Putting electronics in storage is a little different than most other items. Electronics are easily damaged in a storage environment, and you need to take precautions to ensure that they are still working properly when you go to pick them up, no matter how far in the future that might be. While it does take a small investment in time and money, this is far less than the cost of replacement or the hassle of making an insurance claim.

Wrangle and Label Cords

One of the worst parts of dealing with electronics is all the cords. Every device seems to have its own cord types that you need to manage and store. Putting these items in storage only makes managing all these cords even harder. As time passes, it is less and less likely that you will be able to remember what cord goes with what.

The key to keeping cords under wraps is to have a plan going in. Cable ties, labels and a marker are the only supplies you need to take on this endeavor. Velcro cable ties are a must-have supply for any modern household. They allow you to neatly wrap each cord and keep it carefully coiled. You can get as creative with the labels as you want. Anything from markers on tape to special made cord labels will do just fine. The key is to mark which cord goes with which piece of electronics. While this seems simple, these two steps are often skipped, and they will save you so much frustration down the road.

Make Sure Static Is Kept at Bay

The biggest enemy of your electronics when they are sitting in storage is static electricity. While it doesn't effect you too much in your daily life (unless you have a housemate who has a fondness for wool socks), it can cause your electronics to fail even when they are just sitting on a shelf. You have very little control over the environment in your storage unit, so the best thing to do is to create a barrier between your electronics and the outside world.

To this end, there are plenty of specialty items on the market to help you meet this goal. Of these options, you will probably get the most mileage out of a roll of antistatic bubble wrap. It can be used to create any size package you need, as well as acting as a layer of physical protection. Anti static packing peanuts make a good second layer of protection to ensure that your items are truly safe and sound.

Create a Way to Keep Them Off the Floor

As mentioned, you can't completely control the environment that your electronics will be living in. One way to help prevent issues with this is to protect it from static, but another is to keep it up off the floor. This is especially important if you are on the first floor, as an unexpected flood could easily defeat any other protections you have put in place. While less of an issue for electronics, the will also make it tougher for rodents and bugs to make their way into you items. Some rodents like to chew on wiring, so they see your electronics as a tasty treat.

Storing electronics this way may be a bit of extra work, but it is worth it. If you think about it, your electronics are some of the most expensive items you have. Being able to plug them in and have them start up like no time has passed is a serious advantage to using these methods. While you can never guarantee that an item will survive in storage, you can give it the best chance possible.