How to prepare outdoor items for moving and storage

Relocating your home or office can be a very challenging process. The degree of challenge depends on numerous factors, such as the distance of the move, the number of items that you have, and whether you have any particularly bulky items. Outdoor furniture is usually of the bulky variety, meaning that you may need to pay special attention when you want to prepare outdoor items for moving and storage. The easiest way to do it, of course, is to hire one of the best moving companies to prepare them for you. However, with a bit of know-how that you can get from this article, you may be able to save quite a bit of money by packing your items on your own.

Ways to prepare outdoor items for moving and storage the right way

When it comes right down to it, preparing outdoor items for moving and storage is quite simple. There are only two things you will need (aside from time and energy, of course):

• Packing supplies
• Packing know-how

Even though outdoor items may appear to be quite unwieldy and hard to prepare for a move, the truth is that they are no more difficult to prepare than any other bulky item you may have. In fact, you may have a more difficult time preparing your children for a move than your outdoor items. That being said, if this is your first relocation, it is perfectly natural that you don’t know where to start. However, once you finish reading this article, you will know all there is to know about preparing outdoor items for moving and storage.

Since you are going to require various packing supplies for the task, it is only natural that we start there.

Packing supplies for outdoor items

Aside from basic packing supplies such as packing tape and bubble wrap, you will also want to obtain specialty boxes for your outdoor items. While you are getting these boxes, you might want to get a plastic moving box or two, as there may be items that require a container that is sturdier than a cardboard box. If you are performing a full DIY move, you might want to get some equipment, as well. Regardless of the relocation type, you will want to read up on any moving hacks that will make your relocation easier. The more you know about the entire process, the easier time you will have.

Aside from specialty boxes, you will also want to get the following:

• Packing paper/newspaper
• Moving blankets/old towels
• Plastic bags for screws
• Markers for the boxes
• Garbage bags
• Heavy-duty cardboard boxes in a variety of sizes
• Strong packing tape

Unless you are only relocating your outdoor items, you will also need other assorted packing supplies. It is advised that you go through your belongings and figure out what kind of packing materials you need before you start the packing process in earnest.

Acquiring packing supplies

You can get packing supplies in a variety of ways. The fastest (and the most expensive) way is to simply visit your local home improvement center. If you have a bit more time on your hands, you can shop online for great deals. You can combine this task with the task of researching and comparing moving companies, as some moving companies may provide you with discount packing materials. There is also an option of acquiring the necessary packing materials on the cheap.

To get cheap (even free) packing materials, you will want to visit your local convenience stores first. There, you can get free moving boxes and perhaps even a few of the other supplies. These stores usually do not have a use for packing supplies once they receive the goods, so they might be willing to send them your way. At the very least, they might be amenable to selling them to you at a low price.

Another way in which you can obtain cheap supplies is to talk to the people that have recently moved into your area. People tend to overbuy packing materials for their relocation, just in case. If you say that you are about to relocate, they might send some packing materials your way or sell them to you at a steeply discounted price. However, the issue with this method is that it is not quite reliable, as you may not know anyone who has recently moved in.

The last method at your disposal is to browse the internet marketplaces for deals. Facebook marketplace, for example, usually has people selling their surplus supplies. You can also search for “pass-it-down” groups that might also offer free/cheap supplies.

With your packing materials in hand, it is time to finally start packing your outdoor items!

How to properly prepare your outdoor items for moving and storage

There are four steps to preparing your outdoor items for moving and storage:

1. Sorting
2. Cleaning and disassembly
3. Packing
4. Moving

Depending on the type of relocation, these steps can be short or very long. They are definitely something you will want to consider when planning your long distance moving process, for example. With that in mind, let’s see what you need to do in each step.

Sort through your items, discarding them as necessary

The first part of the process is going through all your outdoor items and determining what to pack and what to discard. Sorting is especially important if you happen to be downsizing your home. Outdoor items take up a lot of space inside a moving truck, after all, and you don’t want to take anything that you will need to throw away later.

Clean and disassemble your outdoor items

Once you’ve determined which items you want to bring with you, the next step is to try and disassemble what you can. Furniture disassembly is usually one of the primary reasons to hire professional movers, as you can easily damage your items if you don’t know what you’re doing. However, if you do know how to disassemble your outdoor items, this is the time to do it.

Once disassembled, take some time to properly clean all the pieces. Your outdoor items spend most of their time outside, after all, and they tend to accumulate a lot of dust and grime. You don’t want those in the moving truck, and you definitely don’t want them in your new home or office.

How to properly pack outdoor items

As for the packing process itself, it depends on the item in question. Here is how you might want to pack common outdoor items:

• Patio umbrellas – Secure the umbrella shut and cover it with plastic. If the weighted stand is full of water, empty it.
• Small tools – Wrap each tool in either bubble wrap or newspaper and pack the tools inside small boxes.
• Long-handled yard tools (shovels, rakes, etc.) – Simply bundle them all together before securing them with strong packing tape.
• Pots/planters – Remove any live plants as well as dirt before anything else. After that, wrap the pots and planters with bubble wrap or moving blankets.
• Grills – Simply wrap the entire grill in plastic. Before doing so, however, make sure that you have removed propane tanks and charcoal, and ensure that the grill is completely clean.
• Lawn furniture – Bundle all the disassembled parts together before taping them with plastic wrap or packing tape.
• Sheds/playground equipment – After disassembling what you can, keep the parts together in bundles and within specialty boxes.
• Lawnmowers/gas-powered equipment – Make sure that all the fuel is drained and that the equipment is completely clean before you wrap it in plastic.
• Hoses – Make sure that all the water is drained first. After that, simply coil the hose and put it inside a box.

The process for other items is usually quite similar to the process for the items on the list. If you have any doubts, it is always best to get in touch with professionals and ask for their advice. Even though you might take on the risks of moving by yourself, there is nothing stopping you from seeking a bit of aid from professional movers.

How to move your items the right way

Depending on your items, you may need moving equipment to relocate them to your new home or office. While you can rent the equipment, it might be best to get in touch with professional movers for this part. Outdoor items are usually light and fragile, meaning that they are susceptible to damage. They may also be oversized or oddly shaped, making it quite difficult to stack them on other items or the other way around.

If you do end up needing to move the items on your own, you will want to follow the standard “rules”, meaning that you place the sturdiest items on the bottom and the lightest items on the top. As for actually moving them, make sure that you are utilizing the proper lifting techniques and that you have plenty of room to work. If you take your time to prepare outdoor items for moving and storage, moving them should be the easiest part.

If you need to find a reliable, cost-efficient moving company in your area, all you need to do is consult the Consumer Opinion Guide. We can provide you with information on all the best movers in the country, as well as professional moving and packing advice!