What You Need To Know About House Moving And Your Outdoor Items
by Chad Stanley
How can you pack outdoor items for your next move? You've hired movers, gathered boxes or bins, and started packing everything you own into the containers. But what about your outdoor furniture, planters, grill, or children's activity equipment? If you have outdoor items to move, take a look at what you need to know about the house moving process.
Decide What You Want To Move
You don't have to take it all with you. Some of your backyard furniture and patio items may not need to make the move. Before you pack anything that you typically keep outdoors, consider:
The condition. A patio umbrella that's covered in rust or has torn fabric doesn't need to go with you. The same is true for worn outdoor furniture, broken planters, or the climber that your child outgrew years ago.
The new space. How much space do you have in your new backyard? If your new home's outdoor area is significantly smaller than what you have now, some outdoor items may need to stay behind.
The decor. Are you ready to change your outdoor style? If your new home's exterior aesthetic differs from your old yard, you may want to sell or donate patio furniture and similar decorative items.
Along with these issues, think about whether you will or won't use the outdoor items again. If you almost never use your grill or some of your furniture, you don't need to waste time, energy, space, and money moving it from point A to point B.
Disassemble Some Outdoor Items
Now that you know what you want to move, it's time to start the prep and packing processes. Outdoor items are often oversized or awkwardly-shaped pieces. To reduce the amount of space these picks will take up in the moving truck and make home moving easier:
Disassemble some items. Re-read the owner's manuals and learn more about what you can, and can't, take apart. If you can remove a tabletop or legs from patio chairs, you may save space during your move.
Keep hardware with the items. The screws, nuts, bolts, hinges, and other hardware items need to travel with the matching item. Place the hardware into a zipper-topped plastic bag and carefully attach it to the table, chair, or other outdoor items. Avoid overly adhesive tape. These products could leave behind marks on your patio furniture.
Photograph everything. This can help you to remember which parts go where and with what. Photos of the assembled and disassembled items can also help you put complex pieces of furniture back together again.
After disassembling some items, wrap individual pieces in soft towels or another protective layer. Use moving quilts for larger parts that can't fit into boxes or other moving containers.