Electronics have become a major, inseparable part of our lives in the past few years. From smart plugs, fast Wi-Fi connections, or enjoying video games on the latest console, we rely on electronics for play, pleasure, work, and function. When we move homes, electronics can be the most fragile and complex items to move and set back up. Most require several components to work properly, and if lost or damaged, the costs and frustration to replace those items can add up quickly. Therefore, it is important to pack, store, and organize electronics properly.
We know that your money and time are what’s most important these days. Hiring movers is almost certainly always worth the cost, especially when it comes to your electronics. Your back (and your friends’ backs) will definitely thank you!
Whether you’re a small office relocating in the city or a residential move, Audio Video Charlotte knows that you’ve invested a lot into your computers, electronics, and home technology. We ensure peace of mind with our specialty moving services, from start to finish.
Traditional moving companies don’t move everything!
One of the worst things that could happen on moving day is finding out that your mover cannot pack and take some of your belongings. From plants to personal documents, moving companies cannot take certain items. When it comes to items as valuable and vulnerable as electronics, some moving companies may not provide the necessary packing materials, the time to inventory your items or ensure climate-controlled shipping, resulting in the loss and damage of your items.
You already have enough to worry about when you are relocating your entire life, so to avoid the added stress of surprises like that, do your research and communicate with your movers on what they will and won’t move. You’ll want to choose movers who have experience handling, packing, and shipping all sorts of electronics. That’s what you’ll get with Audio Video Charlotte.
At Audio Video Charlotte, we have licensed and insured professionals who have the expertise and materials to best protect your electronics before, during, and after your move. With Audio Video Charlotte, we will uninstall, protect, box, organize your accessories, and reinstall them after the move. Our team has many years of experience and expertise handling electronics, and we’ve perfected the strategy and techniques to relocate your items safely and securely, no matter the distance.
What should I do to prepare my electronics for moving?
Collect and check all logins and passwords for your technology.
To start, make sure that you have a list of all your important passwords. This will make the set-up seamless when you arrive at your new home.
Consider changing your passwords on your devices when you’re settled. You should have different passwords on each device, and ensure that they are a complex combination of upper, lowercase, and special characters – don’t make them easy for people to guess!
Clean and dust electronics, especially computer accessories.
If, like many of us these days, you’re using a desktop with multiple monitors, a keyboard, mouse, and more, then you know how dusty your set-up can become in seemingly no time at all. Moving is a great time to give everything a thorough wipe down. We encourage using a vacuum cleaner extension or packed air canister to remove any dust build up in hard-to-clean places.
Gather all boxes and containers that the items came in.
If you’ve kept boxes that your electronics came in, then begin organizing them by where the electronics currently reside in the home. This will make it easier for the team to pack those electronics, since the boxes they’re sold in often already come equipped with protective packing and space to hold all components.
Back up all of your important documents.
There’s always a possibility of accidents, loss, or theft when it comes to a move. The last thing you want to happen is to lose important documents, photos, or pose a risk to the sharing of sensitive information and files. Before moving, do a backup and save all the important items on an external hard drive or in a cloud. This way, if something were to happen to your files, the damage will be considerably less, and you’ll have a backup.
Take photos of your devices.
If you do move without the help of a professional electronic moving service, photos are going to be a necessity. Take photos of the cable and wiring set up of each device before the move, which will make it easier for you to reinstall equipment in the new home. It’s also a good idea to inventory your devices before you move, in case of loss or if your items get damaged.
Securely pack the devices you’ll need during the move, and keep chargers in your personal vehicle.
During the move, you may want your small personal electronics like cell phones, tablets, or laptops while going to your destination. Make sure that you pack fragile items like laptops or electronic notebooks securely in a sleeve case, within another carrying case for additional padding (e.g. backpack, laptop case, messenger bag, briefcase). Keep any wall chargers, docking cables, and external hard drives with you at all times. This will keep you organized and your electronics safe.
Tips on preparing your electronics for your move:
Gather together all your user manuals and warranties.
If you don’t have them, download them from the manufacturer’s website. These may come in handy when reinstalling devices or troubleshooting any errors.
Insure your electronics if using a traditional moving company.
If you decide against hiring professionals to move your electronics, consider purchasing temporary insurance to cover your electronics during your move, packing, and unpacking.
Add trackers for long-haul moves.
