Packing a Home Office or Study: Desk, Files and Cables

The study is the room everybody leaves for last, and then regrets it. There is a desk with drawers full of old receipts, a monitor, a printer with its cables looped behind it, a shelf of files and a chair that squeaks. It looks like an hour's work and takes an afternoon.

This is a guide for packing a home office or study before a move, in the order that saves the most time on the day.

Start two weeks before

Papers are the slow part. Begin early.

1. Sort files into three piles: keep, shred and scan. Old bills and expired warranties rarely need to move.
2. Put certificates, passports, land documents and anything you cannot replace in one folder or case that travels with you, not on the truck. Our post on what to carry in your own car explains what to keep with you.
3. Back up important files from your laptop or computer to a drive or cloud storage before you start unplugging anything.

Pack files and books in small boxes

Paper is much heavier than it looks. A big carton of files can be too heavy to lift safely.

• Use small or medium cartons for files and books and fill them to the top so they do not collapse.
• Stand folders upright, the way they sit on a shelf, rather than lying them flat in a pile.
• Put a sheet of cardboard at the bottom and top of each box.
• Tape the box well and write the contents on the side, for example "Study: tax files 2019 to 2022".

If the study holds a lot of books, our guide to moving a bookshop or library explains weight limits and loading.

Monitors, laptops and printers

Electronics need gentle handling.

• Switch off, unplug and let printers and any heated parts cool down. See disconnecting electrical appliances.
• Take photographs of the back of the computer and the way cables connect before pulling anything out.
• Put monitors in their original boxes if you still have them. If not, wrap the screen with a soft cloth, then bubble wrap or a blanket, and carry it upright.
• Remove ink or toner cartridges from the printer if the manual says to, and tape the lid shut.
• Keep the laptop, chargers and external drives with you in your own bag.

For a bigger set-up with servers and networking gear, read moving computers, servers and networking equipment.

Tame the cables

A bag of tangled cables is one of the most annoying things to meet on moving day.

1. Coil each cable loosely and hold it with a Velcro strap, a twist tie or a rubber band.
2. Put a small label on each end: "monitor power", "printer USB", "router".
3. Place all cables for one device in a labelled bag and tape the bag to the device or to the top of its box.
4. Pack the extension boards, UPS and stabiliser separately. Our guide to moving stabilisers and UPS units covers them in detail.

The desk, the chair and the shelves

Take drawers out and carry them empty or lightly loaded so the desk is not too heavy. Tape the drawers shut or tie them with rope if they cannot be removed. Wrap corners and surfaces with blankets. If the desk comes apart, follow our guide to taking furniture apart and keep the screws in a labelled bag taped to the desk.

Office chairs with wheels should not roll around on a truck. Strap them down or put them inside the larger pieces. Bookshelves should be emptied first. Laying them flat is safer than standing them on one corner.

Label the boxes by the new room

Write "study" on every box and a short description. Mark fragile boxes clearly. Our guide to labelling and numbering boxes has a simple system that makes unpacking quick.

Loading order

Heavy file boxes go low and near the cab. The desk and shelves go next, wrapped and strapped. Monitors, printers and anything fragile go on top or in a secure corner, away from heavy cartons. Keep your essential bag with you.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app, pick a truck or a pickup van, and add the pickup and drop-off. In the description, mention the study items clearly: "desk, 2 chairs, 15 file boxes, 1 bookshelf, monitor, printer". Propose a price and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers, and you choose the offer you prefer. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept. See house moving in Lagos for more help.