Okay so DH still does some handyman stuff because he actually likes it, it keeps him busy, and because we have a lot of weirdo houses where you can't just call a pro to fix some things. We do call the pros more often on bigger jobs these days because we can.

His van is full of tools because that's what it's made for, but besides the van, we have 8 sheds and a one-car garage full of stuff.

What's in there? We don't know. He has vague ideas of where he put important stuff, but when he needs something specific, he has to go hunt. OR buy it again...AND he hasn't been in some of the sheds for years now.

I have heavy duty zipper bags almost like bankers bags that I keep in a work bag for LL stuff. Those go with me pretty much everywhere. Separated by drill bits, sockets, screwdriver tips. Small Electrical and plumbing parts, Allen keys, etc. At the ends of jobs when you have those boxes and kitchen drawers and random shelves full of miscellaneous items, it’s nice to sort them into those bags. That random vanity drain compression ring comes in REAL HANDY when you can just run to the truck and grab one vs going to the store cuz you tossed it. Or the 1/2” sharkbite end cap for the plumbing line that just broke. Those are super handy. My shed is 10x20 maybe and has enough stock to handle most LL emergency calls. Not a lot stocked in there for remodeling an entire flip, etc. miscellaneous wire and plumbing parts. Some lights, door knobs, etc. maybe 2 2x4’s and a half a piece of sheet rock for a quick patch. I stock stuff more in a junkyard fashion than anything else. Need part, will have.

Personal stuff... I have a garage (tools), a garage apartment (nostalgia), and a little house in the backyard (more nostalgia, hobby supplies). So, three different units, two structures.

Biz stuff... an antique/vintage junk store went out of business, and DH thought he would try flipping the contents. So to store the antiques/vintage junk, he picked up a shell of a 2/1. After he disposed of the antiques/vintage junk, it turned into the main storage house for the biz. That's going to be things like plumbing supplies, lumber, extra flooring, extra light fixtures, extra drywall, mud, shingles, cleaning supplies, etc, to save us an hour and a half roundtrip to the box stores. DH has kept one of the pseudo-bedrooms for his retired files.

Across the street from our house, we have another garage apartment. The main house is rented to Tenant A, and the garage is rented to Tenant B, but we keep the garage bays themselves for storage. In addition to Tenant B's HVAC system (I change the filters-- no extra fee! :P ) and an old riding lawnmower that kept breaking belts and some personal pavilion poles/canvas totes, it also stores some miscellaneous large items for the biz. An old clawfoot tub that didn't work out with a super-extra-plus-sized family. A misc assortment of tile that DH bought at an auction. Some bags of styrofoam ceiling tiles for patching in. Some abandoned furniture that we can pass along later.

I have a duplex with an alley house in the back. Right now, the alley house is towards the end of the list, because it will need a large amount of effort to get it on its feet. It's the catch-all place for abandoned furniture. Some of it's good, solid, 1940's wooden furniture that would be a pity to throw away. Other stuff is good for passing along to people in need--- couches, bedroom frames, the occasional (clean) box spring or mattress, that kind of thing.

I have a different house with a garage apartment in the back, and a 2/1 in the front. The house seems to have been built directly on the ground-- at least in the very back-- so it will always be a glorified storage shed. I used that one for big things, also, like spare window a/c units, a random condenser unit my HVAC guy told me would be useful to keep, and an assortment of abandoned washers/dryers that I used to rent out, but pivoted away from that business model. It also was a repository for abandoned furniture that's either being sold off for auction/garage sale at some point in the future, or gets distributed as an act of kindness.

And I bought a house from heirs. The garage apartment is occupied by Tenant A, and the main house will be a rooming house that goes live late next month. But the original owner used to run the local hardware store, and his wife used to be a local artist in the 80's, and between them, they had a looooot of stuff. So the garage apartment is currently his time capsule, and the little workroom to the side of the house is her artroom. She used to do a lot of Western landscapes, but still has some unfinished pieces, like a nice pencil layout of one of the local churches that is no longer active. Her (adult son) used to do pinecone art (think, like, dollhouses where the roof is made of pinecone scales) and liked to make wooden boxes. It's kind of cool. I keep meaning to give away the old art supplies, because some of them are still in good shape.

