A major task on a moving checklist is packing a home office. Most offices contain heavy items like bookshelves and a desk as well as delicate items like a computer and monitor. Organization and careful packing are key to a successful move. Use this moving checklist to ensure a painless home office relocation.
1. Lighten the load. This should be the first step of any moving checklist. Sort and organize papers and office supplies. Toss, donate, or recycle things you don’t need. Books are heavy, so cull ones you won’t use again. Sell them to a used bookstore or donate them to the local library.
2. Get your packing materials. Next on your moving checklist, gather the items you will need, such as packing tape, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and boxes of various sizes. You may want to buy file boxes (also called banker’s boxes) if you have a lot of files to move.
3. Get your files in order. This should be next on your moving checklist. Put important papers such as medical records and financial statements in labeled folders. Shred sensitive documents you don’t plan to save. Put file folders in portable file boxes.
4. Prepare your computer. The first step on your computer moving checklist should be to back up all your files. Burn them to DVDs or put them on a flash drive. Store the backup files with your computer manuals and discs. Then unplug the computer, and disconnect the components. Label the cords using masking tape.
5. Pack your computer. Once you’ve completed the previous step on your moving checklist, it’s time to pack everything. Use the boxes your computer, printer, and components came in if possible. If not, a moving company may have suitable boxes. Use Styrofoam inserts to hold components in place or wrap them in bubble wrap. Add packing peanuts to boxes to make everything snug. Mark the boxes “Fragile.”
6. Pack incidentals. Another step on your moving checklist is to gather up all your office supplies, pictures, lamps, and other items. Wrap glass items, lampshades, and lightbulbs well, and pack them carefully. Pack fragile lampshades in separate boxes so they don’t get crushed.
7. Prepare furniture. Next on your moving checklist, get your furniture ready to move. Remove loose shelves from bookshelves and stack. Wrap glass shelves or table tops in bubble wrap and tape. Put cushions in plastic bags. If any furniture needs to be taken apart, put all the screws and other assembly pieces in a plastic bag and tape it beneath the item.
Work your way through this moving checklist, and voila! Your office will be ready for relocation.
Use our printable moving checklist to get your entire move organized. And make it a rewarding experience: Find your new place through Apartment Search, and you could get up to $200 in Renters’ Rewards.
