June is an excellent time of year to clear out your shed, garage, or other outdoor and semi-outdoor spaces.  Do this at the beginning of summer so you can enjoy the space all season long.  Consider these tips:

• Go through EVERYTHING, and take it all outside so you can see its true condition in the sunlight.
• Get rid of anything you haven't used in the past year (I know this is tough, but we hang on to things we'll never use again, and it takes up too much space in our lives).
• Recycle, donate, or sell whatever you're getting rid of.  Don't put it back in the garage thinking "I'll sell it later".  Do it NOW, or donate it. 
• Create "Zones" for every type of activity or storage need (sports, gardening, auto, etc.).  Measure how much stuff you have for each zone before you start putting things back.  You may have spread your sports equipment over several different parts of the shed in the past, for example.  Create one larger sports zone now so the items can all live together and be found easily.
• Place your zones according to how often you need to access that item and whether you use it inside the shed or outside.  Things you use inside only can go towards the back of a garage, while bikes, skateboards, the lawn mower, etc. that you might use regularly outside should go closer to the door.
• Separate out-of-season items and store them in your least accessible locations.
• Get the right types of containers, shelves and cabinets for the items you need to store.  There are specialized racks for most sports equipment, tool racks for tools, garden racks, etc. 
• Be sure to use your vertical space (shelves and hooks on walls, hanging from ceiling), and install a loft for out-of-season overhead storage if at all possible.
• While you have everything out, clean the floors, walls, shelves and containers.  You're more likely to use them if they're clean.
• Label your zones and your containers.  Create a map of where things go and post it inside the door. That way, the whole family (and you) can know where to find things and put things away.
• As always, be sure to take before and after photos, and check the space once/month to be sure things haven't slipped out of place.  Now, go find that bike and ride it right out of your newly organized shed!