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Clearing out the garage or shed

Big cleanouts · 6 minute read

Garages and sheds accumulate the widest range of material of any space in a house, and they're the hardest to start because there's no obvious first step.

The method

Empty it onto the driveway. This sounds extreme and it's the thing that works. Sorting inside a full garage means shuffling items between piles in a confined space. With everything visible in daylight, decisions get faster and you see duplicates immediately — most garages contain three of something nobody knew they had two of.

Pick a day with clear weather, start early, and commit to finishing. Half-emptied garages stay half-emptied for months.

Sort into six

• Keep and store properly
• Sell — tools, bikes, camping gear and sporting equipment hold value well
• Donate
• Scrap metal — worth separating; yards pay for it
• Hazardous — see below
• Dispose

The hazardous pile is bigger than you think

Garages and sheds are where household hazardous waste lives. Expect to find: old paint tins, thinners and solvents, garden chemicals and pesticides, motor oil and coolant, fuel containers, gas bottles, car batteries, fluorescent tubes, and aerosols. None of these can go in a bin, a skip or on a removal truck.

These go to a household chemical collection or a transfer station's dedicated point — usually free for households. Set them aside in a separate area as you sort, ideally in a crate, and deal with them as one trip.

Safety in neglected spaces

Sheds that haven't been opened in years commonly contain redback and white-tail spiders, snakes in warmer regions, rodent nests and droppings, wasp nests, and rusted metal. Wear enclosed shoes and gloves, open everything up and let it air before working in it, and be cautious with anything you can't see into. Rodent droppings warrant a mask.

Older sheds may have asbestos sheeting in the walls or roof. Don't drill, cut or break it, and get it assessed before any demolition.

Storage that survives

Wall-mounted storage keeps the floor clear and is the main reason some garages stay tidy and others don't. Clear labelled containers beat cardboard boxes, which absorb moisture and collapse. Keep frequently used items at waist height and rarely used ones high.

Getting rid of the pile

Garage cleanouts typically produce more volume than council hard waste limits allow, and often include items councils exclude. If you've emptied everything onto the driveway, a same-day removal is worth booking in advance for that afternoon — the pile has to be gone before you can put the car back in.