizing A Shed, Virtually

Although King County has transitioned into Phase 2, which allows for in-home organizing, I am waiting a little longer to start in-home appointments up again.  I love in-home organizing so much that I’m surprised that I actually prefer the virtual sessions!  It’s primarily because I see the skill transfer to be so much higher with the virtual sessions. They are also better for the environment (no unnecessary travel), and are also a lot safer.

A client recently sent me these photos (shared with permission). He wanted help and motivation to organize his shed (which has been on the to-do list for a long time!).  We did a one-hour session, where I helped him organize his laundry room, and we strategized how to organize the shed.  With just one hour of guidance, he was equipped with enough of a vision, and amped with desire and confidence, to get his shed organized!

Here are some of my top tips if you want to do this on your own:

• The night before (at least!): eat a good dinner and get to bed early. Make sure to hydrate well, especially during the summer! Eat a good breakfast, and have high quality food on hand, so you’ll have fuel throughout the day. With years of experience working in very hot glassblowing studios, and the two full marathons I’ve run, I know that the fueling and hydration can make or break the productivity of a day. It’s not just what you eat and drink on the day of the project either.  While training for the marathon, I learned that it was the dinner I ate on the Friday night that mattered most for a Sunday race.
• Create a staging area. Use a deck or lay out tarps so that things stay clean. You may also want to get out a 10’ x 10’ pop-up tent, if it’s raining, or very sunny.
• Define zones for like items in the staging area, and take everything out of the shed. Make sure to also create a zone for trash, recycling, donation, and Hazmat. If you have a lot of latex paint, be sure to check local guidelines for how to donate, dispose or recycle it.
• When sorting items, you may want to use temporary bins, boxes, or bags to containerize like items. This will help you visualize what type or size of storage containers might be best.
• When putting items back inside, if you think you’ll forget where things go, clearly label the shelf, and if items are in a bin, label that too.
• This shed already has preexisting shelves, which seem to work well for my client’s purposes. Hooks, peg boards, smaller containers, and drawers can also be very helpful.
• For more ideas and inspiration, check out the Garage and Shed Organizing Ideas Board I’ve created on Pinterest.

Take lots of pictures! They may seem insignificant at first, but once you see the progress that happens over time, it certainly builds confidence for bigger and more complicated projects!  You got this!! I’d love to see your before and after pics so I can cheer you on!  Email them to me at jean@seattlesparkle.com, or post them in the Facebook Group, Declutter and Organize with Seattle Sparkle.  Schedule a 15 minute call or 1 hour consultation here.