Garage items can be difficult to pack into traditional cardboard boxes. They’re often oddly shaped, oversized, or they’re items that movers won’t transport. These reasons make it tough to know how to pack a garage for moving.
So, how do you even start packing up your garage? We’ve got some expert tips on decluttering, organizing, and packing up your automotive supplies, tools, and anything else you have lying around your garage. And here’s the best part: you can do it all without cardboard boxes.
What Not to Pack
Before you get too far into learning how to pack a garage for moving, you need to understand what not to pack. Basically, movers will not pack or transport hazardous or flammable materials. Here are a few examples of these no-no items:
- Gasoline cans
- Paint (in buckets, cans, or aerosol cans) or paint thinner
- Flammable grilling supplies like propane tanks, charcoal, and lighter fluid
- Fertilizers, pesticides, or weed killers
- Swimming pool chemicals
- Automotive supplies like motor oil or car batteries
Most of us have at least some of these things in our garages. When you hire professional movers, be sure to provide a list of your garage’s full inventory. Your moving company will let you know what they can and cannot transport for you, which will give you a much clearer idea of how to pack a garage for moving.
Decluttering Your Garage Inventory
Going through your belongings and getting rid of what you don’t want is a best practice for any move. And decluttering your garage is a great way to save money on your relocation…plus, you’ll get the added bonus of not cluttering up your new home!
Since movers won’t touch certain items, you’ll need to sort through your garage inventory anyway. Instead of throwing everything away, look for places that might accept some of your stuff as donations. Your neighborhood Facebook and “Buy Nothing” groups are also great resources that will help you avoid tossing too much in the trash.
Inevitably, there will be at least a couple of things that need to go in the garbage. The first step in understanding how to pack a garage for moving is to work smarter. Schlep the items you’re throwing away to your dumpster the day before your weekly trash pickup so they don’t fill up your bin or alley for longer than necessary.
Organizing What You’re Bringing to Your New Home
After you’ve pitched the trash, it’s time to organize what you’re bringing from your old home’s garage to your new one. Our sturdy plastic rental bins are great for cords, small tools, hardware, and other garage items. Although you’ll need to securely close each bin before your actual move, you can keep them open to help you organize and sort before the move.
Then, dive into those shelving units, cabinets, and whatever else you might have in your garage. Decide whether you want to organize them based on the area they’re in, their size, their use, or a different method. To make life easy, place a couple of your rental moving crates on the steel dolly they come with and tote them around the garage with you so you can pack and organize simultaneously.
Packing the Items for Your Move
There’s an absolute art to packing a garage for moving. To give your belongings the care they deserve—and to remove a whole lot of manual labor from your plate—consider hiring professional packers. They’ll even show up with all the supplies needed to wrap and box up your garage’s inventory.
Some people prefer to handle this chore on their own. To expertly pack a garage for moving, follow these pro tips:
- Watch the weight. Garage items can get really heavy really quickly. Don’t overload each bin—make sure you can safely carry it.
- Prepare your tools. Clean off any sawdust, remove the blades and bits, and detach any rechargeable batteries from your power tools before packing them up. Batteries are on the list of items movers can’t transport, so plan on bringing those in your personal vehicle.
- Clean your gardening equipment. Do you see last year’s November leaves on your rake or that chunk of garden dirt on your shovel? No need to bring that debris to your new home. Hose off your garden tools a few days before your move so they’re clean and dry when your move crew arrives.
- Bag up small items. Pack small hardware like nuts and bolts into resealable baggies and label them.
Our final garage packing tip is all about labeling your moving boxes. In addition to writing “GARAGE” on every label, be specific. Clearly write “DANGEROUS/SHARP” if a bin contains saw blades or sharp garden tools, and “FRAGILE” on the tote with your power tools. The more information your labels have, the smoother your pack, move, unload, and unpack will be.
Not Sure How to Pack a Garage for Moving? Our Rental Bins Make the Chore Easy!
We know that packing is a drag…and so is finding the packing and moving supplies you need for your entire home, including your garage. Don’t get stressed out about having to pack a garage for moving. We’ll bring the supplies right to your door, and even help you find the best packers in Chicago to handle the grunt work.
Drop us a line today for even more garage packing tips, or to order the right eco-friendly supplies for your upcoming move!