Packing up a garage for your household move can be a daunting task. However, with a well-structured plan and some practical tips, you can efficiently tackle this challenge while ensuring safety for yourself and your belongings. Here’s a guide to help you navigate organizing and packing up your garage.
1. Begin by Preparing and Sorting Items
Before diving into packing, start by sorting through your garage items. Decide what to keep, what to donate or sell, and what to discard. This step reduces clutter and ensures that you only pack things you truly need in your new space.
2. Give Your Stuff a Cleaning
Clean the messy items first to avoid getting dust and dirt on your other belongings. Pay attention to your lawn mower, garden tools, patio furniture, bicycles, and grill.
3. Grab Essential Supplies and Safety Measures
Gather the necessary packing supplies for the garage, including sturdy boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, and packing paper. Remember safety gear such as gloves and goggles to protect yourself while handling tools, chemicals, and equipment that could pose a safety risk.
4. Use Efficient Packing Strategies
When packing, prioritize items in the garage based on their frequency of use. This can be especially important if you start packing your garage a while before moving day. Pack seldom-used items first and keep regularly used tools accessible until the last moment. This way, you won’t have to dig through packed boxes to find what you need before you get moved.
5. Watch Out for Hazardous Materials
If your garage contains hazardous materials like chemicals, paints, or fuel, handle them carefully. Store these items in their original containers and follow safety guidelines for disposal and transportation. Check with your moving company to determine what items they do not allow on the moving truck. Here are some of the things movers can not take.
- Fertilizers
- Pesticides
- Oil
- Gas
- Paint
- Propane tanks
- Unused charcoal
- Anti-freeze
- Car batteries
- Paint thinner
- Pool chemicals
Find ways to responsibly dispose of these and other items before you pack.
6. Use Teamwork for Heavy Items
For heavy and bulky items, like large power tools or machinery, enlist help so you are not lifting heavy objects on your own. Teamwork makes the job more manageable and reduces the risk of injury. For reference, the general recommendation for lifting a single item alone is to keep the weight at about 51 pounds or below. Also, always use proper lifting techniques to protect your back.
7. Follow Labeling and Inventory Best Practices
Label boxes “GARAGE” so your movers know to take special care with these boxes. Label all sides of each box with its contents and where it should go in your new garage. Creating an inventory list can also help you keep track of all your items. Labeling and inventorying your garage as you pack also simplifies the unpacking process.
8. Securing Tools and Equipment
The typical garage can have a lot of sharp objects and equipment with a lot of removable pieces. Secure your tools and equipment by removing any detachable parts or accessories and packing them separately. Additionally, ensure sharp objects like saw blades are well protected to prevent accidents during transport.
Transition to the Next Chapter with the Help of Professional Movers
Following these steps and staying organized, you can efficiently pack up your garage for your upcoming move. Need help getting to the next chapter in your new home? Reach out for a free moving quote to get started.