When moving home, you may have antiques and fragile items that are valuable financially or have great sentimental worth.
A nightmare scenario is finding that one or more of these items are damaged when they arrive at the new home. This is why extra care is needed to pack items and make sure they are secure when transported in the removal van. The following steps are required to safely move fragile items.
Gather materials
Buy high-quality packing materials, including bubble wrap, foam padding, packing paper, strong cardboard boxes and blankets to protect large items. You will also need packing tape to secure boxes, markers to label boxes with their contents and sellotape to fix wrapping materials around items.
Delicate fabrics and paintings require acid-free paper for wrapping.
Prepare items
Wrap all fragile items individually using packing paper or bubble wrap. Make sure that all surfaces are covered and secure with tape.
For larger items, protect edges and corners with foam padding. Disassemble large items if possible, for easier transport. If you remove any screws, hinges or other fasteners, put them in a strong, sealed plastic bag and tape them to an item component ready for reassembly after the move. Make notes as you disassemble items that are useful guides for reassembly.
Avoid using flimsy boxes. Ideally, pack fragile items in individual boxes around the same size as the item. Fill any space with packing paper to prevent movement during moving. If you do pack more than one item in a box, put heavier items at the bottom and lighter items at the top. Pack glasses in boxes with dividers.
Clearly label each box with the word fragile, or use tape or labels that display the word “Fragile”. For some boxes, add specific instructions such as “This Side Up”. Also, mark each box with the name of the room in the new home it goes in.
Make sure every box is securely sealed with strong packing tape.
If there are valuable paintings, consider using specialist art crates. Valuable, fragile antiques may require custom-built crates.
Make an inventory of every antique and fragile item for the removals service to plan their part in the move. Inform them of any existing marks or damage.
Pack strategically for safety during the move
Load heavy items at the bottom of the removal van with lighter items on top. Avoid stacking very delicate items.
Paintings and mirrors should be transported upright.
Straps and ropes secure large items and furniture. Use blankets or furniture pads to protect them.
Furniture dollies and other specialised equipment can be used to safely move large items. Don’t drag large items; only lift or use trolleys.
Some delicate antiques and oil paintings may be affected by extreme temperatures and humidity. It’s better to transport them in climate-controlled vehicles in cold or very hot weather.
White gloves should be worn to carry some delicate items so that no oil or residues from the skin contaminate them.
Consider professional help
Don’t hire a self-driving van and pack it yourself if you don’t want to risk damage to fragile items. If you have very valuable antiques and artwork, unless you use a removals service with specialised knowledge, they may not be fully insured during transit.
Use a removals service with the expertise to move fragile items. Merseyside Movers & Storers is a Liverpool removal company with an experienced team that are expert at moving antiques, pianos, glassware, and other fragile items. We have all the specialised equipment needed to move heavy and awkward items. We’ll even do the packing for you and make sure that everything is protected from damage.
If you have valuable artwork or antiques, discuss their particular moving requirements with us to be reassured that they will be safe and secure.
If you want safe storage for fragile items, we can look after them in Merseyside Movers & Storer’s secure storage facilities.
Unpacking
After the van has been unloaded, unpack fragile items first and put them in a safe place whilst sorting out the rest of the unpacking.
Inspect all items for and if you have used a removals service, inform them of any damage. Repair or replacement of damaged items may be covered by transit insurance.
Any disassembled items require careful assembly.
