I love my workshop. When I open up the creaky doors, a wonderful smell of engine oil and heavy machinery hits me. For a few years now, I've had this unit in an old engineering mill and it's made even big jobs (like rebuilding the Land Rover) a lot simpler. I've learned though, that just having a space dedicated to your Land Rover isn't enough, you need to make sure that this space is organised and uncluttered. So, we asked Louis Shephard to help us out and he offered 4 tips for creating an efficient workspace

1. Set Up Vertical Storage

Vertical storage is often recommended in home workshops, and generally it comes down to shelving units, or racking. By setting up these kinds of storage options you effectively maximise the available floor space in the middle of your workshop where the actual Land Rover (or parts) can be while you work on it. Another option recommended by Makezine, however, is pegboard, which can solve a lot of your everyday storage needs. You can basically lay out all your tools on a large pegboard set up against a wall, which takes up even less space than most racking options.

2. Stock Up On Screw Organisers

When we think of storage and organisation contraptions with regard to a workshop, usually it's to do with tools or larger materials. However, as is made clear by the layout of tools and storage options at Screwfix, smaller organiser items are also relevant in this category. For instance, many find a lot of value in compartmentalised boxes meant entirely for storing screws and other small items that could be needed for your upkeep and repair efforts. Without such an organiser in place you may find you wind up with a workshop in which things are easily misplaced and clutter builds up quickly.

3. Build A Sturdy Workbench

A workbench is always recommended for home workshops in general, but where a Land Rover workshop is concerned you might believe it's less necessary. This makes a certain sense given that you'll be working on large items - an entire vehicle or a significant part - in the middle of your workshop. However, you'll still want a surface or two on which to keep tools you're using or work on smaller detachable aspects of the main project. Family Handyman has several workbench design ideas and most are relatively simple to either put together or purchase. Find one that works for the space you have and you'll find it easier to get jobs done in your workshop.

4. Set Up Outlets Early

Whether for power tools, lighting, or even heating and cooling units, you're going to want electricity funnelled into your workshop, and this isn't always something that comes to mind early on. In some ways a workshop can seem like a technology-free zone, and electronics can almost feel counterintuitive. But you'll want them in more ways than one, so particularly if you're designing a workshop from scratch make sure you have adequate power and outlet space. This will keep you from having to run a web of extension cords across the floor later on.

These tips should get you on the right path to setting up a great workshop space for your Land Rover. Along the way as different jobs arise you'll likely need to make a few adjustments or gather a few new specific tools, etc. But the early setup is the most important part of the process, and with these things in mind you'll be off to a good start.