Your garage. Remember when you naively thought it was a place for parking your car? Then you realized it was a great place for storing stuff— and it was downhill from there. Or maybe we should say “uphill” instead, considering the mounds made by the items in your garage “collection.” Don’t feel alone if you are — at this particularly cluttered point in your life — forced to shut your car out of the garage for lack of space. Truth be known, many of your neighbours are in the same fix.
Somehow this former car-parking space of yours has been taken up by things with no wheels, except junior’s bike, which is somewhere in the debris. That missing wheelbarrow may also be in there. Or, did you lend it to one of your neighbours last fall?
If you’re planning a move and the pre-moving clutter is a frightful sight, you’ll want to read our blog on Yard Sales, too. But for now, let’s focus on capitalizing your garage’s space as you prepare your move.
Maybe no one’s told you this but your garage is prime real estate. Considering that self-storage units smaller than your garage are renting locally from $50 to $250 a month, you have some valuable space at your command. We almost said “at your disposal.” We’ll talk about the disposal part later.
Even if there is enough room in your garage to park a vehicle or two, you may want to consider moving them to the driveway as you prepare for you move. At Kary Movers, we’ll do our part on moving day to make it as smooth and carefree as possible. But you can do some simple prep work in your garage to make your moving experience even less stressful.
A little organization goes a long way
The simple rule is “break it down.” No, not the garage itself, as frustrated at the clutter as you might be. Break down the space into smaller areas for easy sorting. To start, take a step back and make a rough assessment of the groups of items stored in your garage– for example, garden tools, sporting equipment, auto-related items and seasonal clothing.
As you start to organize your garage clutter into groups, you’ll soon feel like the proud owner of a well laid-out, miniature Canadian Tire store. “Tires: Aisle 3. Sporting goods: Aisle 4 and 5. Bargain items: bin at the front door.” By the way, consider making the bin at the front door of your “store” a big one. And get ready to rope that “bargain” area off (if you can find the rope) for your pre-move garage sale.
Kary Movers is happy to load anything you want them to. But when it comes to items you’ve re-disovered after forgetting you owned them, you’ll either want to add them to garage sale bargain bin—or to a a pile of throw-aways, give-aways, and recyle-its that you’ve also been creating.
It’s easy being green
In these days of easier recycling, your throw-away pile should be mighty small. You may not be vying for the Environmental Steward of the Year award, but please consider doing your part to keep our province and planet green.
A quick visit to the BC Recycles website will allow you to easily find out what items in your garage are recyclable and where you can find a nearby recycling station. Expect to be surprised at what you can recycle, from old carpet to electronic gadgets to flammable liquids.
Moving time is a busy one but don’t use it as an excuse to cut corners in the way you treat the planet. Take time to do some “green” homework and make a plan of action. You’ll feel a lot better about your activities come Earth Day.
Lost treasures recovered
Look, there’s that missing wheelbarrow, right next to junior’s bike! You can stop looking at your neighbours suspiciously now– and leave the neighbourhood on moving day with fond memories and friendships intact. You’ll also rest easily with Kary Movers at the helm. We’ll negotiate all the twists and turns and even narrow passageways if necessary and handle your move with expertise, experience and friendly efficiency.
Call Kary Movers at 1-877-687-1746, email us at info@karymovers.com. You can also make an online enquiry and request a moving quote. We look forward to getting you into your new home— and garage.