Clearing and Packing a Store Room or Garage Before a Move

Everyone packs the sitting room first, and everyone leaves the store room for last. Then the truck arrives and the door is opened on a pile: a broken fan, two paint buckets, a bicycle without a seat, curtain rods, old school bags and a cooler that has not been used since a naming ceremony.

The store room or garage is where most house moves slow down. It holds the odd shapes and the things nobody wants to decide about. Do it early, in stages.

Start two weeks before, not two days

Give yourself a few short sessions of an hour or two.

1. First pass: take out everything that is obviously rubbish, broken or expired.
2. Second pass: sort the rest into keep, sell, give away.
3. Third pass: pack what is staying in the move.

You will move less, and a smaller load is easier to describe to drivers. Sell or give away spare furniture, old appliances and building leftovers while you still have time. A neighbour or a church group will often collect what you offer.

Handle paint, fuel and chemicals with care

Some things in a store room are not ordinary boxes.

• Paint: seal the lids firmly, wipe the rim, and stand the tins upright in a sturdy box.
• Fuel and kerosene: do not move them in a loaded truck with household goods. Use them up or give them away before moving day.
• Cleaning chemicals and pesticides: keep them upright and capped, and follow the manufacturer's guidance on handling.
• Gas cylinders: see our guide on moving a gas cooker and cylinder.

When in doubt, ask whether the item is worth moving at all. A half-empty tin of old paint is rarely worth the space.

Pack tools and small hardware properly

Loose tools make a heavy, dangerous box. Group them by type.

• Hand tools into a toolbox, or a strong carton lined with cloth.
• Screws, bolts and nails into labelled containers, then into one box.
• Extension cords wound and tied with their own ends.
• Drills and saws into their cases, with blades covered.

Keep heavy items in smaller boxes. A box of tools should be easy for one person to lift, not a punishment.

Deal with the long and awkward things

Garages and store rooms are full of shapes that do not fit boxes: ladders, curtain rods, planks, bicycles, wheelbarrows, mattresses, folded tables.

1. Remove pedals, seats or handlebars from bicycles, and bag the loose parts.
2. Tie ladders and rods together in bundles, with padding at the ends.
3. Stack planks flat, and strap them as one block.
4. Wrap sharp edges with old blankets or cardboard.

Tell the driver about long items in your load description, because they decide how the truck is loaded. Our driver guide on padding and protecting furniture on the truck shows how they are usually packed.

Label as you go

Mark each box on two sides with the room and a short list: "Store room, tools" or "Garage, paint and brushes". Write "heavy" on the heavy ones. At the new place, these boxes go straight to the store or garage and do not clutter the living rooms. Read labelling and numbering boxes for more.

Clear the space on moving day

On the day, the store room should be the first thing loaded after the heavy furniture is out, not the last thing you panic about. Have the heavy odd items near the door, ready to go. Keep a bin bag handy for the last bits of rubbish and sweep the floor, because landlords check the store room too.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app and choose a truck or pickup van that suits your whole house move. Add the pickup and drop-off, then describe the load honestly, including the odd items: "1 bicycle, 2 ladders, 6 boxes of tools, 3 paint buckets, 1 wheelbarrow". Propose a price, and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept.

Helpful pages: house moving in Lagos and truck hire in Lagos.