Packing electronics

Taking the time and care to properly pack your electronic equipment will ensure you arrive at your new property with all the necessary gadgets to make you feel truly at home. Here are some top tips for safely packing your computers, DVD machines, CD players and other household electronics:

• Refer to the manufacturer's guide: they usually provide special moving tips. If you no longer have the guide go to their website or phone customer services.
  
• Remove toners or ink cartridges: these can leak during transit and stain not only your electronic equipment but also other items too. Put them in a sealed bag and tape them to the relevant piece of equipment so they are easy to find on arrival.
• Remove CDs and DVDs: these should not be kept in the machine during transit as they may scratch or damage the machine. Also be aware that CDs and software cannot tolerate high temperatures so it may be worth travelling them with you.
• Pack in the original packaging: the best way to transport electronics is in their original boxes. The reality of course is that many of us don't keep these boxes as they take up so much space. Instead you can buy specialised boxes or find a double thickness box which is slightly larger than the piece of equipment.
• Label where to plug in cables: it can be a nightmare figuring out which cable goes where! To facilitate easy installation upon arrival at your new home, when you unplug all your equipment put coloured label on the ports and corresponding cables.
  
• Keep cables with the right piece of equipment: the last thing you want is to arrive at your destination with a bag stuffed full of random cables with no idea to which machine they belong! As you disconnect, use twist ties to secure the cables to each machine in a plastic zip lock bag. Also tape mains cables to the machine to prevent them swinging and causing damage.
  
• Use antistatic packing material: anything that will conduct electricity can cause damage. Use popcorn or antistatic bubble wrap to line the boxes and fill any spaces.
  
• Seal and mark all boxes: you must mark each box FRAGILE and THIS WAY UP. Also seal well with tape and reinforce joins and box edges with extra tape so it does not break during moving.
  
• Insurance: bumps and knocks are an inevitable part of moving. Whilst adequate packaging can prevent most damage, accidents do happen so it's vital to have extra transit insurance for your most valuable electronics.