Have you ever moved house and ended up with breakages and wish you taken more time packing electronics carefully?
Moving or putting belongings into storage can be a stressful process, but what’s even more stressful is trusting the expensive and valuable electronics you’ve packed not to get broken or lost. So we’ll go through 10 helpful tips so you can rest easy knowing you’ve packed electronics safe and secure.
Purchase the Right Materials for Packing Electronics
The first step to successfully packing your electronics is gathering the right materials. When packing electronics the main essentials are:
- Sturdy boxes
- Strong packing tape
- Bubble wrap
- Cable ties/rubber bands
Sturdy boxes should provide more stability and have less chance of getting squashed, keeping your electronics safe and sound. Using a strong packing tape will ensure the boxes don’t open so nothing falls out, preventing breakages and misplacements of items. Bubble wrap is an excellent way to protect valuables when moving to avoid scratches, cracks and chips. Electronics tend to include a numerous amount of cables that have a habit of tangling themselves. Using cable ties or rubber bands is a good way to keep cables separated and detangled.
Back-Up Data
It’s important when unplugging and shutting down electronics that the contents of them don’t accidentally get wiped. Before you start to detach electronics from plugs, make sure all the information and data from the device is backed up and stored somewhere safe. An external hard drive or a data storage software such as The Cloud, are great ways to ensure your data doesn’t get lost.
Produce An Inventory
Keeping track of all your electronics will give you some peace of mind in knowing nothing has gone missing. Make a list of all your electronic items before you pack them away, so when it comes to unpacking everything you can check all your valuable items are present.
Remove Batteries And DVDs
It’s a good idea to remove loose items from your large electronics, such as batteries, CDs, DVDs and printer cartridges. Doing this could prevent them from falling out and getting lost and from being knocked about and damaged inside the device.
Take Photos
An excellent tip, that you will thank yourself for later, is to take photos on your phone of how cords and cables were connected to your device. Having an image to guide you in how everything was connected before, will make the process of reconnecting electronics much less hassle.
Roll Cords And Cables
Cables can be a nuisance when moving, they tangle easily, you lose track of what they’re for and they become unnecessary extra stress. To avoid these problems, roll up your cords and cables and secure them with cable ties or rubber bands. Doing this will make your life much easier later down the line when you’re unpacking.
Label Everything
When you’re packing, labels will become your best friend. Putting a label on cables and smaller items gives you a clear way to see what they are for. This will save you from spending endless hours trying to work out what cable is for what device and what it is for.
Organise
Organising what is going into boxes is a great way to make life simpler for yourself. Pack your cables and remotes with their corresponding devices in the same box. Being in the same box, along with being labelled, will make it even clearer and easier for you.
Protect Your Electronics
The most important thing to remember when packing electronics is cushioning them well. Electronics are expensive and most likely quite valuable to you, the last thing you want when you’re moving house is to have a collection of broken devices. There are ways you can minimize the chance of damage, such as using bubble wrap. Thoroughly bubble wrapping electronics will help protect them from scratches, dents, chips and cracks. As well as making sure they’re well wrapped, ensure there are no large gaps of space when packing a box. Large space will give an item a chance to roll around more, increasing the risk of damage. Fill empty spaces with towels or blankets, this will also act as extra cushioning.
Label Boxes
It would be a good idea to write on the outside of boxes that contain electronic devices. Writing ‘FRAGILE’ in large, visible text on a box, communicates to others that they need to be extra careful with that box. It also helps you to know which boxes to be more careful handling.
Ready To Pack?
So, before you get packing remember to keep the important tips in mind at all times. Ensure you’ve backed up all your devices so you don’t lose any of your data. Keep a list of all the items you’ve packed so you know exactly what electronic items you own and what should be there. Take out loose items from devices and remotes and keep a visual record of how your devices were put together and connected before you start to detach them. Roll cords and cable to avoid them tangling, then label them. Be as organised as you can to make packing simpler and, most importantly, protect your electronics with plenty of packing materials to prevent damage or breakages.
