Today, most of us have a number of important electronics that we have to keep in mind when we are moving somewhere new. Not only can these electronics be expensive to replace, but many times they can house a lot of our priceless personal information.
So, how can you move these incredibly valuable items safely? This article will cover how to pack TVs and other electronics for your upcoming move so that you can start your new chapter without disaster.
A move is one of those things in life that you want to be as uneventful as possible. You don’t want any disasters, such as broken items, lost boxes, or missing pieces.
Unfortunately, electronics are often one of the most likely things to get damaged in a move simply because they are so delicate and intricate.
But, if you know how to properly care for your electronics throughout your move, you can ensure a safe and uneventful move for all your valuable possessions.
Preparing to Move Your Electronics
Before moving anything, you need to start with a good foundation. In general, packing electronics takes a lot more care and consideration than packing clothing or board games.
Most electronics have multiple components that you need to ensure you pack correctly otherwise you may not be able to use that item in your new home. Here are some tips for preparing your electronics to move.
Start early
Before moving anything, you need to start with a good foundation. In general, packing electronics takes much more care and consideration than packing clothing or board games.
Most electronics have multiple components that you need to ensure you pack correctly; otherwise, you may not be able to use that item in your new home. Here are some tips for preparing your electronics to move.
We know packing belongings is not a fun process, and sometimes it feels better to leave it all to the last minute. Maybe you’re busy and don’t have much time to pack up.
Even in these situations, it is important to start packing as early as you can. When you leave packing to the last minute, you’re more likely to accidentally leave something behind.
Backup Your Files
As we mentioned earlier, our electronics usually have a lot of personal and valuable data on them. Maybe your computer has all of your family photos.
Before moving anything, you’ll want to ensure that this information is backed up and kept safe. This could mean saving it on an external hard drive or backing it up to the cloud.
In the long run, this will save you a tremendous amount of lost data if something happens to your electronics during the move.
Take a Picture
When it comes to larger electronics, like TVs and computers, it can be hard to remember which cords go where. A picture of this cord setup can help you replicate it more easily in your new home.
Remove Loose Media
Take out any CDs, DVDs, tapes, or game cartridges. If these are left in your device, they can warp or deform and lead to damage to your device.
Properly Shut Down Your Devices
You should always ensure that your devices are properly shut down before unplugging them — especially if they are going to be without power for a move. This ensures that nothing is open or running in the background and makes moving the device much safer.
How to Pack TVs and Other Electronics
Once you’ve prepared to move your electronics, it is time to actually start packing them up. Here are some packing tips that you can use to safely and securely pack your electronics for your upcoming move.
Gather Moving Materials
Step one for packing your electronics is getting the right moving materials. If you still have the original packaging for your larger devices — like TVs and computers — you should use that. These boxes are designed to properly pad and protect your electronics, so they are the best option if you have them available.
If you do not have the original packaging, you’ll have to wrap the items yourself. You will need moving boxes (of the right size for your electronics), bubble wrap, packing paper, twist ties, packing tape, and markers.
Unplug Cords and Remove Batteries
If batteries leak inside your devices, they can cause serious and permanent damage. To prevent this damage, remove any batteries from remotes, controllers, or any other device before packing them away.
You will also want to unplug any cords from any device. This way, you can pack away your cords safely and prevent any from getting broken during the move.
Protect Screens
The general rule with packing items with screens (like TVs and monitors) is to protect the screen and keep it upright while moving. The screen is the most vulnerable part of a TV or monitor and is the most prone to scratching.
Wrap Your Devices
Even if you are moving in just a few days, it is important to ensure that your electronics are covered. If they are not covered, dust from other items could settle in and cause issues for the inner workings of your electronics. This is especially important for computers.
Ensure Everything Fits Snugly
The last thing you want is for your precious electronics to smack into each other or against other items during your move. So when packing your items, ensure that there is no empty space in boxes and that your items are well-wrapped and protected from hitting each other.
Take Care with Cords
No one wants to start unpacking in a new home only to realize that all of your cords are in one box and all tangled together. There are a few ways that you can wrap cords to keep them separate from each other. The first option is to use twist ties or rubber bands to individually secure each cord in a neat coil. Another option is to place your cords into plastic bags to keep them separate from each other.
Group Together Smaller Electronics
If you have a lot of smaller electronics — such as gaming consoles and controllers — you may want to group these items together. This way, you can easily label this box as your electronics box and know to handle it with care.
You can also place cords in these types of boxes. But, again, ensure that everything is first snugly and there is no room for anything to move around during your move.
Label Everything
Label your boxes with what is in them. Mark them as “fragile.” Use color-coded stickers to ensure you know which cords go with which devices. Labels are your best friend when moving electronics (especially the confusing ones with lots of cords).
Store In a Climate Controlled Environment
Electronics are quite sensitive to temperature. If you are storing them in a location that is too cold, the metal parts may contract, which can weaken any soldered elements in your electronics.
If the area is too hot, on the other hand, you could risk adding stress to the soldered components due to the metal expanding. Additionally, hotter weather holds more moisture which can be deadly to electronics.
How to Move Your Electronics Without the Headache
Now that you’ve made it through all these steps to packing away your electronics, you may wonder, is there an easier way to move your electronics? Luckily, there is. Rather than taking all this time and care to pack up your items on your own, you can hire a professional moving company, like Smooth Move, to do it for you.
Professional movers know how to pack valuable electronics — from TVs to gaming consoles — so you don’t have to worry about figuring out which boxes and packing supplies to buy.
Additionally, because professional movers have experience packing and moving these types of items, they will know just how to pack your electronics to ensure the safety of your electronics throughout the move.
Moving electronics can take a lot of careful planning and special packing materials. But, if you do not have the time or would rather spend the last of your time in your old home enjoying it rather than packing everything into boxes, you can benefit from the professional packing services of Smooth Move.