"Stuff will expand to fill the space allotted to it."

Too many. I can relate. I have a garage below my one apt and I own the houses on either side, too, so it is really convenient. Problem is that it is way overstuffed and I am really not sure what I have in there. I have basic hand and power tools there. I have one of my rentals where the tenants are two single guys that I have a good relationship and I reserved the basement for my use. I don't have tools there but various supplies kept on hand. I have a house that is partially rehabbed and it is stuffed with all kinds of tools and supplies. I own the one next door, which is rented, so very convenient. These three "stashes" are all in South Philly. I have a house partially rehabbed in SW Philly with supplies and furniture and appliances stashed in it, too, and also some basic tools. I have the garage at my residence in SW Philly with lots of tools, and a small metal shed. Finally, I have a Summer home in a small town near AC, and since I own a rental duplex a mile down the road, I need tools. I have the garage in the Summer home stocked with tools, and also some tools in a yard shed at the rental. I used to have a trio of contiguous rental houses there, too, and each had a shed with supplies, etc. I must have 20 tool boxes. It's true, many times you buy something again because either you don't know where it is stashed, or you do know but it is cheaper to buy a new one nearby than to drive a distance. I have also "inherited" a lot of tools. Sometimes literally inherited, other times they were left behind in houses.

Too many. I can relate. I have a garage below my one apt and I own the houses on either side, too, so it is really convenient. Problem is that it is way overstuffed and I am really not sure what I have in there. I have basic hand and power tools there. I have one of my rentals where the tenants are two single guys that I have a good relationship and I reserved the basement for my use. I don't have tools there but various supplies kept on hand. I have a house that is partially rehabbed and it is stuffed with all kinds of tools and supplies. I own the one next door, which is rented, so very convenient. These three "stashes" are all in South Philly. I have a house partially rehabbed in SW Philly with supplies and furniture and appliances stashed in it, too, and also some basic tools. I have the garage at my residence in SW Philly with lots of tools, and a small metal shed. Finally, I have a Summer home in a small town near AC, and since I own a rental duplex a mile down the road, I need tools. I have the garage in the Summer home stocked with tools, and also some tools in a yard shed at the rental. I used to have a trio of contiguous rental houses there, too, and each had a shed with supplies, etc. I must have 20 tool boxes. It's true, many times you buy something again because either you don't know where it is stashed, or you do know but it is cheaper to buy a new one nearby than to drive a distance. I have also "inherited" a lot of tools. Sometimes literally inherited, other times they were left behind in houses.

1 house with a large garage for easy access - appliances, furniture I collect along the way for furnished rentals and staging, and heated paint mixing "lab".

(I buy mistints from a guy who collects them from all the pro stores. We combine them in a 55 gallon drum with a spigot)

1 "barn" shop, tablesaw, screen repair table, store pressure washers, ladders, and stuff I buy in bulk like ceiling fans, light fixtures, smoke detectors, faucets from ebay, signs...

1 house where we park trailers and a 30 yard roll off dumpster so my guys don't have to drive way out to the dump.

2 more that half hold more cars and half bulk materials like air conditioners, and rolls of carpet staging items we will never use.

Lowes is our warehouse other than a few items. Everything possible goes to either the next project or back to Lowes.

We only store items that are 50% or more remianing.

BRAD

W,

Watching the new tonight hoping your tool shed did not fall into the ocean!

The news wanted to blame climate change for the homes washing away.

When we stayed a few times in those beachside mansions, the realtor said banks would not give longer than a 15 year mortgage because the home was EXPCETED to wash away as the sandbar moved.

My friend has a demo business which includes retrofitting commercial spaces. Sometimes he removes huge suspended ceilings. They just drop the panels from the scissor lift, but many survive the fall. Any landlord knows what the stores charge for those stupid panels that are nothing more than compressed paper. I harvested many panels but had to restrain myself due to space limitations.

