Packing and Moving electronics from one home to another can pose challenges that are much different from packing and moving furniture or books. If not packed properly, items such as wiring, memory cards, glass screens and batteries can easily get lost, misplaced or even damaged. Below are five tips on how to pack and move electronics like a pro:

• Back things up: Before you disconnect any device that has internal memory (such as a computer/laptop, tablet or phone) make a complete backup. You can use an external drive or even a cloud-based service such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
• Color code your cords: Try putting a piece of color-coded tape on each cord and another piece where each cord plugs into your device. When it comes time to plug things in, you’ll know exactly where each cord should go!
• Bag your wiring: Every device’s wires should be packed in clearly labeled bags. For example, pack your computer’s (color coded) power cord USB cords together in one bag, and mark it clearly.
• Take plenty of pictures: If you’re like any modern homeowner, you probably have an entertainment area that contains numerous devices all wired into a large screen TV. Before you jump into dissembling and packing everything away, take plenty of pictures to document how it’s all put together. When re-assembling, simply use the pictures for reference — it will make your life much easier.
• Watch the sun: Electronic devices hate being exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time because the heat build-up can cause serious damage. A good rule of thumb is that electronics should be stored in an environment where the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold.

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