How To Move Antique Furniture
Whether a local home move in Brisbane or moving interstate, it is always a significant change in your life when you move to a new home. You most definitely want to make sure that your beloved antiques arrive safely without as much as a scratch. But how do you move antique furniture safely and efficiently, and keep it protected during the busy and stressful moving process?
Antique furniture has always been more ’intriguing’ than regular furniture. What life-changing events were they a part of, as they were passed down through the generations? Not only is antique furniture beautiful, but it is also irreplaceable and very valuable. As is often the case, antique furniture a beloved family heirloom. It serves as a memory of both happy and sad times.
Moving antique furniture can be quite a challenge. Luckily the following tips and tricks will walk you through how to move antique furniture safely.
Preparing Antique Furniture For Moving
When it comes to fragile and delicate items such as antiques, you need to be extremely careful and take your time packing them well in advance. After all, there is no way to replace these treasured pieces, for any amount of money.
Make An Inventory List
Go through your home one room at a time, and make a detailed list of all of your precious antique items, as well as taking high-resolution photos of them.
Also include information such as the year/location of manufacturing, the material, the craftsperson, and the approximate value. Also document the current condition, making notes of any existing damage such as dings, scratches or marks. Photograph the damage too.
This will provide you with solid evidence if a problem was to occur, and you need to make a claim.
Have Your Antique Furniture Appraised
To verify the value of your antique furniture, you should have your treasured pieces appraised. Be sure to find a reputable antique furniture appraiser who you can trust, and who will provide you with an accurate assessment.
Antique Furniture Insurance
It’s crucial to make sure that you have your antique furniture fully insured during moving and transit. You should speak to both your removalist and insurance company. Find out exactly what their insurance policy is, and the best one to cover your needs.
Optimove provides full insurance which covers your antiques during every step of the moving process. Give yourself total peace of mind. Depending on the value of your items, you also have the option to include comprehensive coverage to provide the highest level of protection possible.
Sell Your Antique Furniture
Perhaps after having your furniture valued, you would rather sell it than move it to your new home. Visit Brisbane has rounded up the best antique and vintage stores in Brisbane which may be interested in buying your valuable antiques.
Plan In Advance
Moving takes a lot of planning and time. The longer you have to prepare, the less likely you are to have any unexpected problems with moving your antiques.
- Check the temperature and humidity of your new home. If there is a major difference, use a dehumidifier or air-conditioner. This will make the conditions safe and suitable for your antique furniture when it first arrives.
- Empty all the contents for each piece of furniture. This will make it lighter, and easier to move, and reduce the risk of causing any damage. Pack these items separately
Packing Antique Furniture
If you decide to pack your antique furniture yourself, instead of having a professional moving company do it for you, it’s advisable to do the following:
- Disassemble the furniture as much as you are safely able to do so. Remove any detachable pieces like doors, drawers, legs, shelves, and glass panels. Pack each item separately while ensuring total care.
- Take any small parts like handles, nuts, and screws and put them into sealable plastic bags. Attach the bags to the furniture body, or put them in the same box as other pieces you have packed.
- Secure the furniture – tighten any loose parts, lock any doors, and use plastic/bubble wrap to hold all pieces in place securely.
Furniture Protection
It’s recommended to use three different layers of protection to transport antique furniture safely:
- Surface Protection
Wrap each piece with soft packing paper. Use thick plastic wrap to keep everything securely in place.This protects from dust, moisture, scratches, and dirt. As well as anything else which causes superficial damage.
- Shock Protection
Add cushioning which can absorb any shocks or vibrations which may occur during transit. Foam sheets or soft moving blankets offer the most protection. Make sure the protective materials cover the entire furniture, then secure them in place with either rope or packing tape.
- Outer Protection
Add a hard shell, which ideally is also waterproof. Consider using a custom crate as it can be designed to fit your antique furniture dimensions perfectly.
Moving Antique Furniture
So now you’ve securely packed your antique furniture, and it’s time to move to your new home. This is the part of the process where damage is likely to occur. So you need to be extra careful while moving your antique furniture.
Moving heavy and valuable antique pieces on your own is not the best idea. Ideally, you want to find reliable and trustworthy people to help. While you can ask friends or family to help, remember that they are not qualified. If something was to go wrong, it could cause problems in relationships.
The best option is to have a professional removals company who specialise in antique furniture removals to help you. Not only do they have excellent skills and experience, but they also will ensure to move your antique furniture safely and efficiently. Whether it’s antique furniture, fine art, or collectables, you should compare different companies. Then go with your gut feeling based on who you trust, not who has the lowest price. Another benefit of a removals company is that they are qualified, licensed, and fully insured.
Before the removalists arrive, you should also inspect the areas at both your old home and the new home. Check for any obstacles, debris, or hazards, and remove them before moving day. Also, keep your pets and children out of the way so that they don’t cause any distractions, injuries, or accidents.
After You Arrive
So your antique furniture has reached its final destination, what should you do next?
First, inspect all of your furniture for any damage. If you find some, document it and take photos, contact your insurance company and file a claim. If you use a reputable moving company, this is very unlikely to happen.
Once you’ve checked the condition of your items, next take them to their new location and then have them assembled correctly.
Lastly, clean your antiques and present them in perfect condition. Create new memories for many years, and hopefully, generations, to come.
Optimove are professional movers with extensive antique moving g experience. We take extra care handling precious items, and plastic shrink-wrap all large furniture. Then we carefully cover them in felt moving blankets to ensure safe transit to your new home.
We also keep your antique furniture on the same truck until we unload it at your new location. This reduces the risk of causing any damage through extra handling.
For an obligation-free quote, contact Optimove today on 1300 400 874 or online
