Antiques, art, and other valuables require special care when you’re moving. After all, you don’t want to risk damaging them during the trip. These types of items should be focused on before anything else as you can’t forget to exercise as much caution as possible.
Many people find that the best way is to hire professional movers to take care of these valuable items. This way you can ensure that they’re in the hands of skilled individuals who deal with these types of items on a regular basis. However, if you must do it yourself we included some tips below to help you make the move as safe as possible.
Packing Antiques
Antiques are priceless and irreplaceable, which means you need to exercise a high level of care when dealing with them during a move. While a professional mover is the best option here, we know that it’s not always feasible. Check out the tips below if you must move your antiques on your own.
- One of the most critical steps when moving antiques is to make sure that you have it covered with insurance just in case something happens. If you don’t now would be the time to consider obtaining antique and collectibles insurance.
- Make sure you have obtained all your needed moving supplies. This includes packing tape, boxes, Glassine, and moving tape. Other items may be needed depending upon your situation.
- Now that you have the technicalities out of the way, take multiple pictures of each item that you’re moving. This will make sure you can be 100% accountable for them during the move and if you must file an insurance claim.
- If you’re moving antique furniture, try to disassemble it if possible. This will make it easier and safer to move to your new location.
- Now wrap the antiques with Glassine and several times with bubble wrap. Place it in the crate (for large items) or cardboard box and seal it up completely.
- Move everything carefully. Don’t be afraid to call in extra hands if items are bulky/heavy. It’s always better to be safer than sorry.
Packing Art, Prints, & Mirrors
First things first, make sure you have the right packing material before you decide to do anything else. Damaging art, prints, and mirrors during a move is simply not an option. By having the right packing materials, you’re ensuring that there’s no damage or scratches along the way. Here are some tips to help you have the safest move possible.
- The original boxes that your art or prints came in is the best option. If you didn’t save them, the next thing to do is to find heavy-duty telescoping boxes. These types of boxes are usually two pieces that fit together to form a single box. For larger pieces of art, a crate should be used to ensure safe shipping.
- You may be thinking that bubble wrap is all you need to wrap your art and mirrors, but you should also use Glassine. This will protect your valued art from being exposed to any elements that could cause irreparable damage.
- Once you have wrapped the item in Glassine, go ahead and wrap it several times with bubble wrap. A single wrap won’t do it justice, so make sure you follow this tip to the T.
- Make sure you protect the corners with cardboard or Styrofoam corner protectors. The corners and edges are the easiest to damage so this extra step will ensure you don’t take any unnecessary risks during the move.
- Last, but not least, make sure you store and ship your artwork in an upright position. If extra protection is needed, wrap the box with a furniture blanket. Also, keep in mind that if multiple pieces of art or prints are in a single box, you need to make sure it’s positioned face-to-face.
Hiring a Professional Moving Company
If you don’t want to take the chance of moving valuables yourself, call in a trusted moving company, like the professionals at Unicorn Moving, to help you out. This will ensure you have professionals on deck that will provide the highest level of care during the move.
