If, during all those days of preparing for your long distance relocation and packing all the stuff around your house, you were watching television to relax, at some point, you’re going to realize it is almost the day of your relocation and you don’t know how to pack a TV for moving to another state. Luckily, there’s no reason to panic. Although it seems challenging and complicated because you have one or several large screens to transport, we will show you how to do it with ease and safely.
Whether you’re a fan or not, it is hard to find a home without at least one TV nowadays. Some people watch them religiously to follow the news or their favorite shows. Others just keep them turned on to have something going on in the background while ironing or cooking. We barely notice any drawbacks of having several of these devices until our interstate moving adventure approaches. So, if you’re wondering how to pack TVs for moving, we know some tips and tricks of experienced cross country movers, and today, we will share them with you.
There’s one good thing about flat-screens when we compare them to the old bulky ones, they take less room, which in theory, should mean that they are easier to pack. Are they really? Since they are so thin, they are more delicate and easier to break. So, how to relocate fragile items without making a costly mistake? By far, the best way to prepare electronics for a move is to put them in their original packaging.
However, when you purchased your TV, you certainly were not thinking about how you would move it in a year or two unless you have to organize a move in less than a week. If, like many, you threw away the original packaging a long time ago, it is not all lost. Here are some types of packing materials that could come in handy if you don’t know how to pack a TV.
If you don’t have the original packaging, don’t fall into despair. There are several ways to protect your TV properly, even if you’re not hiring professional long distance moving services. All you’ll need are these moving essentials:
Although you don’t have to use many other supplies like plastic wrap, or peanuts, this is not something you can pack quickly. You’re packing electronic devices, after all, so you should be extra cautious.
One convenient thing you should consider is to purchase a kit. Pretty much every reputable cross country moving company offers these kits for various objects, including different size televisions. This will spare you some time so consider investing in them if you don’t know how to pack a television for moving.
No matter when you start packing for a move, it is going to be hard to avoid a bit of moving stress, which is perfectly normal. Although TVs are not really the most commonly forgotten things to pack, we definitely don’t pay so much attention to them as we do to packing glasses or packing books.
Moving interstate is always a good opportunity for decluttering. In case you’re organizing a garage sale, you should consider selling some of your old devices if you plan to purchase the latest model for your new apartment. If you still want to keep it and ship it across the country, these steps will show you how to move a flat-screen TV.
There are some things you should do before you start unplugging the cords and wrapping the screen. First, take a picture of the back of your TV and all other components of your home theater, so that you can quickly reconnect everything when unpacking after the move. Keep this photo inventory on your phone.
When was the last time you did a little bit of dusting around your TV? Wipe the glass and the back of your TV with a dry cloth before removing any components, so that everything is clean, especially if you plan on using storage services and leaving your device there for a while.
Remove the base or the wall mount and any other parts that can be detached. Your TV should be completely free of any cords and cables before you place it in a box, so remove them all.
Now, when you’ve removed them all, you shouldn’t skip this step because it could save you a lot of time, especially if you threw away the manual. Use a marker and masking tape to label each cord and store them in a ziplock bag. Check out some labeling advice so you can find more tips and tricks on that.
For this part, you can use either bubble wrap or moving blankets. It is up to you. Just make sure you bundle it tightly. You can also put one layer of bubble wrapping and then cover it all with a blanket. Secure the bubble wrap with tape and the blanket with a rope.
If you don’t have the original packaging, you probably don’t have those styrofoam corner protectors, but you can do a bit of DIY and make them out of styrofoam or cardboard. Additionally, some stores with supplies sell these foam corners separately, so you would consider getting them.
Your box should be as close to the TV dimensions as possible, and every long-distance moving company offers special moving boxes for different sized plasma or LED screens. However, if you can’t find them, you can get one or two wardrobe boxes, cut them, and create your custom-fit boxes. Take extra bubble wrap and crumpled newspapers to fill in any gaps so the TV can’t move around. Now, all that is left to do is to use loads of tape to secure that the custom made package is well sealed.
Often, it happens that once everything is wrapped and sealed, people notice that they didn’t insert the remote. Remotes get lost easier than you thought, so don’t forget to put it inside before you seal everything. If your cords are in a separate ziplock bag, you can take them onto the packaging.
In case you just rediscovered that you have one of those old fashioned CRT models in your garage, and you want to keep it and ship it, it is good to know how to crate them safely. Take a look at this brief video to get an idea of how to pack a CRT TV.
Although you might be tempted to instantly say “never,” let’s think about this for a second. How to pack a flat-screen TV without a box. Easy. Just follow the same steps as we mentioned above, but without the boxing part. Ensure it is adequately wrapped in bubble wrapping and blanket, get some foam corners to protect them. If you’re getting a rental truck, place it upright, next to other sturdy and even items.
In case you’re not using auto transport services for transporting your car, you can even drive it in your vehicle if there’s enough room. Although boxes are the safest solution, you can still do this safely without them if you take all precaution measures. Keep in mind that this is not something you should do if you plan on using storage or shipping it internationally.
You’ve taken a look at all the pros and cons of shipping a car cross country, and you’ve decided that that’s not the road you want to take. You found more reasons to move the car by driving it so you can bring some stuff along. But how to move a TV by car? Will it break? Should you place it in the trunk or on the back seat? Is it a safe method of transporting? We are sure you have a lot of questions if you’re considering this idea.
Firstly, your TV should be well wrapped and secured, using the same supplies we mentioned above, and in an ideal case scenario, it should be placed upright on your back seat if it can fit. This depends on your TV’s size, the size of your car, and the number of other things you plan to transport this way. Whether it is just a short ride or a few hours, your TV should be safe and sound, so use some cushions and seat belts to immobilize it, and ensure it doesn’t move if there’s a bump on the road. You should not drive fast anyway.
Nowadays, these flat-screens tend to get only thinner and larger, so every time you buy a new one, of course, it has to be bigger. So obviously, TVs have changed a lot since we were kids. Although their purpose is the same, you now have one giant glass surface, extremely sensitive, fragile, expensive, and challenging to move just from one room to another, not to mention moving state to state.
And it gets even trickier if you have more than one, which is probably the case since the average household in the US has 2.3 televisions. Even though the younger generations are turning their back to pay-TV and transferring to online platforms, TV is still an essential device in each home. Therefore, if you already invested in a good one, you might as well invest in professional packing services provided by a reliable cross country moving company. Experienced packers handle fragile items and electronic devices daily, so you can rest assured that your television is in good hands.
Whether you decide to rely on the pros or do it all by yourself, we hope we helped you figure out a way to do it and alleviate your anxiety a little bit. Keep in mind that your TV will probably be one of the first things you’ll want to unpack so you can have something to watch and relax after an eventful relocation day. If you follow our advice, your TV will be in one piece once you unbox it.
