How to Pack Electronics for Moving

Packing electronics for moving is one of the more important tasks in your pre-move preparations. Electronic equipment is not only too sensitive and fragile, but it is also rather expensive, so the last thing you would want to see is a damaged electronic piece once you arrive in your new home. Keep in mind that a single packing or moving mistake on your part could cost you hundreds of dollars.

Regardless of the exact electronic pieces you’re planning on taking with you /TV set, computer, stereo system, home theater system, receiver, speakers, gaming console, printer, scanner, digital projector, or any other special-purpose equipment/, it is imperative that you do everything in your power so that they arrive at your new home in perfect working order. Their delicate nature requires that you treat them like the most fragile items in your home, for that is exactly what they are – relatively fragile and easily susceptible to damage.

Read on to learn the best ways to pack electronics when moving to another home, including a number of essential safety tips that will help you avoid any post relocation headaches.

What to do before packing electronics for moving

Prior to the start of the packing process, you need to complete a few preliminary steps to make sure that you won’t end up with unpleasant surprises after your shipment has been delivered.

However, let’s just clarify upfront that the pre-packing advice below is more suitable for the larger electronic items you own simply because we assume that you will do the sensible thing to keep your smaller electronics, such as your smartphone, tablet and even laptop, with you throughout the move. In other words, you’re about to protect, pack, and move only the electronic equipment that is too bulky to fit into a pocket or a carry-on bag, and which you won’t really need until after the relocation.

Follow the steps below to prepare your electronic equipment for safe and quick packing.

• Step 1: Before you disconnect the cables from your devices, take out your smartphone or stand-alone digital camera and take photos of the way the cords are plugged in. Interestingly enough, a few photographs with good resolution may save you valuable post-move time while you’re trying to put the cables back in the right order. The tricky part here is that besides the possible wasted time, if you reassemble your electronic equipment improperly, you run the risk of damaging it forever. So, keep these photos as reference throughout the reassembly process even if you are proud of your technical skills. Alternatively, you can also draw a diagram by hand as an illustration of how your electronics are wired up.

• Step 2: You can also use various markers to label the wires as you’re disconnecting them from your devices one at a time. Coloured tape or numbered tags will help you reconnect the detachable cords quickly later on without losing any valuable time. Should you decide to skip this step, frustration over failed cable re-connection is never out of the equation either.

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  Step 3: Roll up the detached cords and cables, and secure them with the help of rubber bands or cable ties. They should go into the same boxes as their corresponding electronic devices.

• Step 4: Backup all irreplaceable computer files in case something happens on the road (online backup is your safest bet here). Also, remove all compact disks (CDs, DVDs), external hard drives, or flash memory sticks from your desktop computer or similar devices such as video players.

SEE ALSO: How to pack your computer for moving

• Step 5: You may choose to label all remote controls available in your home for easier identification when unpacking. This step can usually be skipped because of the clearly marked brands on each controller.

• Step 6: It’s a good idea to remove the batteries from all battery-operated pieces of equipment, especially if there’s a chance that they will be subjected to extreme heat (the back of a moving vehicle can become dangerously hot during a summer move).

• Step 7: If you’re taking a printer with you, remove the ink or toner cartridge installed in it, and pack it separately in a sealed plastic bag to avoid nasty spills.

Required materials when packing electronics for moving

Before we move on to describe the usual steps to packing up fragile and sensitive pieces of electronics, let’s say a few words about what type of packing materials you will need to get hold of first.

Original packaging

When packing up electronics, you’re an ace if you still have the original boxes the pieces of equipment came in, complete with all the protective padding. Most people tend to throw away such useful packages the minute they have unpacked and installed their devices, or if they decide the keep them, they do so only until the warranty period expires.

So, if you have any original packaging, then it’ll make all the sense in the world to use those same boxes to move your electronics to your new home. Why? The main reason initial packages provide the best protection possible is that they were designed exclusively for each hi-tech product and manufactured in conformity with its specific shape and dimensions.

If you don’t happen to keep the boxes your electronic devices came in, then you should use sturdy and heavy-duty boxes that are just big enough for each piece of equipment. Contact your local removal company and request the so–called electronics boxes – double-walled cardboard boxes that provide excellent protection against the well-known set of harmful external factors which will surely exert their influence during a house move.

Soft packing paper

As you probably suspect, there are a few hazards that can potentially damage your pieces of electronic equipment on the road. By using soft packing paper to wrap up each piece before it is placed inside a moving container, you practically eliminate the risk of dust entering your sensitive electronic equipment, and thus potentially causing the devices to malfunction. Also, wrapping paper will additionally protect your electronics against direct hits from other objects and vibrations from the moving van.

