How to Pack a Record Collection for a Home Move: Including Bonus Tracks

If you own vinyl record albums, then you know how important it is to keep them in pristine condition.

So whether you have a small or large collection of vinyl records to move to your new home, knowing how to pack vinyl records properly to ensure they arrive undamaged at your new home is essential.

From the packaging materials you will need, to the best way to pack vinyl records to prevent damage, this guide will take you through the process of giving your record collection the best protection during your relocation.

And we have some bonus tracks for you:

You may also like to know how to pack each component of your home music system, so we have included these top packing tips for you too.

How to Pack Vinyl Records for Moving Home

Vinyl records are brittle, so can easily be scratched or snapped, and can be affected by fluctuations in temperature.

A vinyl record collection is often the result of hours, even years, spent searching for particular albums, a huge monetary investment, and an emotional one too, so here is all you need to know about keeping your records safe during a home move.

You may also like to read: Self-Drive Removal Vans – All You Need to Know. It may be that you will not want your precious records to leave your sight on moving day and therefore decide to hire a van to move them yourself. If that is the case, then this guide will tell you all you need to know about self-drive vans, from the correct driving licence you will need to how to load the van, this is essential reading.

Packing Materials for Moving Vinyl Records Safely

To give your precious albums the optimum protection during your home move you will need:

• An app such as Discogs to catalogue your collection
• Alkaline and acid-free inner sleeves
• Polypropylene outer sleeves
• Twin walled cardboard boxes ideally about 14 x 14 x 6
• Padding
• Good quality packing tape
• Marker Pens or labels

How to Pack Vinyl Albums When Moving Home

#1 Make an Inventory of Your Collection

Using an app such as Discogs, make an inventory of your record collection.

Not only will this help with keeping the record collection organised, but should you need to make an insurance claim for a lost box you will know exactly what was in that box.

#2 Protect the Albums with Poly Sleeves

Remove each disc from the album jacket and put them into alkaline and acid-free sleeves.

This will protect the album from dust and scratches, and by removing them from the sleeves you will prevent the centre hole of the disc from damaging the cardboard record sleeve.

#3 How to Protect the Album Jacket

Now place the record jacket into a polypropylene sleeve. These are slightly rigid sleeves that will protect the jacket from any damage during the move.

#4 What are the Best Boxes to Move Vinyl Records?

Most people would recommend a 12x12x12 box for moving records, but these can become very heavy as they hold around 100 albums each, and leave little room for padding.

14x14x6 size boxes hold about 80 albums, are slightly smaller so will be lighter, and allow room for padding.

For particularly precious collections you could double-box your collection.

Double boxing means packing your records into a small box and then placing that box into a slightly larger padded box. This offers the optimum protection.

#5 How to Pack Vinyl Albums in Moving Boxes

• Always place the albums on their edges, and never stack them as you would pancakes, flat on top of each other.
• Pad the inside bottom, top, and sides of the box to protect the edges of your records.
• Ensure that there is absolutely no movement within the boxes.
• Seal the boxes using a good-quality packing tape.

#6 Label the Moving Boxes

Ensure that you clearly label your boxes of vinyl records as fragile, this way up.

You can also number the boxes so that they correspond with the inventory you made, as well as marking which room the box should be placed in at your new home.

Bonus Packing Tips

• Photograph the boxes as you pack them. This is useful should you have to make an insurance claim as it will prove how well you packed the boxes, and will also catalogue the condition of the albums before they were moved.
• Do not place the packed boxes in direct sunlight or near heat sources as the heat could adversely affect your vinyl albums.
• Double-check your insurance policy. In some cases, the insurance company will not cover you for items you have packed yourself. You will also need to ensure that you have adequate insurance coverage should you need it.
• Never pack records in large boxes as they will get incredibly heavy very quickly. This not only makes them harder to move but increases the likelihood of your precious collection getting damaged.

You may also like to read: How to Pack a Computer When Moving Home. It may be that you have a computer or tablet that you use for mixing music, in which case you will find this guide to packing computers invaluable.

How to Properly Pack a Turntable for Moving Home

Now that your vinyl albums are properly protected for your home move, the next stage is to know how to pack a record player for moving home.

Turntables are not only very expensive but also extremely fragile, so you will want to prep and pack your record deck very carefully.

Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to properly pack a record player for moving home.

Packing Materials for Moving a Turntable

• Double-walled packing boxes
• Bubble wrap
• Packing peanuts
• Shrink Wrap
• Good quality packing tape
• Marker pens

How to Prep a Turntable for Packing

• Photograph your record player as evidence of the condition it was in before you packed it.
• Photograph all the cable connections so that you know exactly how to reconnect the turntable.
• Label the connections so that you know what goes where
• Remove the cables and make a bundle that is securely wrapped in bubble wrap.
• Use the tone arm clip to secure the arm in position. If your record player does not have a clip use the shrink wrap to secure it in position.
• Then wrap the entire record player in shrink wrap. Not only will this ensure that nothing can move, but will also protect the finish of your turntable.
• Now wrap the entire record player in several layers of bubble wrap and secure it with packing tape.
• Photograph the package you have made

How to Box a Record Player For Moving Home

• Place the wrapped turntable into a box that provides the snugest fit possible. There should be absolutely no movement within the box at all.
• Fill any spaces within the box with bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
• Seal the box securely
• Now line a slightly larger second box with thick layers of bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
• Place the first box within the second box
• Place the cable bundle in the box
• Now fill every available bit of space in the box with bubble wrap or packing peanuts so that there is protection of every wall of the box and so that there is absolutely no way that the internal box can move around.
• Ensure that the plugs on the cables cannot pierce any walls of the boxes by burying them in bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
• Photograph the entire package again.
• Now seal the entire package securely with good-quality packing tape.
• Mark every side of the box this way up and fragile. Also label it so that you know which room it is to be placed in within your new home.
• Photograph the completed package just in case you need proof of your superb packing skills in the event of loss during the move.

Bonus Turntable Packing Tip

If your turntable is particularly expensive you can line the outer packing box with a layer of plywood first. This will give the outer walls ultimate protection from a sharp object penetrating the box.

Then line the box with rigid insulation foam from a DIY store so that the inner box is in a solid cocoon of protection.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Fragile Items When Moving Home. There are many items that you will be moving to your new home that require extra attention when packing them to ensure they are not damaged. This guide shows you the best packing techniques for all of your precious household items.

How to Pack Stereo Speakers for Moving Home

The next item on your packing list will be your stereo speakers.

Whatever size they are, shelf, wall, or floor standing, your speakers can get easily damaged during a home move without proper protection.

Packing Materials for Moving Stereo Speakers

• Large black sacks
• Old blankets or bubble wrap
• Shrink wrap
• Double-walled packing boxes
• Plywood
• Strong packing tape
• Marker pens

How to Pack Speakers When Moving Home

• Photograph your speakers as evidence of the condition they were in when you packed them.
• Clean your speakers to remove any dust
• Photograph all the cables so that you know how to reconnect them
• Label all the cables so that you know which one goes where
• Remove and coil the cables securing with a zip tie so that they do not become tangled. You could also wrap the wires around empty toilet roll holders to stop them from becoming a tangled mess.
• Wrap the cables in a bubble wrap bundle and secure them with tape
• Wrap your speakers in cling film to protect them from getting scratched or marked
• Place the speakers in large black bin liners and secure them in place with packing tape.
• Now wrap in multiple layers of bubble wrap or old blankets paying particular attention to the corners.
• Now select a box that provides a very snug fit for your speakers.
• Ensure that there is no movement within the box. Fill any gaps with bubble wrap.
• Seal the box securely.
• Line a larger box with plywood for ultimate protection.
• Pad all sides and the bottom of the outer box with old blankets or multiple layers of bubble wrap.
• Place the box with the speakers within the second box.
• Place the cable bundle into the box.
• Ensure that the internal box cannot move at all. Fill any gaps with padding to ensure a snug fit.
• Place an extra layer of protection across the top before securing the box shut with good-quality packing tape.
• Mark the box as fragile and this way up. Also, label it as to which room it must go in your new home.
• Remember to take photographs of your packing at every stage so that you have evidence of how well your speakers were packed should you need it.

You may also like to read: How to Motivate Yourself to Pack for a Home Move. Packing for a home move is never fun and is very time-consuming. In this guide, we show you ways to motivate yourself so that the packing marathon before you is not quite so daunting.

