How to Pack a Garage for a Kelowna Move

Packing a garage for a Kelowna move goes fastest when you sort first, pack by zone into sturdy snap-lid totes, and save the heavy, awkward items for last. Garages in Kelowna, West Kelowna and Lake Country tend to collect years of tools, sports gear and seasonal decor, and they are usually the last room people think about. This guide walks you through a simple, garage-specific plan so moving day doesn't end with a pile of loose rakes in the driveway.

Why the garage is the hardest room to pack

The garage is full of things that don't fit in a cardboard box: oily tools, heavy hardware, long-handled yard gear, half-used cans and bulky outdoor equipment. Cardboard tears, soaks up oil and collapses when stacked. Plastic moving totes with snap lids hold their shape, keep dust and moisture out, and stack square in a pickup or trailer.

In the Okanagan there's another factor: fall rain and early frost. A rented 102L tote with a snap-on lid means a wet driveway in Rutland or Glenmore doesn't turn your packing into mush.

Step 1: Sort before you pack anything

Give yourself one afternoon, about two weeks before the move, to empty shelves and make four piles:

• Keep and pack: tools, sports gear, camping gear, holiday decor you actually use.

• Sell or give away: duplicate tools, outgrown bikes, the second wheelbarrow.

• Recycle or drop off: old paint, solvents and batteries (see the hazardous items section below).

• Toss: broken items, dried-out supplies, mystery parts.

Less stuff means fewer totes, a lighter load and a cheaper move. Our how many moving totes do I need guide helps you estimate once the pile is smaller.

Step 2: Pack the garage by zone

Work one wall or shelf at a time and keep each zone in its own set of totes. Write a label card for each tote, for example "GARAGE: hand tools" or "GARAGE: camping", and slide it into the clear plastic label sleeve on the side.

Hand tools and hardware

Put small tools in a toolbox first, then set the toolbox inside a tote. Bag screws, bolts and fittings in zip bags and label each one. Keep a tote of heavy hardware half full and top it with lighter items like gloves or rags so it stays easy to lift.

Power tools

Remove batteries and blades, wrap cords, and pack each tool in its original case if you still have it. Batteries go in a separate small bag so terminals can't touch metal.

Sports and outdoor gear

Helmets, skates, balls and lake gear fit well in a 102L tote. Ski boots and hiking boots go in pairs, tied together. Long items like skis, paddles, hockey sticks, rakes and shovels won't fit in a tote, so bundle them with tape or a bungee cord and move them loose.

Seasonal decor and camping gear

These are usually packed already. Swap any soggy cardboard boxes for totes so they survive the trip and the next few seasons in your new place.

Step 3: Deal with hazardous and liquid items

Open paint, gas cans, propane cylinders, pool chemicals and solvents shouldn't travel in a packed load. Use up or properly dispose of what you can before moving day. The Regional District of Central Okanagan and local transfer stations accept household hazardous waste on set days, so check their schedule early. Anything you do keep should travel upright, sealed and separate from your other belongings, never inside a rented tote.

Step 4: Load the garage last

Garage totes are heavy and dirty, so they go in the vehicle last and come out first, straight into the new garage. With the free dolly that comes with every Bin Ready order, you can roll a stack of up to four totes from the garage to the truck in one trip. Keep the dolly for the house-to-vehicle run, and lift with your legs, not your back.

How many totes does a garage need?

A tidy single-car garage usually fills 8 to 12 totes. A full double garage with a workbench can take 15 to 25. If you're packing the whole house too, the Home package (40 totes plus a dolly, $189 for 14 days) covers most 2 to 3 bedroom homes with a garage, and the Family package (65 totes, $249) suits bigger homes. You can see every package on our booking page and more ideas on our Kelowna moving tips page.

That makes the Home package $141.75.

How Bin Ready works in Kelowna and the Okanagan

We drop clean, sanitized 102L totes and a dolly at your door for free in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Glenmore, Dilworth, Upper and Lower Mission, Rutland, Peachland, Lake Country, Vernon and Penticton. You pack and move on your own schedule. When you're unpacked, we pick up the empty totes. We are not a moving company and we don't haul full totes, so you keep full control of your move.

Ready to start? Book your totes online, browse more posts on the Bin Ready blog, or call or text (250) 826-6990.

FAQ: packing a garage for a move

Can I put tools in rented moving totes?

Yes. Tools, hardware and gear are fine. Wipe off grease and oil first and keep sharp edges covered. Please don't put fuel, paint, chemicals or anything leaking in a tote.

How heavy should a garage tote be?

Keep each tote light enough for one person to lift safely, roughly under 50 lb. Fill heavy totes halfway and top them with light items.

Do you pick up the totes from my new address?

Yes. Pickup of empty totes is free anywhere in our service area, including Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Vernon. Just tell us when you're unpacked. More answers are on our FAQ page.