How to Pack a Home Office for Moving
The top three candidates for the prize Most Difficult Room to Pack are the garage, the kitchen and… your home office. The home office? Really?
Yes.
First and foremost, your home office will contain very important documents that you just can’t afford to lose. Also, there are books to be found in almost any home office room, and books can be extremely heavy when packed into boxes.
Secondly, your home office will also have expensive electronic equipment – computers, monitors, printers, scanners, copiers, desktop phones, Wi-Fi routers, etc. So, how should you pack all those pieces of office equipment to survive the move with zero damage?
And thirdly, you should definitely not underestimate the process of packing and moving your office furniture – desks, chairs, bookcases, file cabinets, drawers, and so on. Will you be able to pack your office furniture by yourself?
Organize your belongings
This step mostly applies to paperwork, files and other physical documents in your office, especially if you’re the type to store loose sheets of paper stacked on a desk instead of inside a file cabinet. Start by going through everything and pulling out what you can shred or recycle. It doesn’t make sense to pack more than you need to, so try to thin your documents as best you can.
Pack your documents
With everything organized, go ahead and pack your documents in a logical way. For example, keep medical records, financial paperwork together and other common categories together.
- If you utilize a file cabinet, you can move the cabinet as is. Just be sure the drawers are closed tight using the built-in lock so nothing is lost during the move.
- For loosely stored documents and folders, categorize everything then stack it in a Small or Medium Box. Tape the lids shut with Box/Packaging Tape and label your boxes accordingly.
Keep your most sensitive documents with you
Designate a Small Box or bag for your most sensitive documents and take this with you in your personal vehicle car. This may include birth certificates, social security cards, bank information or anything else that you can’t afford to lose if something were to happen during the move.
The Most Efficient Way to Pack Up & Move Your Office Space! | Winter Moving & Storage
Ask anyone, and they will tell you that moving is a real pain that no one wants to deal with. Oftentimes, when you’re in the middle of a move, your place of work is your only respite. What do you do when you have to move your staff and your office space, though? That task may seem highly complicated, but the truth is that offices need to be as agile and nimble as your family, and maybe even more so. Whether you’re expanding production and need to make your corporate offices bigger, downsizing your company or simply moving into a different space in another locale, you need to do so as expeditiously as possible. Here are some tips for the most efficient ways to pack up and move your office space.
Piece by Piece
One way to ensure that your office move causes as little downtime as possible is to do the move in stages. If you can get all non-essential components out of your old offices and into their new homes first, that’s a smart idea. Then, why not see if some back office folks can come out and move your executives out just after closing time on a Friday? It may not be everyone’s idea of after-work activities, but if your office is small enough and your staff is eager, you can get it done pretty quickly. Buy everyone pizza as a show of gratitude once you’re in your new home.
Weekender
Another less-than-desirable idea for how to move out of a slightly larger office is to have folks come in on the weekends. If everyone can take their own supplies and other belongings out in their own vehicle, then you can get the desks, computers and bigger hardware out in pickup trucks. As long as the move isn’t too far and the offices aren’t too huge, you may be able to make a weekend of it!
Moving Professionals
If none of these ideas sound like they would be a good fit for your offices, you may need to call a moving company. Moving professionals can really do the job in as rapid a fashion as you wish. You should still make sure that everyone gets all of their personal items out on their own (that Faberge egg isn’t something that you want your office to be accountable for), but beyond that, a moving company is a great idea.
Tips for Packing Up Your Computer Equipment
Back up your files!
The last thing you want to do is to lose work files during a move. Backing everything up via an external hard drive or an online storage service like Google or Dropbox will ensure that your files are safe.
Remove the hard drive.
This is the irreplaceable part where those important files are stored within the computer. The hard drive is easy to take out and carry with you so opt to do so if you can.
Use the original boxes.
The original boxes are the best option since they were made specifically for your computer parts. If they’ve already been tossed, which is most likely the case, Austin moving companies and box stores will have boxes made especially for transporting computer components like towers and monitors of all sizes.
Take extra precaution with the monitor and tower.
These are the two most delicate parts that you’ll want to get extra bubble wrap for.
Check with the printer manufacturer about packing.
Some printers require you to take a few extra steps before packing like removing the ink cartridges. Check with the manufacturer to see if they have any suggestions on how to pack your printer.
Books, Legal Documents and Paperwork Packing. Don’t let a move derail your paper trail.
- Make scans and copies of all legal documents and important paperwork.
- Shred outdated or unnecessary paperwork to cut down on what you have to move.
- Put loose papers in manila envelopes or folders.
- Keep all your files together in the same box.
- Pack books either stacked one on top of the other or with the spine against the bottom of the box.
- Group books by size when packing.
- Here’s one final tip. Put off packing up your office until the end so you have access to your desktop, paperwork, etc. for as long as possible.
Packing office furniture (Office desk, drawers or cabinets, cubicals)
Now that your office is empty and organized, the next step will be to pack office furniture and cubicles. Here are some steps on how to pack cubicle and office furniture when moving.
office desk
- Disassemble the office desk: Before packing office desk, it’s better to disassemble the desk into as many parts as possible. Unscrew and remove all the drawers, racks and other parts of office desk.
- Wrap each piece of the office desk in protective blankets to protect it against any kind of damage. Wrap each desk drawer carefully in protective pads and secure it with the packing tape. Make sure the packing tape doesn’t touch any part of the office furniture as it could leave marks.
Filing cabinets or drawers
If you have hired a moving company, they will more than likely do this part for you. However, if you are part of a small company, there’s a chance you may need to handle some of the larger packing aspects:
- For vertical cabinets with only two drawers : Before packing filing cabinets, make sure all cabinets are locked. And protect all its shelves and cabinets with a few layers of strong shrink or bubble wrap.
- For lateral cabinets containing three or more drawers : Lock all drawers and wrap cabinets in bubble or shrink wrap for added protection (all file cabinets can, however, be moved without such materials)
- After packing cabinets, place them into moving boxes and mark each box with a brief description of its contents (for example, invoices) and the desk or department with which it belongs in your new location (if you have that information). If the contents of the box are confidential, that should also be indicated on the labeling.
Cubicles
Packing and moving cubicles can create a problem unless you have a right plan of action. So, when you are packing cubicles for a move, make sure the cubicle walls should be disassembled and wrapped in protective padding. This helps to prevent walls from falling apart and causing damage or injuries.
