Original paintings, full-length mirrors, antique furniture, and other pieces of art and interior design play an important role in making a house your home. However, when it goes to packing such high-value and delicate items, it may become a real challenge for many homeowners and renters.
Therefore, when it is time to move fine art and antiques to a new place, you need to be extremely careful and follow some necessary precautions to keep everything safe and secure. Here are several tips on how to make the entire process a lot easier and guarantee a smooth and enjoyable moving experience.
Tips for moving fine art to your new home
-
Plan ahead
Do not postpone planning your move to the last minute. Start as far ahead as possible so that you have enough time to find the right fine art moving company in your area. Make appointments with a few different movers to find out if they provide packing, storage, and other related services for such precious items as antiques and fine art.
Do not ignore the advice because not all moving companies specialize in fine art transportation. Apart from that, you need to ask your potential movers if they are insured and whether they provide special art moving insurance to further protect your possessions while they are in transit.
-
Get estimates
Professional fine art movers usually offer free estimates online, but they can also perform an in-home estimate because it is more accurate. Always keep in mind that your moving service provider also requires preparation. They need to take the appropriate packing materials, moving equipment, padding to insure you’re fine art pieces won’t get damaged or lost during the transportation, etc.
-
Get insured
You never know what lies around the corner. For that reason, getting special moving insurance is of great importance, especially when moving such delicate items as fine art and antiques.
The good news is that there are many reputable insurance companies providing efficient art insurance services, and your art moving company is likely to collaborate with them. The only thing you need to do is to choose the appropriate insurance coverage that will meet all your needs and requirements. Remember, it is better to be safe than sorry!
-
Find proper fine art storage
Bad storage conditions may lead to serious damages or even an irreversible loss of your valuables. Thereby, take the choice of art storage facility particularly seriously. Make sure it is properly equipped to maintain appropriate temperature and humidity levels to protect your art from any destructive effects.
Also, keep in mind that your most valuable and sensitive artworks may need to be placed separately from each other, in acid-free paper folders or custom wooden crates. Find out if the storage service provider is qualified enough in dealing with art, as the methods and techniques employed for storing it may differ from those utilized when storing other items.
-
Hire a professional art moving company
Such invaluable items as fine art require special handling from the very beginning to the very end of the transportation process. Therefore, you should not entrust such a complicated task to just anyone.
You need art moving experts with extensive expertise, remarkable skills, and a creative approach to the most challenging art transport problems. Make sure you hire a professional company that knows the best ways to pack you’re fine art and ensure it arrives at the destination unharmed and in the best condition possible.
For example, the NYC-based family-owned company Fine Art Shippers has extensive experience in moving fine art and antiques. They work with a huge number of contemporary artists, auction houses, art galleries, and art museums, providing them with premium quality art pick-up and delivery services.
Besides, the company offers a full range of other professional services related to art transportation, including art packing, custom crating, art storage in climate-controlled warehouses, on-site art installation, art courier, art insurance, piano moving, and more. Such a company can become a one-stop solution for any fine art moving needs.
-
Ensure proper packing
Proper packing is essential for the stress-free transportation of fine art. The more fragile the item is, the more important it is to pack it carefully. For that reason, get all the needed packing supplies to ensure your precious art pieces can withstand all the rigors of the relocation process.
- Padding and stacking
Your art pieces are not supposed to shift in any way during the move. There are different methods and materials that are used for different items to secure them in transit. Verify you have chosen the appropriate padding and stacking materials for your fine art pieces so that they arrive at the destination safe and sound.
- Boxes and crates
It is a great idea to buy needed boxes and crates from your fine art mover because in that way you can be 100% sure with the choice of their size and form. Professional art packers will help you decide which boxes are the best for your possessions. If your work of art requires additional protection, you can also order a custom wooden crate that will be made with its measurements in mind.
- Labeling
Once your art pieces are properly packed and created, it is time to label everything. Mention your name, the ultimate destination, general description of the content, and special moving and unpacking requirements if needed. This will let your art movers know how to handle your belongings. Besides, if you want them to be especially careful when handling you’re fine art, label the boxes as delicate or fragile.
Hopefully, you will find these tips helpful and will get enough information about moving fine art to your new home properly. The last thing for you to remember is that art transportation is an art in itself, so this work should be left to professionals with a wealth of experience needed to do it well. Do not take unnecessary risks, and everything will run as smoothly as possible!
