In this day and age, who doesn’t have a collection of high-dollar electronics? From pricey smartphones and laptops to tablets, smart speakers, and flat-screen TVs, just about every household has a few super useful — and super breakable — devices that require diligent care.
When it comes time to pack up your life and move to a new home, those items need special attention to make it there safely. In this blog, the professional movers and packers at Ace Moving & Warehousing share a few valuable tips to help you get the job done right.
Hire Professional Movers and Packers
Before we go over DIY tips for packing and transporting electronics, we’d be remiss not to discuss the inarguable importance of hiring a professional moving company for this job. While you can certainly do your best to organize, protect, pack, transport, and unload your valuable electronics, the bottom line is: You’re not a packing expert.
That’s not to say you can’t do a great job, though. Anyone can take the time to learn the delicate art of packing and moving electronics, but professional packers have already done the legwork. They’ve learned what works and what doesn’t through extensive training and years of experience.
They’ve witnessed firsthand what can happen to poorly packed electronics, as well as what it takes to securely and safely transport these high-dollar items. They have the appropriate packing materials and the tools to get the job done efficiently, and more importantly, properly.
When you hire professional movers and packers, you get added peace of mind because basic liability insurance (released value protection) comes standard. In the event that items get lost or suffer damage, you can file a claim for reimbursement. If you need more protection, you can opt to pay a little extra for a higher level of moving insurance.
Prepare Your Electronics for Packing
Before you start tucking things away in boxes, spend a little time getting your electronics and all of their components in order. A little organizing goes a long way toward making sure everything arrives at your new place intact. Here’s what you should do:
● Gather user manuals and assembly instructions. Hopefully, you hang on to the manuals and assembly instructions for your devices. These are a huge help during the unpacking process. Tuck these documents away in their own small box so you don’t lose them. Label it and keep it with you during the move.
● Add tracking to your devices. If you have several high-dollar devices, consider attaching tracking chips to them. For smartphones, tablets, laptops, and the like, install tracking apps so you can find these items if they get misplaced during the move.
● Review insurance info. If you insure your electronics, review the terms of each device’s policy. If you’re packing and moving by yourself, seriously consider purchasing temporary insurance to cover your devices throughout the packing and transport process.
Label Devices and Their Components
One of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure the packing, transport, and unpacking process goes smoothly is to label everything. Doing so will take some time, but in the end, labeling is the best way to save time when you unpack and reassemble devices in your new home. Here’s what you should do:
1. Purchase small stickers in multiple colors, as well as larger, rectangular white stickers.
2. Before you detach any cords or cables, place a colored sticker on the end of the cable that attaches to the device. Place the same color sticker next to the cable socket where the cable should attach to the device.
3. Detach the cable and wrap a rectangular white sticker around it. Using a fine-tip pen, write down the two devices the cable connects to on the white sticker (ex: soundbar/TV).
4. For power supply cords, wrap a white sticker around the cord and write down the device the cord belongs to.
5. Coil each cable up, wrap it with an elastic band, and tuck it inside a labeled plastic sandwich bag.
6. When you have multiple cables in the bag that all belong to the same device, poke a small hole in the bag and attach one of the cables to the parent device. Use a small piece of packing tape to secure the bag to the device.
Keeping Your Electronics Safe Throughout the Move
Letting professional movers and packers handle the packing, transport, and unloading process is the absolute best way to keep your electronics safe. But if you’re taking the DIY route, here are some helpful tips:
● Read through your user manuals to see if there are any tips for safe packing and transport.
● Pack electronics in their original packaging whenever possible.
● Cushion both the top and bottom of each box with bubble wrap. Situate the item(s) in the box and fill in any empty space with more bubble wrap or packing paper.
● Wrap large items in bubble wrap, surround that with cardboard, and secure the whole thing with plastic wrap.
● Avoid using newspaper as packing material when you pack anything with a screen. The paper can scratch the screen and the ink can rub off on the device.
Packing Your Computer
If you’re like most people, you keep plenty of important information on your laptop or PC. To ensure you don’t lose anything vital, follow these steps to safely pack your computer:
1. Back up all your important data (if your photos aren’t in the cloud, back them up too!)
2. Double-check your passwords to ensure they’re tough to guess and change them if necessary. Use a password manager if you’re prone to forgetting login info.
3. Clean your computer to ensure dust doesn’t get trapped anywhere it shouldn’t be during the packing and transport process. If you’re moving a PC, vacuum the tower and consider removing any cards from the motherboard for extra protection (only do this if you know what you’re doing!).
4. Only use packing paper to pack your computer! Using packing peanuts or chips can result in static electricity buildup during the transport process, which can damage delicate computer hardware.
Looking for Professional Movers in the Twin Cities?
When you need residential movers who know how to safely pack, transport, and unpack your delicate and pricey electronics, look no further than our team at Ace Moving & Warehousing. Since 1958, we’ve offered a wide variety of moving services, including full packing services, storage solutions, custom crating, and more. Check out our reviews to see what people are saying!
To get started, give us a call at 763-755-2045 or request a fast quote online. You can also send us a message with your questions, and we’ll get back to you promptly.