Packing up your garage or shed is one of the more difficult parts of the moving process. Generally, these items will be complex to pack, and you will also need to take some time in sorting through them. However, there are some procedures and tips for packing garages or shed, that will make moving this area of your house a lot simpler.
Garages are very difficult to pack due to the great number of miscellaneous items found in them. There are many different things that will need to be sorted out first and then packed up. Before you learn how to pack your garage, you need to gather all the packing supplies to pack tools.
Gather the necessary packing supplies to pack garage or shed
In order to pack up your garage or shed, you're going to need a few things:
- Moving boxes/Small cartons: Make sure the boxes you use are strong and dry. Get boxes of different sizes since the miscellaneous items you'll pack inside them will be sized differently.
- Bubble wrap: You're going to need plenty of bubble wrap when packing sharp-edged tools in order to prevent injury. The bubble wrap will also be useful for protecting fragile ceramic or glass items inside your garage.
- Old towels/furniture blankets: Old towels or furniture blankets are ideal for packing tools.
- Shrink wrap/Packing papers: Get packing papers and shrinkwrap to keep small hand tools from getting lost. Permanent marker: You'll need a colored marker to label the moving boxes once you've packed them.
Sorting and organizing items
Before you get started with the process of packing, it's best that you go through your garage and sort through the items to find out what you don't need anymore. If your shed is extremely cluttered and disorganized, try breaking the space down into separate quadrants so that you can thoroughly comb through your things and check off each quadrant as you finish it.
Separate your belongings into two different piles based on what you decide to do with them. For example, if you have a few items that you don't need anymore. If your shedate the items that you're going to donate them, sell them, or simply throw them away and mark them clearly so that you'll know exactly what you need to pack when the time comes. This will help you stay organized and it will also help you to budget your time when going through all the items in your garage.
Beware of hazardous items
When you're sorting the garage items, you should be mindful that some tools are too dangerous to move because they are hazardous or prohibited by the moving company. This includes any chemicals in your garage, paints, aerosol cans, fertilizers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, oil, and gas. For safety reasons, you're not allowed to pack and transport anything that is flammable, corrosive, or explosive in nature. So, your best option is to find a safe way to dispose of those dangerous things prior to packing shed for moving.
Tips for packing odd items
Without a doubt, your garage will be full of tools with various types, shapes and sizes that you won't be able to simply pack and load them onto the truck.
Here are some tips on how to pack tools for moving that you may come across while sorting through the garage, and what you can do with them:
- Tools: Pack power tools in their original boxes. Remove any batteries, power chords and any other detachable parts of the tool to avoid damage. Pack small hand tools such as pliers, hammers, wrenches etc. in a toolbox. If you don't have a toolbox, then wrap them in a towel or furniture blanket and place them inside sturdy small boxes.
- Large garden tools like brooms/rakes/shovels should be bundled and placed on the moving truck wrapped in moving blankets or towels along with the other tools with long handles those are not fit in ordinary moving boxes.
- Lawn and patio furniture: Remove all the cushions from your lawn and patio furniture and thoroughly clean all the frames. Pack the cushions separately in a large box or plastic container to protect them during the move. The actual pieces of furniture (the wooden, plastic, or metal frames) may be loaded onto the moving truck as they are.
- Bicycle:You may want to load your bikes onto the truck as they are. Rather than that, disassemble your bikes by removing handlebars, wheels and pedals or go to a bike shop store and purchase bike bag to pack.
- Umbrella: If you have any umbrellas to be packed, you can wrap them in plastic bags or other protective wrappings to keep them from being damaged during the move.
Packing other belongings
Most of the things in your shed can fit in moving boxes, but other things may require a little more support to keep them safe during the move. For example:
- Outdoor equipment: Children's backyard playsets and swing sets should be carefully disassembled piece by piece and packed away. The smaller pieces should be placed in a plastic bag that is clearly labeled and secured to the main components with tape. This will ensure you don't accidentally misplace any important screws or bolts.
- Pots and planters: These need to be packed separately and given special care.
- Trash cans: It may be easier to buy new garbage cans at your destination. However, if you can't part with your garbage can, make sure that it's cleaned out and the lid is secured before loading it onto the moving truck.
During the process of packing your garage or shed, you may come across a few items you're not sure your moving company will transport on the truck. Some examples of these problematic items are:
- Riding lawnmower
- Gas leaf blower
- Snowblower
- Motor scooter
- Trampoline
- Swimming pool
- Hot tub
- Satellite dish
- Storage shed
- Swing set
- Doghouse
Before moving any of these items, consult with your moving company and check with them to see if they'll be able to transport them for you.