How to Pack a Computer for Moving in 5 Easy Steps

Why It’s Important to Know How to Pack a Computer for Moving Properly?

If you are relocating for the first time in your life, you’ve probably never faced problems packing up fragile items and making sure everything stays safe during transportation. Computers and laptops are usually essential to most people, especially for working or studying, and that’s why you wouldn’t want them to get damaged during your move.

While preparing for a move, it’s essential to inform yourself on how to move a desktop computer so you keep it safe and undamaged. We are going to provide you with essential tips to know before you start the process of relocating to another state.

Step 1 – Preparing Your Desktop Computer or Laptop for Packing

When relocating electronics to a new home, especially computers and laptops, the number one step should be preparing these items for the move. Your computer is probably one of the most valuable things you own, so it’s essential to learn how to safely transport a PC, including knowing all the information on it is safely backed up.

The first step should be to back up all of the essential files and folders on your computer to cloud storage or an external drive. This step should never be skipped because you never know what could happen during the move. No matter how much you try to move safely, unpredictable scenarios are possible.

You don’t need to disassemble your entire PC as that can be complicated, and you might damage specific components throughout the process. However, you should disconnect your computer’s peripheral components since you won’t be able to secure them appropriately if they are all plugged in. Remember to take a photo of how the cables were plugged into the PC so you don’t have issues reattaching them later.

Step 2 – Gather All the Necessary Materials and Supplies

You should be very careful when choosing materials for relocating and boxing up your electronics. Electronics require a much more careful process of packing and protecting since they are fragile and prone to damage during transportation. Here’s a list of different materials for packing you’re going to need:

• Boxes in proper shapes and sizes,
• Paper and bubble wrap for protecting items inside the boxes,
• Tape for securing the edges of the boxes,
• Styrofoam inserts for cushioning
• Ziploc bags for smaller components.

You can also use certain items you already have in your home, such as towels, blankets, clothes, and old paper. It’s not the best option, but it’s a good choice when relocating out of state on a budget.

Use Original Packaging When Relocating Electronics

If you manage to save all of the original packaging from your electronic devices, use them as they are the best option. However, people often throw away these packages even though they are great for efficiently packing up your items. In case you didn’t keep them, you can try and order them online or measure each item and get a box in the appropriate size for your electronics.

Here’s a video from youtube that can visually show you how to prepare your PC for shipping properly.

Step 3 – How to Pack Up Your Computer Properly

How do I pack my computer to move? In case you’re not hiring long-distance movers to provide you with their packing service, you’ll have to figure out how to pack a desktop computer for moving on your own.

You should start by securing the desktop tower first after disconnecting all of the individual components from your computer. Fill up the appropriate box with a bubble layer and cushioning materials to protect the device and keep it safe. Don’t forget to secure the container with tape, or it may collapse under the weight. You have to check that the tower can’t move or tumble inside the box, and you can do that by carefully lifting the box and shaking it gently.

If you’re having trouble finding the container with appropriate dimensions to fit the computer tower and you’re wondering, “How can I move my computer without a box?”. We advise you to bubble wrap it up in a layer of materials. It’s not the best choice ever, but it still does the job.

How to Safely Pack a Monitor

The monitor is the most fragile part of the computer and requires knowing specific relocating hacks, so everything remains intact. The display is quite prone to damage, and that’s why you have to be super careful with protecting it.

Start by removing the monitor’s stand, boxing it separately, and bubble wrapping it with protective materials. Be sure to use a lot of bubble wrap and a few layers of packaging paper while covering the screen. Place it in the box vertically, so the display surface faces the vertical side of the box. Placing it horizontally is a common relocating mistake that you should avoid to prevent any damage. Again, remember to fill up the gaps in the box with crumpled-up paper to secure the monitor in the best possible position.

Packing Peripheral Components Is an Important Step

When learning how to pack a computer for shipping, most people overlook the importance of boxing up all the peripheral components. They are some of the most commonly forgotten things, and using your PC without them is impossible. Here are some tips on properly preparing these small but quite essential components.

Be super careful when handling the PC cables since you can damage them if you press them too hard while folding. Usually, different peripherals have the same power cord, and it’s easy to mix them up after they get detached from the computer tower. You can prevent this from happening by carefully labeling with tape which cable belongs to which specific component.

Keep them all secured in different bags and prevent them from tangling by using rubber bands or binder clips. Once you’ve adequately secured them, place the cables together with other peripherals. This will make the unpacking process after the move a lot easier and more manageable.

Step 4 – Prepare the Computer for Safe Transport

If you’re wondering, “How do you safely transport a computer?” we have tips for that as well. To learn how to transport a PC, you have to treat it like any other valuable and fragile item. This means you should label all the boxes where your electronics are by writing specific instructions on them, such as “Fragile,” “Handle with care,” “This side up,” and other similar things. This is a great way to prepare for movers in case you’re hiring a long-distance moving company, so they can safely transport your belongings to your new home.

How to Secure Your Laptop for Moving?

The best way for shipping and transporting your laptop is in its bag. After all, it was designed for carrying around your laptop safely without it getting damaged. Since laptops are smaller, it’s not a problem taking them with you the whole time.

If you want to secure it a bit more, you can take the same steps that you did for boxing up your computer. Be careful when folding the laptop AC adapter. You should carefully secure it with some rubber bands or tape, place it in a zip bag, and keep it in the laptop bag in a special compartment.

Again, remember to back up the data and disconnect any additional components. If you don’t have a bag, you can easily place it in a suitcase or a backpack and even wrap it up if you want more protection.

Step 5 – Get Help From Professional Cross-Country Movers

If you feel overwhelmed with your relocating to-do list and don’t feel like doing all the work on your own, you can always opt for getting long-distance moving services. Professional companies and their employees can provide you with a stress-free relocation by finishing most of the tasks needed for relocation on their own.

If the preparations and boxing up seem like too much work for you, it’s best you find a firm to provide you with assistance through their moving service. This is particularly useful when you’re relocating at the last minute and don’t have time to bother yourself with learning how to prepare and adequately transport certain items.

Even if you’re trying to save on relocating costs, good companies will offer you more than one service for an affordable price. A car shipping company can provide you with relocation and auto-transport services as well. You can contact the customer service of the relocating or auto-transport company, and ask them about relocation service as well as offers they may provide you with.

Choose Reputable Movers to Avoid Any Problems

When finding which company to hire to help you out with the move, make sure to inform yourself of how reputable they are. There are plenty of ways you can check whether a specific company and its employees are trustworthy and worth hiring.

Check everything you can about the company, such as legal documents, the license they own, how experienced they are, how their reviews look like, and other similar things. You need to know you’re not falling for relocation scammers since it’s the last thing you want to happen to you. Proper movers should be able to answer questions and help you with issues.

No matter how well they prepare your belongings for transportation, they should also offer you relocating insurance, just in case. Getting appropriate insurance will help you avoid any unnecessary anxiety about relocating. After all, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Take Time to Prepare and Transport Your Electronics Carefully

If you want something to be done correctly and professionally, you need to give yourself enough time. Try not to hurry the whole process and carefully read through the steps to ensure you know how to protect every single item adequately. If you do everything in a hurry, chances are it won’t be done correctly, and something might get damaged.

In case you don’t have the patience for boxing up your electronic devices in the safest way possible, you can always hire a professional to do the preparing and wrapping process for you. However, one thing is for sure – your priority should be keeping your computer and laptop safe, no matter how you choose to do it. The last thing you want is to stress about your valuable devices getting damaged while relocating to a new home.