Perhaps to you it’s nothing more than a tangle of cordschoking dust bunnies behind your TV stand. But to tech nerds like us,electronics are everything! They also happen to be expensive and highly susceptible to damage.That’s why the Moveline team takes packing electronics super seriously.

For all the ways electronics make our lives more productive (okay, sometimes less)and entertaining (sometimes to a fault), they deserve as much TLC as your great gram’sheirloom china (yup, we have a china packing solution for that too!) So before you pack up,make sure you’re packing smart with these 3 steps:

1. Get your wires right.

Power down and unplug your items. Remove cords and wires from main device,secure with twist ties and label appropriately.This is where it pays to be a little OCD – get organized now and reap the benefitsof well-planned packing later.

2. Do some pre-emptive trouble-shooting.

If you’ve got a piece of complicated equipment and have misplaced its manual,take some pictures of the wire hookups before you pull them apart.In case you’re more verbal than visual, write your own step-by-step guidewhile dismantling the equipment so you can refer to it (backwards!) when reassembling the item.

3. Pad like your life depends on it.

Your best bet is to pack your electronics in the boxes they came in.If those boxes were turned into makeshift cat condos long ago, your options are to:

-Try to obtain product-specific boxes from the item’s manufacturer,

-Buy special electronic boxes from a moving company, or

-Use any other durable cardboard box you have in your arsenal.In whichever case, carefully secure your items with anti-static packing materials or soft cloths.(WARNING: packing peanuts can conduct electricity and damage electronics,and newspaper can scratch screens.) Pad underneath, on the sides, and on top.Pad, pad, pad away, then be sure to label the boxes with ‘FRAGILE’ and ‘ELECTRONICS’and draw some arrows so your moving crew knows exactly how to handle the goods.

Now that you’re all unplugged and ready to roll, read up on how to make the most of your moving day, and once you’re in the door,be sure to use Moveline’s comprehensive list of unpacking tips as your guide.And for the biggest stress reliever of all, let us help you find the right mover,at the right price, and make sure your big day goes just swimmingly.The best part: we’re free. So, let us help you move better.