Antique Moving Guide
If you own antiques, you undoubtedly care about protecting these items and keeping them in the best condition possible. However, if you’re planning for an upcoming relocation, you might feel unsure about the best way to keep these valuable items safe in transit.
What tactics can you utilize to ensure the risk of harm to your antiques is minimal during your relocation? How can you prevent damage to these valuable belongings? If you’re feeling this stress, rest assured that there are proven steps to make moving your antiques a safe process. Discover our complete guide for the most effective approach to antique moving!
How to Move Antiques Successfully
If you own or even collect antiques, you will want to take the right approach to transporting them during your relocation. Learn from our 12-step plan below, and keep your antiques safe during your move!
- Plan Your Move Thoroughly
For any relocation, no matter the circumstances, planning is the first key to a successful relocation. Especially when moving antiques, planning your approach can ultimately make the process feel smoother, allowing you to ultimately yield better results. Consider decisions such as whether or not you will hire professional movers, your method of transportation, which antiques you need to move, and more. Understanding the ins and outs of your relocation in advance will help you take a more methodical approach to the moving process.
- Create an Inventory of Your Antiques
Next on your to-do list is to create a thorough inventory of your antiques. This is particularly important for collectors who have a large number of antiques to relocate. Keeping track of these details will help you stay organized and ensure nothing is forgotten during the move. Plus, this will enable you to keep track of the items’ value and condition, which will be particularly important for insurance reasons. You can also take photos of your antiques to document the condition of your items prior to the move.
- Get Appraisals for Your Items
Once you’ve taken inventory of the antiques you’ll be moving, it’s time to get an appraisal from a professional. For particularly rare or valuable items, many experts recommend receiving more than one appraisal, as this can ensure you receive the most accurate estimate possible. Be sure to find a reputable appraiser, which can be verified by choosing a member of the American Society of Appraisers. This aspect is incredibly important for insurance reasons in the event of loss or damages during your move.
- Consider the Insurance Options
Although many of the following steps in this guide will provide reliable tips to keep your belongings safe during your move, there’s always a chance of loss or damage, even with the most thorough protection. To properly prepare yourself for this possibility, investing in insurance is a must. If you’re working with a professional moving company to relocate your antiques, you might already have insurance built into the cost of your services. In that case, talk to your movers about the insurance options, as released value coverage and full value protection vary greatly in the compensation you can receive. Otherwise, you can also opt for third-party insurance coverage, which can be well worth it if you are moving high-value antiques.
- Acquire the Proper Packing Materials
Now that you’ve sorted out some of the logistical elements of your move, the next step is thoroughly protecting your antiques before transporting them. To do this, you will first need to acquire the appropriate packing supplies for your specific items. You will want to acquire boxes of varying sizes, tape, bubble wrap, and packing peanuts. Glassine paper is recommended for wrapping glass items. You can also get corner protectors for any frames you’re moving. If you’re unsure about the best materials for your specific items, consult a professional to ensure you keep your antiques as safe as possible.
- Disassemble Larger Items
If you’re working with larger antiques such as furniture, disassembling these items as much as you can is highly recommended. Disassembling antique furniture can help you to move these pieces more safely and more thoroughly protect each part. As you disassemble, carefully label the parts, and keep any small components, such as screws or bolts kept, in a labeled plastic bag taped to the larger pieces. This ensures everything stays organized and doesn’t become lost or mixed up.
- Start by Wrapping Your Antiques
The first step in the packing process is to wrap your antiques. How you wrap these items will greatly depend on the piece itself and the material it’s made of. Artwork and fabric should be wrapped with non-archival tissue paper, framed items will need glassine paper, and glass or wood antiques require stretch wrap. Choosing the proper wrapping for your antiques is crucial, as this is the base layer to keeping your belongings safe in transit.
- Thoroughly Pad Your Belongings
After wrapping your antiques, the next step is to properly pad them. Again, the materials you use will depend greatly on the nature of the antiques you’re packing. You can utilize a range of items, including bubble wrap, air cushions, moving blankets, and more. No matter what you use, make sure this is the ideal choice for the type of item you’re packing. When you place items in boxes, you may also want to use packing peanuts to absorb any shock and prevent movement in transit.
- Use the Correct Box Sizes
As you pack your antiques, be mindful of the size and type of boxes you choose. Using smaller boxes for smaller items is an effective approach to protecting them from damage during transportation. For certain items, you can even opt to use dividers or inserts designed for the specific type of item. The more specific you can get, the better, as the boxes and inserts specifically designed for items are the safest options.
- Clearly Label Your Boxes
Once you have your antiques carefully packed away in their boxes, make sure to label each box. This label should not only list the contents of the box but also clearly mark the box as fragile. This is important for staying organized AND ensuring anyone moving your boxes knows to handle these specific ones with extra care. Make sure to note these labels on more than one side of the box.
- Transport Your Antiques Carefully
With all your antique items safely packed away, it’s finally moving day! Whether you’re DIYing the move or working with professional movers, make sure anyone loading and unloading items is aware of the fragile items in your inventory. These antiques should be handled with extra care, and they should never be stacked on the bottom of a heavy pile. Be mindful of where these items are placed, and ensure they won’t easily be jostled in transit. These considerations can make a big difference in the safety of your antiques.
- Unpack with Care
Once your items arrive safely at your new home, be sure to handle them with the utmost care. As you unpack your antiques, assess their condition carefully for any damages. If you notice damages, carefully document them and promptly contact your insurance provider. This is why it’s also important to have pictures of your items from before the move.
Moving with Antiques Made Simple
By following this guide, you can reduce the risk of your antiques sustaining damage in transit and safely transport these valuable items to your new home. Looking for a trusted moving company to help you through the process?
Work with RLD Relocation & Logistics for all your antique moving needs and more. For over two decades, the team at RLD has been providing top-tier moving, packing, and storage solutions to customers in Northeast Ohio and beyond. Count on our relocation experts to move your items with care. Request a free quote online today!