How to Properly Pack Electronics when Moving
How to Properly Pack Electronics when Moving
When it comes to relocating, packing and securing fragile items like electronics is always the most stressful part. However, if you follow these five steps you’ll never have to worry about transporting your electronics, no matter how many times you move.
Back up your data
As far as your desktop computer is concerned, make sure you’ve saved all your important photos, documents and other files and backed up your system before you pack. There are several ways to do this, one of which is saving them to an external HDD. They are easy to use and many of them come with ‘set and forget’ software.
Burning your data to DVD or Blu-ray discs is a cheaper but still reliable method. However, although much safer than HDDs, burning these discs is time consuming and can get pricey for large amounts of data. USBs are affordable and now available in USB 3.0. However, their limited capacity makes them a poor choice for an average user.
Finally, there are also online storage solutions, with the number of ‘cloud’ locations growing monthly. Although your data is secured beyond physical damage, there are capacity limitations to this method as well.
Find suitable packing materials
The box you want to use needs to be slightly larger than the electronic device you want to fit in it. In the best-case scenario you’ve kept the original packaging in which your device was delivered to you. If that isn’t the case, any larger cardboard box will do.
Bubble wrap is ideal for packing electronics, and if you can get the anti-static one, you can prevent any static build-up from damaging your devices. You’ll also need a few packing blankets or a roll of plastic wrap to avoid scratches and damages. As you fit the device in the box, use towels, sheets or blankets to fill any empty space in the box. You’re not only saving money on packing goods this way, but also saving space in the mover’s van.
Keep track of cords and remotes
Unless the manufacturers were kind enough to mark all the matching connectors and sockets with the same colour, untangling wires and trying to figure out which device they belong to only adds to the stress of moving house.
Don’t make the common mistake of putting all the cords and remote controls in one box. Keep them together with the electronic device they belong to. Here’s another foolproof tip – take photos of how cords are connected to their devices, so you can reassemble them easier later on. Before packing, roll up and secure the cords with rubber bands or zip ties.
Watch out for the temperature
Electronics have components that are sensitive to extreme temperatures, so you may want to consider packing them in your vehicle instead of a hired truck. If you are packing a printer, make sure the ink cartridges are removed, as they are especially sensitive to extreme temperatures. It would be best if you put them in a separate plastic bag to avoid the unnecessary mess.
If packing the electronics with you isn’t an option, consider reaching out to a professional moving company. Unlike the three pals you called to help you out, genuine pros, as these Eastern Suburbs removalists, are highly skilled in handling delicate items. And if the worst-case scenario were to happen, their services are fully secured up to $100.000.
Label everything
Once you’ve safely packed your electronics and their cords, don’t forget to label the boxes as ‘Fragile’ and ‘This Side Up’. It’s also wise to label these boxes with ‘Pack Last’, so the movers you hired know that these should actually be packed last, which prevents them from being crushed under other items.
Although electronic devices are fragile, when packed, cushioned and labelled properly, they are as safe to move as any other piece of homeware. When you reach your new home, give your electronics time to acclimate to the new temperature and humidity before plugging them in.
