Our Compact Tool Storage in the Garage (& Why It Works!)

We (quite obviously) love to DIY…in fact, it’s the main way we customize our rentals. But because we move so frequently and rarely get the exact storage space we’d like, we’ve never have the luxury of a dedicated workshop. In fact, our tool storage lands in the garage every time. But with cars, bikes, camping gear, kids stuff (and more!), it can be tricky to get everything to fit just right. After lots of trial and error, we finally landed on a garage tool setup that keeps everything accessible but doesn’t take up a ton of space either! Let me show you!

The Challenge of Storing Tools in the Garage

Moving from home to home, we are never quite sure what kind of storage space we’re going to get. Sometimes we have a basement, sometimes we have an attic, sometimes we have both, or (more often) neither. But (so far!), we’ve always had a garage. And since tools tend to be dirty and messy anyway, the garage really is the most logical place to store them.

But we put a lot in our garages. As much as I’d love to dedicate a large space a “workshop,” there just isn’t room amongst the sporting gear, bikes, rakes, shovels, pingpong table, cleaning supplies, and seasonal decorations we store there too.

Plus, when we’ve had that “dedicated workshop” area (back when we only had one kid and not near as much stuff), it all-too-often became a dusty dumping ground for other items in the garage and was never quite “project ready” when we needed it.

Over the years, we’ve (little by little) moved away from the “dedicated workspace” mentality and instead identified tool storage solutions that are:

1. Compact – so they can fit amongst our other garage necessities
2. Translatable from home to home – so they will fit anywhere, not just on a specific wall or in a certain spot
3. And allow us to quickly and easily accomplish our projects without a lot of hassle – we don’t want to have to clean up or clear space just to start a project.

Here’s a look at how we accomplish these goals…

A Look at Our Compact Tool Storage Setup In the Garage

Pretty much every project you see here on the blog is done using tools we own. Sure, we’ve had to borrow a mitre or table saw every now and then; but otherwise, we’ve assembled a modest tool collection that allows us to do our home projects with relative ease.

You can see exactly what we keep on hand here: The Best DIY Tools to Invest In (When You Don’t Have A Workshop)

Almost everything listed in that post is stored right here…in just a 30″ wide x 18″ deep pocket of floor space within the side nook of our garage.

A tall rolling toolbox paired with a wall-mounted organizer holds almost everything including drills, saws, batteries, clamps, wrenches, and more.

Then, on nearby storage racks, we dedicate a few tubs to additional supplies and accessories (mostly sanding and painting items).

And that’s really it!

No, our setup is not particularly glamorous or even “Pin worthy” so to speak. But it fits well within the garage space we have and keeps everything really accessible.

Here’s why…

How to Store Tools Into Your (Crowded) Garage

Store What You (Really) Need

Without a doubt, the only way to neatly store a tool collection in a small space is to first limit what you have. This doesn’t mean you should only have a hammer and a screwdriver; but rather, you should be diligent about keeping your tool collection under control. We are constantly assessing what we have, what we need, and how best to invest (or not) for the projects we do.

Here are some strategies that help:

• Instead of having multiple sets of items (screwdrivers, drill bits, etc), pick (or invest in) the very best version and get rid of the rest.
• Consider renting or borrowing specialty tools for projects you don’t do very often.
• Stick to a single tool brand in order to eliminate needing various batteries and chargers.

Embrace Concealed Tool Storage

Of course I love the look of a fully outfitted garage wall, complete with pegboards (or other wall system), hooks, and baskets to display each and every tool, battery, gadget, and more. But I wonder: how often are you truly reaching for these things? We do a fair amount of DIY and still don’t reach for a majority of our tools on a daily basis. Do they really need to be out in the open?

Concealed storage, on the other hand…in the form of shallow drawers and storage cabinets…allows you to fit a lot more tools in a more compact space. They can help better distinguish specific zones or categories of tools and also keep your workspace cleaner (dust free and clutter free).

Most of our tools are stored in the shallow drawers of our heavy-duty rolling toolbox, while our saws and larger power tools are in the single bottom cabinet.

Wall-Mounted Tool Storage

I’d be remiss to discount using wall/vertical space completely. While the exposed pegboard has never worked for us, this wall-mounted tool holder has actually been a game changer for our entire setup. These specific items (drills, batteries, chargers, and clamps) never quite fit inside the shallow drawers; but we use them way too much to stuff them into deep cabinets or lidded bins.

This wall-mounted shelf (designed specifically for power tools) provides an easy-to-grab spot to store and (more importantly!) charge our most-used power tools without using up counter/work space. And…with the chargers stored right alongside our drills/electric screwdrivers, we can ensure items are charged and ready whenever we need them!

Do You Really Need a (Permanent) Workbench?

You’ll notice that our setup doesn’t have a permanently setup work bench. It took us a loooooong time to realize we didn’t need one; and in fact, that our garage was cleaner and tider without one. Gasp!

But we do have one! Can you spot it, there by the ladders?!?

A few years ago, we switched to a foldable work bench that comes out just when we are doing projects (we LOVE this thing!). This not only saves on floor/wall space, but it means we can setup a projects anywhere. More specifically: NOT in the garage. We can work exactly where we need to (based on proximity to outlets, the room we’re working in, etc), and our garage isn’t permanently covered in a layer of saw dust!

What Can Go In Storage Bins?

In general, large open garage shelves aren’t ideal for tools (unless you’re storing something big and heavy like a saw). Large shelves usually require bins (like for seasonal decorations), but let’s be honest: no one wants to rummage through a big bin to find a basic hammer.

That said, certain “categories” of workshop items can work quite well in (smaller) tubs. We store our sanding supplies (including the sander, pads, rags, and sponges), painting supplies (including tapes, brushes, can openers, roller covers, etc), cords, and other small items in easy-to-grab bins.

Even our hardware storage boxes…which I intentionally moved away from more space-consuming organizers…close up 100%, giving us the option to store nails and screws away on shelves, inside cabinets, or even inside bins.

Storing tools in the garage may not be the ideal solution, but it’s likely the one most of us deal with. If you too are trying to identify storage options that work amidst bikes, storage shelves, lawn care tools, sports equipment storage, and more, I hope the strategies I show here give you some alternative, outside-the-box solutions to consider!