Anti-static bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts

Be mindful that static electricity is one of the worst enemies of sensitive electronic equipment and you should do everything in your power to eliminate this potential threat. While packing your electronics for shipping, make sure you use packing materials that do not conduct electricity – anti-static bubble wrap and anti-static Styrofoam peanuts.

It’s interesting to note the double protection of the air-filled polyethylene film – the anti-static plastic dissipates static charge while the air bubbles create a soft cushioning effect against shocks of any type. Thus said, purchasing sheets of bubble wrap is always considered a good investment as it is widely considered to be the best protective material when packing up fragile items for a house move.

How to pack electronics for shipping

The abovementioned pre-pack preparation of your expensive electronic equipment is a very important step to making sure you continue to use and enjoy your gadgets after the house relocation. However, it’s proper packing that will ensure the safety of your hi-tech items and your peace of mind.

When the time comes for you to start wrapping up and boxing your electronic devices, you’re going to need some good packing tips for electronics. Consult this concise electronics packing guide before you get down to wrapping up your electronic devices for a move. Its step-by-step nature will enable you to avoid simple mistakes and stay on top of your packing task by maintaining a good speed and, most importantly – an optimal level of safety.

So, how to pack electronics for moving?

• Step 1: Secure the bottoms of each box with packing tape to prevent even the slightest chances of box breakage when the actual move gets under way.

• Step 2: Place crumpled packing paper (or crumpled newspapers to minimize the packing costs) on the bottom of each box with the purpose of creating a shock absorber. Alternatively, you can use thick towels to achieve the same effect but take into consideration the additional weight of the towels too.

• Step 3: Wrap smaller electronic devices in packing paper first and then add a sheet of bubble wrap on the top. Tape the bundles, if necessary, and transfer them carefully into their respective moving containers.

• Step 4: By comparison, larger electronics can be placed directly into the bottom-padded boxes without having to wrap them up in packing paper. Once in the boxes, however, your larger pieces of equipment should be padded on the sides and the top with the help of crumpled packing paper, bubble wrap or thick bath towels.

• Step 5: A word of caution: larger and heavier pieces of electronic equipment should be placed on the bottom of extra-thick cardboard boxes, while smaller and lighter pieces should go on top of them.

• Step 6: Fill any remaining spaces in the boxes with newspapers so that the packed electronic devices won’t shift during transportation. The trick to having a safe electronics packing experience is to make sure that no piece ends up in any physical contact with another piece throughout the entire house move.

• Step 7: Make sure all corresponding power cords and data cables are carefully secured and placed inside the box where the main devices have already been packed.

• Step 8: If you also happen to have the user manuals of most of your electronic equipment, place the booklets where they belong. Without a doubt, the installation instructions will come in handy while you’re trying to reconnect the device upon arrival in your new residence.

• Step 9: Place a thick layer of protective material (crumpled packing paper or newspaper print, bubble wrap, or appropriate pieces of clothing) on the very top of the packed equipment and shut the lids of the boxes.

• Step 10: Seal the boxes tightly with packing tape.

• Step 11: Mark each container with its content, and then write FRAGILE and THIS SIDE UP in big black letters.

• Step 12: If you plan to store the packed boxes for an extensive period of time before unpacking them (for example, placing them in temporary storage), double-tape the moving boxes completely so that no dust can enter inside and accumulate on and into your pieces of electronics equipment.

Final words of advice on how to pack electronics when moving

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  Depending on a number of factors, sometimes the task of packing electronics for moving can turn out to be rather challenging as well. This is especially and exclusively true for larger electronic equipment such as flat screen LCD and plasma TV sets which have proved to be extra fragile and susceptible to relocation damage. If you keep the original TV box, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. If you don’t, then contact your local removals and see if they can offer you specialized wooden crates to provide the maximum level of safety for your expensive television set.

READ MORE: How to pack and move your TV like a pro

• Once you find yourself in your new home, it’s advisable that you wait at least 24 hours before you plug in and turn in your electronic devices, especially if the house move was executed under extreme outdoor temperatures. Proper adjustment to room temperature is crucial for some of the more delicate electronic devices. Double check to see if there are any signs of condensation on your electronics before using them.

• Be mindful that the period of unpacking your electronics after the move is the ideal time to dust and even vacuum your devices before you get to use them again.

• If you’re not certain how you should pack your electronics safely, get in touch with professional packers who have extensive experience and training in protecting fragile items for a move.

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