How to Pack a Stereo System for Moving Home

The final stage is to pack your stereo systems components such as the amp, receiver, and equalizer.

The same packing technique will apply if you have individual stereo components or a one-piece music system.

Packing Materials for Moving Stereo Equipment

• Large black sacks
• Old blankets or bubble wrap
• Shrink wrap
• Double-walled packing boxes
• Plywood
• Strong packing tape
• Marker pens

How to Pack a Music System When Moving Home

In these packing tips, we will refer to stereo but the instructions will apply to each component of your stereo system or if it is a complete stereo unit.

• Photograph your stereo as evidence of the condition it was in when you packed it.
• Clean your stereo to remove any dust
• Photograph all the wires so that you know how to reconnect them
• Label all the wires so that you know which one goes where
• Remove and coil the cables, securing them with a zip tie so that they do not become tangled.
• You could also wrap the cables around empty toilet roll tubes to stop them from becoming tangled.
• Wrap the wires in a bubble wrap bundle, labelling each set of cables as to which component of the music system they belong to, then secure with tape
• Wrap your stereo in cling film to protect it from getting scratched or marked
• Place the stereo in a large black bin liner and secure it in place with packing tape.
• Now wrap in multiple layers of bubble wrap or old blankets paying particular attention to the corners.
• Now select a box that provides a very snug fit for your stereo.
• Ensure that there is no movement within the box. Fill any gaps with bubble wrap.
• Seal the box securely.
• Line a larger box with plywood for ultimate protection.
• Pad all sides and the bottom of the outer box with old blankets, packing peanuts, or multiple layers of bubble wrap.
• Place the box with the stereo in it into the second box.
• Place the cable bundle into the box ensuring that the plug cannot damage either of the boxes.
• Ensure that the internal box cannot move at all. Fill any gaps with padding or packing peanuts to ensure a snug fit.
• Place an extra layer of protection across the top before securing the box shut with good-quality packing tape.
• Mark the box as fragile and this way up. Also, label the box as to which room it must go in within your new home.
• Remember to take photographs of your packing at every stage so that you have evidence of how well your stereo was packed should you need it.

You may also be interested to read: Are Packing Services Worth the Money? Packing for a home move is probably one of the worst tasks about relocating to a new place. In this guide, we look at whether it makes more sense to hire a professional packing team rather than tackle the packing yourself.

5 Bonus Tips for Packing Records and Stereo Systems When Moving Home

#1 Protect the Edges

The key point to remember when packing your music systems and record collection is that the edges of your records and components are particularly vulnerable to damage during a home move.

Always ensure that the edges or corners of your speakers and stereo system are very well protected.

#2 Consider Custom Built Packing Crates

If you have a very expensive music system, then you may wish to have custom-made packing crates built by a specialist removal company.

Made from wood, packing crates will offer the ultimate protection to your music system, but will obviously not come cheap.

Custom-built packing crates do make sense though, especially if you are moving overseas.

#3 Get Your Vinyl Record Collection Appraised

Some vinyl record collections are worth thousands and thousands of pounds.

You may wish to get your collection professionally appraised so that you not only have an ‘official’ inventory made but will also know the collection’s true monetary value.

This could be especially useful in case you need to claim on insurance, it will also ensure you have the correct level of insurance in place.

You can get your record collection appraised by companies such as www.averyassociates.co.uk

#4 Get Properly Insured

Always, always, check your insurance policy or that of any removal company you hire. You may need to take out specialist insurance for your record collection.

Also, check that the policy covers you for items that you have packed yourself as many insurance companies will only insure items that have been professionally packed.

Must read: Home Moving Insurance – Do I Need It? In this guide, we look at why insurance for your home move is so essential and the different types of home moving insurance that you can take out.

#5 Putting Vinyl Records Into Storage

If you plan on putting your record collection or music system into storage then be sure to rent only units that are climate-controlled. If the unit is damp, too hot, or too cold it will have a catastrophic effect on your collection.

Must Read: How to Choose a Storage Unit. In this guide, we show you how to choose the right type of storage unit for your things. From security to temperature control, we consider all the things that you need to be aware of.

Finally, if you are packing for a home move by yourself then be sure to visit our award-winning home moving blog which has guides on every aspect of your home move which will not only make moving easier, but cheaper.