10 Tips for Packing Your Garage for Your Upcoming Move
10 Tips for Packing Your Garage for Your Upcoming Move
Of all the areas in your home that are difficult to pack before your move, the garage is likely to be the worst. If you’re like most homeowners, your garage becomes a catch-all. So it’s likely full of odds and ends, as well as tools, lawn care equipment, and other difficult-to-pack items. So if you’re DIY packing so that your Orange County movers can take care of the move, here are 10 tips to follow:
1.Sort it out first
You’ll want to take time to sort through all your possessions on a room-by-room basis. But chances are that this process will take longer in the garage. If your garage represents a catch-all area, you’ll likely have more junk to get rid of stored in the garage. Take the time to sort out things that you no longer want or need, and either sell or give these items away.
Yes, it takes extra time to sort through your possessions before you move. But it can also save you cash. Besides being able to get rid of things you don’t actually want, you’ll pay your Orange County moving company by the weight of the stuff that needs moved. So less stuff to be moved means lower overall moving costs.
2.Decide what to do about items your movers can’t move
Chances are your garage is full of items that your movers aren’t legally allowed to move. Without a special type of license, which most Orange County movers don’t carry, the Department of Transportation doesn’t allow drivers to haul certain hazardous materials. This may include items like paint, paint thinner, and lawn care chemicals.
Check with your movers, first, about what they are and are not able to move for you. Then, decide what you’re going to do with the items your movers can’t move. You can either take them to your local hazardous waste dropoff point, or you can take these items to your new home in your own vehicle.
3.Set aside a toolbox of necessities
If you have some items in your home and garage that need taken apart to move, they’ll need to be put back together when you move into your new home! For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep all of your hand tools out of the moving van.
If you don’t already have one, invest in a small toolbox, and pack it with your hammers, allen wrenches, wrenches, screwdrivers, and other hand tools that you might need for hanging shelves or putting furniture back together. Then, pack this toolbox in your own vehicle, so that it doesn’t get buried in the moving mess during the unpacking process.
4.Pack items in their original boxes, if possible
The easiest way to pack small power tools, such as drills and saws, is to put them back into the original packaging. If you have it, dig out this packaging, and put the tools back like they came. Sometimes you’ll have to mess with the way the tool goes into the Styrofoam packaging. But it’s definitely worth the time to ensure that these valuable items are well-protected.
5.Cover sharp blades before you pack
What should you do with sharp blades on saws and other tools before you move? It’s best to wrap them in rags or bubble wrap, and then zip-tie or use twine to tie the protection to the blades. Then, the blades won’t cut through the boxes, potentially injuring you or one of your movers.
6.Tie long-handled items together
You don’t really need to pack rakes, brooms, hoes, and other long-handled lawn tools in a box. Instead, just tie the handles together in a neat bundle, and they can be moved like this. If some of the tools have sharp edges, such as your hoe, use the above tips to cover up those edges so that no one is injured during the moving process.
7.Drain fuel from power tools
Gasoline and other tools definitely fall into the “movers can’t move this” list. However, that doesn’t mean your movers can’t handle your mower or your weed eater. You’ll just have to completely drain the gas or other fuel out of these items before the movers can handle them. Be sure to check with your Orange County moving company about this process before moving day.
8.Use small baggies to keep parts together
Baggies are great for all things moving, including keeping parts together when you’re taking things apart. If you have to disassemble your tool bench or other garage furnishings, put all of the nuts, bolts, and other items into a baggie. Then, tape them to the bigger pieces that go with that piece of furniture. That way, you don’t have to worry about tracking down tiny pieces as you’re unpacking things back into your new garage.
9.Consider a specialized bike box
If you own a bike or more than one bike, you’ve got a couple of options for moving it. If you already have a bike rack on your personal vehicle, this is probably the easiest option. But if you want to movers to safely move your bike, specialized bike stores will often offer specialized bike boxes. These can help your bike keep from getting scratched or otherwise damaged during the moving process.
10.Take pictures while disassembling items
Finally, if you have items that need to be taken apart to move, make sure that you take photos of them during the process. This is especially true if you’ve lost the original instructions for putting these together. Having photos, even if they’re just on your phone, will make it much easier to put these items back together.