How to Safely Move Office Furniture

If you are a business owner looking to store office furniture –for short or long-term – self-storage offers convenient and cost effective business storage solutions. Self-storage units are a great option if you are going through renovations, a relocation or if you have excess items and minimal storage onsite. Learn the best methods for packing and moving office equipment and supplies, as well as organizing office furniture in storage.

Proper packing and moving office furniture, equipment and supplies

It’s important to take the time to carefully pack up office furniture and supplies to avoid damage during the move into your storage unit. You’ll need basic packing supplies including boxes, tape, bubble wrap, packing peanuts and newspaper.

Furniture

If you plan on using office furniture storage, consider hiring professional movers rather than letting employees move office furniture. If you are a small business owner moving your own equipment, follow the same precautions you would with any move. Use furniture pads or bubble wrap to secure furniture. If possible, remove legs from furniture. Be sure to place any nuts or screws in a labeled bag taped to the underside of the furniture. You can also move desks or cabinets with drawers in place if you secure the drawers.

Computers and other electronics

When moving office equipment such as computer and other electronics, if possible, pack these items in their original box or a similar sized box. Fill any space with paper or packing peanuts. Be careful not to set any heavy items on top of the computer box. Other electronic items, such as flat screen TVs and projectors, should also be packed in the original box. If you still have the original styrofoam use that for extra protection, but blankets and bubble wrap will work as well.

Books and paperwork

Books should be packed in a strong box. Large books should be laid flat, while small or medium sized books can be packed lying flat or standing upright. Be careful not to cram too many books into one box. If already filed, paperwork can be kept in filing cabinets as long as the drawers are secured during the move.

Organizing your storage unit

When setting up for office equipment storage in your storage unit, place items you’ll need frequently in front. Put heavy boxes on the bottom. You can also stack boxes on top of desks and other pieces of furniture. You can turn furniture vertically to free up additional space. All boxes should be labeled and you should keep a list of where you’ve placed each box in the unit.

Another important part of office equipment storage is organizing any inventory. Start by keeping a list of all items you are storing. It may be helpful to use shelving to make your inventory easy to find (read our other tips on how to organize inventory).