Tackling Your Garden Shed Before the Move: Tips to Remember

Tucked away on your property housing all those landscaping and garden necessities, the garden shed often stands as an afterthought when it is time for a household move. Nevertheless, this building is usually brimming with items that can be somewhat precarious to pack and transport. So here are a few good tips to help you along the way. 

1. Remove the fuel from gas-powered equipment.

How many gas-powered items do you have in your garden shed? If you are like most people, you will have everything from a weed trimmer to a lawnmower. While professional movers can move these items, they require the gas tanks to be empty. Therefore, be sure you take the time to either utilize or dispose of whatever fuel you have in the tanks. 

2. Get proper packing supplies.

The ideal way to pack your garage for moving is with the right types of packing materials. Here are some essential supplies.

  • Moving boxes. Make sure to get moving boxes in various sizes. They should be solid, strong, and dry. 
  • Packing paper and bubble wrap. You will need bubble wrap and packing paper when packing your garage to protect the many sharp and unusually shaped items. 
  • Moving blankets. These specially designed, well-padded blankets will come in handy protecting your garage contents. 
  • Corrugated cardboard sheets. These can help you when packing oversized and odd-shaped equipment.
  • Zip-lock bags. Have various sizes of these resealable bags available to prevents smaller items from getting separated and getting lost.
  • Water-proof markers. Heavy-duty markers will help you label the moving cartons once you have them packed.

 3. Wrap your saws, blades, and trimmers for safety.

The average garden shed can be overrun with tools with sharp, hazardous edges. These items can be risky to maneuver and even riskier to transport because they are so capable of causing injury. A few examples include:

  • Garden hoes 
  • Hard rakes 
  • Handsaws 
  • Spade shovels 
  • Axes 
  • Knives 

Wrap these sharp-edged items in appropriate material like cardboard, moving blankets, or bubble wrap and tape the protective covering closed. Some of the same rules for shipping sharp objects can apply when packing for transport during a move. Here is a good rundown of tips on how to properly pack sharp items before shipment. 

3. Disassemble the oversized items.

Whether it is workbenches or power equipment, many of these items are easier to transport when disassembled. For example, a leaf blower is a somewhat oblong and awkward item until you remove the blower attachment; then, the item can fit into just about any large box. So before you start packing up the items in your shed, disassemble the bulky or awkward things that would otherwise take up too much space or be hard to transport. 

4. Remember, movers won’t transport certain items.

The garden shed can contain some pretty hazardous items. Properly dispose of these before your moving company arrives. A few examples of things your movers will not handle include:

  • Lawn fertilizer 
  • Pesticides 
  • Batteries 
  • Fuel
  • Live plants 

To ensure you know what things you will have to handle on your own, request a list of prohibited items from your movers. 

Tackle Even the Toughest Moving Jobs with Professional Help 

From the garden shed to the garage, every move involves a lot of heavy lifting. Need a little help along the way? Reach out to speak with one of our representatives today to get a free moving quote to get the process started.