When it’s time to pack everything and get started on your move, whether it’s cross-country or the next city over, there are going to be certain rooms in your house that require a little more finesse—especially your home office. You likely have expensive equipment such as a computer, various office supplies, paperwork, and even decorations. What’s the best way to pack an office for a move? We’ve got some suggestions for you.
How to Pack an Office
Take a look at our list of suggested tips for how to pack an office for a move.
Assess
Packing an office for a move should start with getting rid of the unwanted items. It’s up to you to determine what needs to go and what needs to stay. Home offices, just like regular offices, often become cluttered with excess files, paperwork, etc. Before you pack everything up, take some time to look through your drawers and clean out any unwanted mess. Gather unneeded files and shred them; collect the important ones together in a bag or something similar so they’ll be all together during the move.
Get the Right Supplies
You’ll need the right packing supplies before you can start boxing everything up. This list can get you started:
- Boxes for books
- Electronics boxes (various sizes)
- Packing paper/bubble wrap
- Picture box
- Mirror box
- TV kit
Most items in your home office can be packaged in specific containers, so be sure to do your research before just throwing them into various boxes.
Pack Documents
Packing up the documents and paperwork kept in your home is important. We’re talking about things like birth certificates, tax forms, etc. These need to be stored safely for a move. Start by sorting through the documents—you’ve likely already done this in an initial assessment of your office move, but play it safe and go through what you’ve collected again to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
Get rid of any further unwanted documents, and then begin packing the remainder. Organize the remaining documents however you’d like and then pack them. We suggest using individual accordion folders for the papers to keep them organized and separate.
The last thing to do when packing vital documents is to make sure they’re properly labeled. Put a label on the accordion folder, and on the box the folder goes inside. It’s also advisable to personally travel with your documents if you can. That way you keep them close to you at all times.
Pack Electronics
Packing up your home office electronics can get messy. Start by making sure you have all your files backed up on a hard drive or somewhere else equally secure. Organize the various wires and cables carefully to avoid tangles. It’s always a good idea to use plenty of padding and packing moving material for the electronics—they tend to be the most expensive items in a home office. Be sure to pack every part of your computer (mouse, screen, keyboard) individually as well so they don’t bump into one another during the move.
Pack Decor/Fragile Items
Any delicate items in your home office should be wrapped very carefully in packing paper and stowed in the proper-sized box. You could mark the box they’re in as FRAGILE to make it as obvious as possible that the contents can be easily damaged.
Pack Up Books
The number of books in a home office can tend to grow and expand. Because your collection might be larger than you originally thought, we suggest going through all of them before you begin packing them up. Sort out any books that you don’t need or want any longer.
Once that step is complete, it’s time to start packing. Lots of books together can get really heavy, really fast, so keep that in mind as you’re boxing them up. Taping the bottom of your book packing boxes with extra tape is a good way to reinforce and protect them from breaking (due to the excess weight) during a move. If you own some considerably heavy books, another tip for moving them is to stow them in a rolling suitcase. It will be easier to transport them with wheels than through traditional methods.
Pack Up Furniture
The final step in packing an office is to take care of the furniture. Start by considering if it is worth it. Most office furniture is heavy and cumbersome. In some instances, the smartest choice is to leave the furniture behind, especially if it has no sentimental value to you or your family. Should you decide that certain pieces do need to be moved, start by disassembling them. That will make them easier to transport. Following the disassembling, the furniture can more easily go into the moving truck.
Use Colonial Van Lines for Your Home Office Move
Colonial Van Lines has years of experience helping clients move their possessions across the country. Trust our team to handle your valuables with care and consideration as we efficiently get you from point A to point B. Contact us today to learn more!