A computer can be one of your most valuable possessions, especially in this digital age. It could be your biggest worry when it comes to moving to a new house. You may find it difficult to replace because it's expensive and may have important documents stored in it, like your family photos, videos, legal documents as well as financial records. If you know how to take care of your desktop computer or laptop computer during a move, you will transport them safely to your new home.
Tips to prepare your computer for packing
It all depends on the configuration of your computer and the attributes of its peripheral devices. It would hardly take 20-30 minutes or an hour to pack and move your computer to your new destination. However, if you know your task, you can finish packing and shipping your computer system even more quickly.
Regardless of what you are packing, the first step is to collect the right packing materials for the product. The same applies to packing a computer safely for the move. Here are a few computer packing supplies that you might need to collect in advance:
- Packing Boxes- The golden rule is to use the original box in which your computer or its component was brought. These boxes are designed by experts specifically to protect your PC from getting damaged during the move. If you haven’t retained the original, you can borrow those thick-walled boxes from friends or an IT guy in your office. Alternatively, you can use a new cardboard box of the appropriate size to pack your PC. But you must ensure to get sufficient cushioning materials to place around the computer and secure it during the move.
- Packing paper and bubble wrap- Make sure to have a few bubbles wrap or packing paper ready that will help keep your computer secure. We recommend you buy vacuum-filled packing materials that would offer the highest level of protection and efficiency. You can buy them from a local moving store, office supply store, or Home Depot store.
- Peanuts or Styrofoam inserts- Don't worry, if you haven’t retained the Styrofoam inserts you must have got them inside the original PC box. It would be a good idea to use some other soft cushioning material that would provide considerable protection for your computer by arresting the vibrations and reversing the direct hit that may happen during the transit. You can use towels, a few pieces of clothing, or blankets and enjoy the same level of protection.
- Packing tape- Ensure you buy a packing tape of good quality because you will use it to close the lid of the computer box as well as strengthen its sides.
- Sealable plastic bags- You can use this bag to keep the small components of your computer as well as the screws or other tiny parts that might have been removed from the system. Otherwise, you will end up losing them and set them up in your new house.
Back up important data
Of course, if your computer gets damaged, you will have to pay a heavy price. But have you ever thought of the consequences if you lose the important data stored on your PC? Thus, it’s essential to take the data backup of your PC before you start with the move as misfortune can happen during the move.
Here’s what you can do to secure your data:
- Move all significant data to a hard drive externally or you can use an online backup service to transfer your data.
- If the data isn’t large, you can transfer it to multiple USB flash drives.
How will you label, organize, and click photos of computer cords and connections?
You should invest time to organize your PC and its accessories before you pack it for the move. Follow the steps below and simplify the process of reconnecting your PC, after reaching your new house:
Step 1- Color code the computer cords
- Wrap the computer cords with different color stickers. You can buy them from a local office supply store.
- Label each of the inputs with color dots.
- Make sure the color of the sticker is the same as its corresponding color dot.
For instance, you can use a green dot for the mouse input and put the same color wrapper over the mouse cord. Also, you need to use the same color for the other end of the cord, so that you can reset your system in a blink, after moving into your new house.
Step 2- Click pictures
We suggest you click the picture of your computer set-up before you try disconnecting it. You should click multiple pictures from different angles so that you can reassemble them accurately later. Perhaps, you can add notes and arrows next to the pictures for better guidance.
Step 3- Arrange the computer cords properly
You can put Velcro wrap at each end of the computer cords before packing them. Make sure the color of the Velcro wrap is the same as the color dot on the respective cords. Later, you need to slowly loop the cord in your hand and fasten it with the Velcro wrap.
Tips to pack a computer monitor and tower
The safest way to pack a desktop computer would be to pack it in its original box. However, if you don't have it, you can use any other solid box as described in the earlier part of this guide.
- Make sure the moving box is larger than your computer system.
- You may use a television box to ship your monitor as well.
- Ensure that the glass of the monitor isn’t close to the outside edge of the moving box.
Here’s how you can pack your desktop computer in just a few steps:
- Shut down the computer properly.
- Detach all the computer cords and pack each in a zip lock bag.
- Cover the tower and monitor in a stationary bubble wrap.
- Make use of cushioned packing paper to fill the base of the computer box.
- Put the vertically wrapped components inside the computer box.
- If you find any voids, consider filling them up with some cushioned packing papers. Also, you can put the cord bag inside the box to occupy the space.
- Finally, you can seal the box, label it as fragile and ensure you indicate the correct side up.
Best ways to pack a gaming computer and custom
You will find heavy graphic cards on gaming computers which can easily get damaged during transit.
Here are a few ways in which you can secure your graphic cards:
- Remove your graphic card and consider packing it separately, if you don’t want to damage it during the move.
- Alternatively, you might need to open the computer case and backup the graphics card with sufficient packing materials.
- To get the best result, you may need to use an expandable product to fill up the vacuum in the computer case. You can use Instapak Quick for this purpose.
- Make sure you drain all the liquid if your computer system is water-cooled. If you don't do this before packing, there can be leakage during the move or shipment.
- The rest of the steps would be the same as packing a regular computer that we have discussed earlier in this guide.
Tips to pack a laptop easily for moving
Packing a laptop for moving is very simple because this portable system is designed to move safely to another location.
Here are the three tips that you must follow to securely move a laptop:
- You can use a laptop bag or a case to move your laptop from your old house to your new house. The bag is soft padded and can be an ideal moving box for your most precious laptop.
- Ensure caution while you are folding and storing the cable of your laptop charger. You can apply rubber bands to secure the power cord and AC adapter in place. It seems a great idea to put them in a plastic bag as this would offer extra protection to these components.
- In case you don’t have a laptop bag, you must wrap it with packing paper first and then use a thick blanket or a towel to cover it. Later, you can place the laptop in your suitcase along with your clothes and make sure you keep the suitcase with you during the whole move.
Are you still nervous about moving your computer safely to a new destination? Don’t take risks but leave everything to professional movers as they are well-trained to move your valuables or fragile electronics safely and securely. For further suggestions, you can contact us at movers.com or other best moving companies and enjoy our reputable and reliable services.