How to pack up your garage for moving

Many household items and seasonal items are stored in your garage because they have no place inside the house. Despite the fact that it may not have as many items as your bedroom or kitchen, it has all sorts of random stuff in there, such as gifts you never use, seasonal items, and other hardly used household items. Packing everything in your garage will take some time, so it will be better to start as early as you can. You can use these tips to make packing your garage less stressful, especially if you’re moving for the first time.

You will need:

moving boxes or plastic containers

packing tape (lots of it)

plastic wrap

packing paper

towels, linen, or moving blankets

Rope and cable ties

Your garage often acts as a storage area for seasonal items and other household items that have no place inside the house. Whilst it may not contain as many small objects as your bedroom or kitchen, it has the most random things, like gifts that are never used, seasonal items, and other barely used household items. With so many things that have been neglected or forgotten, going through everything stored in your garage can be time-consuming.

Check prohibited items

If you're hiring professional removalists for your move, ask them about prohibited items during the move. Hazardous and flammable items are usually not allowed during the move to lessen the risk of accidents and unfortunate events that may damage your belongings or risk the safety of the removalists. Many items kept in your garage are considered prohibited items, so check with your removalists, so you can get rid of items not allowed before packing.

Flammable Gases

- Oxygen

- Chlorine Gas

- Methane

Flammable Liquids

- Petrol

- Methylated spirits

- Kerosene

- Varnish

- Turpentine

- Paint

- Oils

Explosives

- Ammunition

- Flares

- Fireworks

- Black Powder

Corrosives

- Oxides

- Mercury

- Caustic Solutions

Toxins and Poisons

- Pesticides

- Weed Killers

- Polishes

- Arsenic

Sort and organise all items

As soon as you secure a date for your move, start planning and preparing everything you will take during the move. If you have ample time, organise a garage sale to get rid of items in excellent condition or those you never used. Sort them into these categories - keep, donate, trash. This way, you're not only reducing the weight of the items you will load into the truck, but you will also have fewer items to pack and unpack.

Clean and pack

Before packing every item in your garage, give them a good wipe to remove dirt, dust, and cobwebs. Whilst it is not required to scrub down every item, cleaning and drying the items can help prevent damage caused by moisture and dirt.

Once your items are clean and dry, start wrapping items with bubble wrap, packing paper, or old blankets. If there are sharp objects, you may use cardboard or thicker blankets to make sure they won't cause accidents or damage other goods during the move. For fragile items, use a layer of bubble wrap and paper to provide additional protection, especially when the moving vehicle is put under pressure when taking sharp turns or on rough roads. Secure all the wrappings with rope or layers of packing tape. Since most items here have an odd shape, using multiple layers of tape would provide more protection and ensure that the items are completely wrapped.

Seal and label the boxes

Once everything has been packed into boxes, seal the box using packing tape. Make sure that there are no gaps or holes in the box to ensure that your items will not fall through when lifting the box. Add proper labels to the box indicating their contents and to which room they belong. Add a "Fragile" label on boxes that contain breakables, so you and your removalists will take extra care when handling these boxes or containers.