My friend has a demo business which includes retrofitting commercial spaces. Sometimes he removes huge suspended ceilings. They just drop the panels from the scissor lift, but many survive the fall. Any landlord knows what the stores charge for those stupid panels that are nothing more than compressed paper. I harvested many panels but had to restrain myself due to space limitations.

Brad, we are fine. It's in WESTERN NC - in the MOUNTAINS - that things have been changed for good. Houses swept away, major highways falling off the mountain...ALL ROADS IN WESTERN NC ARE CLOSED. Asheville can only be reached by air. I can't imagine. One would have thought the MOUNTAINS were safe from FLOODING.

As for the houses - 10 so far since 2020 - that have gone into the ocean were built on the true sandbar part of the island. They were NOT oceanfront when built, they were hundreds of yards back. But the barrier island is doing what barrier islands do: MOVE. They shift and undulate. It's not climate change as much as it was just wrong to build there in the first place. Unless you concrete over the sand, it's going to blow.

Much like building on the side of a mountain that often washes away, as happens in CA, is simply foolish.

Human folly.

Do we have the same DH? LOL! Never puts anything away. When he's done with the job he throws tools and trash into the same box for me to sort out down the road. We have at least 3 of everything. He's not good with money so if I appeal to him on the savings angle of being organized, he's "meh."

When he gets the notion to clean, he throws good stuff away because he has 3-8 of everything! He does the same thing with grocery shopping. Never checks to see what we already have!

You ask:

"How many sheds/garages/storage units do you have"?

As a "Landlord" of income property since March 1978 (46 years), and a Licensed Contractor from around the same period, I have the following:

7 (Seven) each two car garages, one at each property in different areas. No need to have storage in every rental property, only in 1 apartment building near to others.

10 to 20 foot Steel Metal Cargo Containers, for storage or storage and a Laundry Room in an apartment multi-unit property. I have 5 of those.

Rubbermaid shed's, around 7' x 12'. I have several of those of tenants storage, not stuffing their stuff in shared garages.

I have three wooden Tuff Sheds as offices, storage or additional space in multi-family lots with 2 or more homes on them.

And I have large Barn with a Loft for my extra appliances, supplies, etc.

And since I own a Storage rental, I have units there too.

Just last month I put out the word to fellow landlords, friends and family that I made a major tool purchase to tax write-offs. I'm taking out of storage my "extra-back up tools" and I'm looking to give them away, a good home. My list included: duel-fuel inverter generator, 4000 psi pressure washer with hose and wands, a Jack Hammer with cart and tips, Multi-use ladders, Sewer Snake Machine, 1/2" x 100" cable with several cutting ends, sewer camera 165', hand tools, etc. Around $10,000 worth of stuff at today's used market value -- For Free.

Friend #1, Mike, have many rentals and need stuff. He would not come and pick it up, he is too busy. Not working on his rentals, he as 3 vacancies and he's retired with no job. I offered to deliver stuff to him but he needs his garage door fixed and has a broken car in his driveway. So even if I wanted to deliver some stuff, no way of getting the stuff in his back yard or garage. He refuses to donate that car, he has 2 other broken down vehicles. So that was a bust. He'd rather buy the tool new for $50,000...

Family member number 2, he refuses to come and get it before next year. Too busy doing taxes.

Person number 3, a girl. When she herd I wanted to give her tools, she cleaned out her car and came right over. She got a sewer snake machine, sewer camera, presser washer (electric not a gas one) and some hand tool. She then took me out to dinner and was happy because she could have never purchased these tool in a million years.

Another 20 people all had excuses why it was too much trouble to receive free tools.

My HVAC guy showed up and picked out a sewer machine. My flooring contractor wanted a presser washer with a rolling wand and vacuum pickup.

My Painter took some ladders.

My kids never showed up, the have keys to various sheds and storage garages and borrow things as needed.

