It comes as a surprise to most people when they learn that garage, garden and storage shed contents take the longest to pack before moving. The main reason for this is that not only are these items typically odd-shaped and heavy but also because they tend to be scattered around and stored in an unsorted fashion especially in garages that are used as workshops.

Advice from removals professionals is – organise a garage sale prior to moving home if you can. This will earn you some money, shorten the packing time and save you on transportation plus you get a much cleaner environment in the garage you will be moving to.

Besides this, you should dispose of items that are neither worth selling nor moving: the list includes opened fertilizer bags, used oil, small quantities of fuel, old dustbins, old flower pots, charcoal bags and the like.

Once you have gone through the content reduction phase you should then group items of a similar shape and size, say long handled items such as spades, brooms, rakes could be bundled together and wrapped in newspaper or bubble wrap then tied up with either cord or tape.

When it comes to packing power tools it makes good sense to remove tool bits and other attachments such as saw blades, drills and the like and pack these separately. As far as hand tools go, say a hammer or a pair of pliers, they could be stored in toolboxes or any other sturdy container.

Don’t miss out on the obvious – like draining any tools such as chainsaws and lawn movers from fuel and oil before packing. A word of caution when moving gas fired barbeques and any other equipment that involves a gas cylinder. Gas cylinders can be deadly missiles if their valves snap after being knocked over. It is advisable to use a cylinder cart when moving gas cylinders, in the absence of such a cart, simply grab the cylinder, slightly extend your feet apart for better stability then slightly tilt the cylinder towards you and rotate it in the direction you wish to move it to. Under no circumstance should you a cylinder without the cylinder’s valve cover in place.

Outdoor fixtures and fittings should be dismantled where necessary. Give the furniture a quick cleanup, remove the cushions and pack separately. If you have an outdoor awning or umbrella make sure that it is dry before moving, if you suspect it may rain, dismantle it prior to the move and leave it to dry indoors. When moving wrap it paper or plastic bag and tie it or tape it to prevent it from opening up in transit.

Certain fuel powered items need special consideration before transporting, These include:

• Motor scooters

• Riding lawn mowers

• Leaf blowers

• Snow clearing equipment

• Fuel powered go carts

• Mopeds

• Motorbikes

• Jet skis

• Speedboats

It is recommended that you mention these items to your removals service provider prior to moving day as they may need to take measures in order to transport them safely.

Sounds like a lot of work? Well the good news is you will have less to worry about on moving day and you will end up with a better organised garden and garage at your new location.