For extra security and peace of mind, you may want to add tracking to your major electronics going away in a truck. There are affordable options out there like Tile and TrackR, that you can download an app to your phone and chips to your devices so that if anything is misplaced or you want to know where something is, it’s easier to find. Keep in mind, some of these tracking devices only work within certain distances.
If you have Apple products (e.g. Apple watch, Mac laptops, iPhones), you should go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, and ensure that Location Services is on. From the Cloud, you can mark devices as lost, wipe devices, play a sound to find your device, and see all of your devices on a map. For more information, you can go here to learn more.
Tile, TrackR, or Apple Location Services can also be great to have on your phones during the chaos of moving and endless boxes – we’ve all been there, scrambling to find our phone when we just had it in our hands five minutes ago. Let technology make your moving day easier!
Remove batteries from all electronics and remotes.
Most moving trucks do not have climate-controlled storage and may expose your items to extreme heat or cold. You should remove all batteries from your electronics and remotes so that they don’t overheat or leak. You will also want to charge any items with rechargeable batteries before your move.
Remove toner cartridges from laser printers, and other ink cartridges and pack them in a dust-proof bag.
Check electronics for additional drives, and organize as needed.
If you have a DVD, CD, or Blu-ray collection, check all of your various devices and eject any of the latter. Tape drives shut on DVD, Blu-ray, or computer towers.
Packing and moving your electronics: What we do:
– Packing electronics together, rather than individually. Packing each item individually can cause a lot of confusion, especially when you separate corresponding wires and cables. We find that the best way to pack electronics is by bundling them together in the same box, and labeling those boxes via the room they came from, to keep the move seamless.
– Preventing tangled cables. We’ll remove all cables and wires from devices to prevent damage to the tips and connectors during transit. If left on devices, jostling from the ride and bend or break connection pieces. We may use zip ties or rubber bands to keep cables neatly organized.
– Protecting screens. We’ll use static guard first to protect screens, followed by bubble wrap and other packing materials. Using bubble wrap on flat screens without any barrier can cause air bubbles to form and disfigure and damage flat screens.
– Labeling everything! Labeling everything might seem excessive, but as soon as we pack a moving box, we write what’s inside of it. Fragile labels are placed on at least three sides of the moving boxes and marked if needed by the side up or down they need to face.
– Packing safely and securely. Our top priority is the safe packing, handling, and transportation of your items. For electronics in particular, it’s important that boxes are placed upright and are not laid down. We make sure that your items are securely in place, padded by moving blankets, and kept in a climate-controlled environment.
Transporting TV’s safely
Our TVs are often located in the centers of our homes and in turn, center families together. Our team will start by unplugging and organizing all of the cords and wires from the power supply of your TV. Then, we’ll dismount the TV from the wall or stand. TV stands or wall mounts will not fit in these boxes and will require packaging in a separately labeled box, alongside the cables, screws, and other hardware.
Okay, let’s take a count of hands – who actually kept the box their TV came in? No one? We’re kidding around! With the size of modern TVs, it’s no wonder that most people did not hang onto the large box your TV came in. If you didn’t save your TV box, then no worries!
There are specially designed TV boxes at stores like The Home Depot or Lowes. These boxes include Styrofoam padding to keep the TV secure, and a foam bag to keep large screens safe.
Reinstalling electronics in your new home
Unpacking requires being just as careful as packing. Once you are in your new home, the last thing you want to worry about on move-in day is setting up the essentials like Wi-Fi and TV. Moving day is exhausting enough, so let our professionals handle the unpacking and set-up of all your electronics.
Audio Video Charlotte’s process is that we typically unpack one electronic at a time, starting with the one that has the most cable connections. We’ll test each item as we go to ensure proper set-up, especially if the items are connected.
We’ll have everything set up and ready to go, so that at the end of your moving day, you can relax in front of your TV or connect right away to the internet! This service is especially great if you or your partner are not taking time off from work or your children are still in school and need access to Wi-Fi, tablets, laptops, and computers.
Don’t let just anyone handle your expensive and important technology. Contact Audio Video Charlotte today for your next move.
Whether you need something moved to South Park or a city away, Audio Video Charlotte will get the job done. Email us at david@audiovideocharlotte.com, send us a text or give us a call at (704) 287-3334, or fill out our contact form to have our team reach out to you. Learn more about our specialty moving services and get a free estimate today. You’ll enjoy settling into your new home so much more when you don’t have to worry about a tangled mess of cords to deal with, and instead can stream your favorite music or movie as you unpack!