I have two extra vans. A dodge 3/4 ton van and a Ford 1 ton van. All with rebuilt engines and transmissions. I tired to sell them to friends. $1000 for the Dodge and $2000 for the Ford Van. Then one friend purchased another persons used Ford Van, 1 ton, with 100,000 miles on it, then had to have the trans rebuild for $3,200 and then the engine rebuilt for $4,500. Then he realized my use vehicle with a new drive train for 2 grand was a steel.

Not counting the garages with the rental houses that do not have any of my stuff in them, I have a 3 car garage, and three shops/ RV barns. A lot of the stuff in them is not for the rentals. Some of the stuff is for the house I live in but occasionally gets used for the rentals, like the lawn mowers and the assorted trailers

I still have tools in my truck. Over the years I have whittled it down after realizing some items were nearly never needed.

I have a 1.5 garage that I am nearly done getting empty. I have some cement boards in there and a few smaller items.

Another 1.5 garage at a place I am selling on contract. I have a lot of siding supplies, scaffolding with planks and more miscellaneous items. I started clearing some of it out but focused on other areas first since I have time before the contract ends.

Then there is my storage property. 1.5 story house that was gutted after it was bought. Would have been a 3/1. Now doesn't have a kitchen or bath in it. Plus a pretty good sized barn with a half story. It is probably 25x35. Lots of outside storage for things like trailers, totes and such.

Over the years I would forget what I had in there. This obviously ruined any savings from bulk or auction buys.

This year between jobs I started an organization sweep. Got rid of a bunch of stuff that I haven't used in literal decades. Sold off a bunch of stuff as well.

But most importantly I organized what I had. It is still a work in progress, but I labeled totes and tool boxes then I would fill them as I found stuff. Grabbing boxes and bags full of junk and them sorting it was pretty nice. Fired me up.

Having things in an orderly fashion has saved me time and money in just a few short months.

I have also stopped buying the little stuff that I already have just because it is a great deal at auction.

If I know I have a project coming up I will go on the hunt, starting at my place first then hitting the auctions.

The house was originally slated to be a rental. It has always been storage. Over the years I have decided that I will not even attempt to rehab it. It is water tight now but has no foundation and I am done dealing with places like that.

When we were new LLs I grabbed every scratch and dent, auction item I could. That helped us get started BUT I still have much of that stuff 40 years later! because it's mismatched, etc.

Now it's faded or moisture damaged from storage.

I figured out I was spending 4 hours at an auction HOPING to win a bid on items to save a buck, and sometimes walking away without a win.

I find it more cost effective for both material cost and time/labor cost to just buy new and return any extras.

I am slowly seeing the sense in not having so much stuff.

The auctions I typically attend are online so I just click back and forth to see what I want.

It is difficult at times to walk away from what I consider a great deal.

Examples are 18k wall unit retails over $600 and I have bought them usually around $150. Some as low as $50 because the cord was bent. All new units. I have ten places that these fit. But I also have 8 left in stock and replaced four of them last year.

LVP is another example. I can buy $4/sf Lifeproof or similar for $1.20/sf. Some I have purchased as low as .60/sf. I have not covered all the places that have either sheet vinyl or 12x12 squares with click.

I did get crazy with things like fasteners and small hand tools. While I will eventually use them all I do not need the number of trim nails or staples that I have.

I have spare stoves and refrigerators in stock as well. I want to get to the point that I can swap out old ones with new, but I am just not there yet. Besides the new ones never seem to last so I only get rid of old ones if they develop a leak or lose a compressor.

Realizing that my time is worth more than what I get paid for doesn't stop the fact that I still do nearly all of the handyman work right now.

Sometimes saving money over time is just as important.

I have one storage unit that has construction materials in it. I also have a mixed unit building where there are three small office spaces in it. The front store front is used by a commercial tenant. I used to use the back space for storage of surplus appliances that I use for rent to own. The middle office started out as my business office, but has grown in scope.

I now have a key station in one corner. Supplies to stage any vacancies in another. Surplus paint stuff yet another. My desk so I was going look super professional got squeezed out leaving me an address and a street sign.

"Too much room"

I do not understand that phrase.

It is foreign to me.