Moving Electronics

When you're moving and packing, you tend to take extra care with your most valuable possessions. You may have a system established to avoid any unnecessary mishaps. Do you have any particular way of packing your electronics? If the answer is yes, then you're a step ahead of the game. If the answer is no, we've prepared a simple guide for you that may help transport those electronics that you have a right to be cautious about.

Being prepared

The best start to making sure that your electronics arrive in the same condition as when they left is to prepare them:

• Collect all your manuals. If you cannot find the user manual, check to see if there is an online version for you to download.
• Insure your electronics. If you can get a temporary insurance policy on your most expensive products, you can have peace of mind when they're in the back of the moving truck.
• If you can, add tracking. A lot of smartphones now have a "Find Me" function of some variety; you can use devices such as Tile to help you do the same with other devices.

Packing them away

Once you have prepared your items for the move, it is time to get to packing.

• Take out all the batteries to prevent them from overheating and leaking while they're still in the box.
• Charge all your products before you move. When you unpack them, they'll be ready to go.
• Eject any discs you may have in any ROMs. This would include DVDs, video games, and CDs.
• Remove cartridges from printers and place them into plastic bags.

Label everything

Labeling all your products may take a bit of time but will be well worth it in the long run, especially if there are similar looking items. For example, if your TV and DVD have similar looking power cables, label them separate colors. Maybe make the TV red and the DVD player blue. Use the same kind of label you do for the cords, for the product themselves. Keep all cords and wires in bags to condense and compartmentalize.

Moving to the cloud

If you own a personal computer desktop, you don't want to just unplug and go. This could lead to a potential loss of data and software disruptions. Before you even touch the power button, make sure that you have all your important files backed-up, either to the cloud or an external source. Also make sure everything is password encrypted to mitigate thieves accessing your private information in the unlikely event things go missing. If there is a fair amount of dust, vacuum as much as you can. No need bringing dust into your new home. Once you're ready to pack, use packaging paper instead of chips, as chips will cause static electricity which can be harmful to your computer.

General tips

Some items may have particular ways in which they can be stored. Refer to user manuals if that is the case. Many items can go back into the cases in which they were bought. If those packages never made it to moving day, you can contact the manufacturers for another if necessary. If you're going to be using your own packaging, follow these tips:

• Cushion your electronics, so they won't move around during transport.
• Wrap in bubble wrap to give it some more protection.
• Never use newsprint as it can get onto the screens and may scratch them.

With all these tips, packing your electronics should be a breeze! Good luck with your move.

Photo courtesy of move.com