
Trying to figure out how to safely pack your garage for moving can make your head spin. (We get it, and boy is it frustrating!) Whether you’re moving next week, within the coming months, or in a few years’ time, it’s important to know what you’re doing. This not only includes how to pack up your garage equipment but also how to pack it safely.
No part of the house proves this more than the garage, which is, arguably, the most dangerous and haphazard area of your home. From power tools to storage boxes to sporting & garden equipment, your garage contains all sorts of objects that are often both difficult and precarious to move. Regardless of your moving timeline, it’s essential for you to know how to pack the most commonly found items in your garage, and how to stay safe while you’re doing it.
How To Pack Your Garage To Move
When facing off against a project as daunting as packing a garage, it’s tempting to just say “Forget about the right way!” and start throwing stuff on the truck. However, doing this is going to present you with an even more daunting problem: Not only have you packed your garage recklessly, you’ve likely damaged your stuff and put your safety at risk in the process. Instead, your best bet is to follow these steps.
Step One: Get Rid of Your Garage Clutter First
You’ll know it when you see it… even if you skipped getting rid of it: Clutter. It may be the old and broken appliances, or even clothes and knick-knacks you meant to sell at a garage sale last summer… It could even be the stack of Amazon boxes over in the corner that you can’t figure out what to do with. Whatever it is, don’t even bother wasting your time transporting junk and clutter from one home to your next! Not only is it a total waste of your precious time and energy, but it’s also going to take up that much more room in your moving truck.
Instead, save that space for the bulkier, more cumbersome objects you’ll certainly encounter when packing. Have a yard sale, call in a dumpster, recycle… Do whatever it takes— just get rid of the clutter before you start packing your garage.
Step Two: Determine Which Items Can’t Be Packed
You’re likely well aware that there are some items that just can’t be put into a cardboard box. Before even starting to pack up your garage, you’re may be wondering about what to do with weirdly shaped items, like: How do I move a lawnmower? How do I pack up bikes? How should I store my fishing poles? And so on.
To start, it’s in your very best interest to take stock of any of these items:
- Flammable or otherwise hazardous materials like gas, paint, or aerosols
- Explosives like gunpowder, ammunition, fireworks, or primers
- Gardening supplies like plants, soil, and fertilizers
- Power tools that have fuel in their tanks like lawnmowers or weed whackers
- Corrosive materials like car batteries or acids
Once you’ve taken inventory, set the items aside. Since movers can’t legally transport these types of items on their trucks, dispose of them before your move. (We’ll touch on this step more in the next section on safety.)