Tips for packing and moving antique furniture

Your antique furniture may hold a lot of memories, or it may be precious because of its beauty and historical significance. This is all the more reason to have layers of protective measures to avoid possible damage when moving them. This post on tips for packing and moving antique furniture will be helpful.

You can read up on preparatory steps to move antique furniture safely, layers of protective measures when packing antique furniture and tips for packing antique items for storage. This post also contains great tips for moving antique furniture. Let's dive in!

Steps to Move Antique Furniture Safely

Whether you wish to move antique furniture locally or interstate, it's all the same. You need to take preparatory measures to move antiques safely.

Create an inventory list

Before you pack antiques extra carefully, you must make a detailed list of the antique items. After all, you don't want to find out you missed an essential piece after exhausting your packing materials.

You may document the current condition and take high-resolution photos of your antiques and valuable items before safely packing them. This evidence may come in handy if there is an issue.

Get all antique items insured

First, get an accurate assessment and appraisal of your antique furniture. Then, confirm if your removalist provides full insurance for your antique furniture. You may take out an additional third-party insurance cover as an added layer of protection.

Take advantage of storage solutions

You may rent out a storage unit to store your antique furniture safely, especially if you're moving on short notice. This can help you reduce the packing and moving load and stress.

Tips for Packing Antique Furniture

You can either pack antique furniture yourself or use a professional moving company. The following tips for packing antique furniture can come in handy.

• Empty out and declutter furniture as necessary. Disassembling your furniture as much as possible will make moving it easier and safer.
• Remove detachable pieces such as doors, legs, and shelves.
• Carefully pack each item or piece separately. Remember to wrap furniture arms and legs in bubble wrap or blankets.
• Safely keep small and loose parts such as screws, handles, and nuts in a plastic bag.
• You can use bubble wrap to hold furniture pieces in place securely.
• You may try lifting large moving boxes or packing boxes to confirm if the weight is manageable. It's usually best not to place too many heavy items in a single box.
  

Protecting Antique Furniture When Moving

The three layers of protection you can use for safer transport of antique furniture include the following:

Surface protection

Use soft packing paper to wrap each furniture piece, and plastic wraps to secure them. This protects from superficial damages such as damages from dust, dirt, and scratches.

Shock protection

You can use moving blankets or foam sheets to provide cushioning protection for antique furniture. This will help in protecting the antique furniture from shocks and vibrations. Remember to use packing tape or rope to secure the protection.

Outer protection

Custom crates are great for providing hard shell protection. You may use one that fits the dimensions of your antique furniture.

Moving Equipment and Packing Materials for Antique Furniture

Before packing antique furniture, you must have the needed packing materials and supplies. Furniture packing materials include moving blankets, pads, packing tapes, and bubble wraps. You also need to have the necessary moving equipment. This includes furniture sliders, moving dollies, and hand trucks.

How to use bubble wrap, packing tapes, and moving blankets

Packing your antiques properly when moving would be best, and you can use various packing materials for this. Each has specific advantages in helping you pack antique items when moving.

Examples of protective packing materials include the following:

• Moving boxes
• Packing paper
• Furniture pads
• Bubble wraps
• Packing peanuts
• Specialty boxes
• Moving blankets
  

Here are some tips to safely pack your antiques for added protection on a moving day:

• You can wrap devices in bubble wrap to protect them before packing them in suitably sized moving boxes.
• This helps to protect your antique furniture from damage during transit.
• You can also use speciality boxes to pack antique mirrors and artwork.
• It is best to use appropriately sized boxes to pack small items. Secure them with air-filled plastic wraps and corner protection.
• You can get cheap moving bags/Mylar bags from online retailers for packing books and magazines. They give excellent protection against moisture, insects, and wear and tear.
• Local removalists can help you pack your antiques and fragile items. This way, you can ensure that your valuable items are adequately packed.
  

Tips for Packing Antique Items for Storage

You can keep the following packing tips in mind to better protect your antiques when packing them for storage:

• Wrap large pictures and mirrors in furniture pads. Then, further, protect them with a wrap of bubble wrap.
• Remember to insulate each picture/mirror from one another.
• First, use moving blankets and furniture pads to wrap antiques so that trapped moisture does not damage the items. Then, add plastic wrap as a second protective measure.
• Remember to use extra packing tape to reinforce the bottoms of moving boxes that hold heavy or fragile items. Two extra strips of packing tape will do.
• You can place an extra layer of bubble wrap on the bottom of boxes or use corner protectors to add an additional protective layer for larger items.
  

Tips for Moving Antiques

Your best bet for moving antique furniture is to use professional moving companies with experience in antique furniture removal. This way, you can be more confident that they will move your antique furniture safely.

Some measures to move antique furniture safely include the following:

• Measure the furniture's dimensions and compare them with those of your doorways to see that there is enough room to move them.
• Arrange for your kids and pets to be out of the way when packing and moving antique furniture.
• Be extra careful when lifting heavy furniture or moving delicate antiques like china cabinets.
• Get help to lift or slide bulky items.
• Get quick quotes from multiple furniture removal companies and compare pricing.
• It's not about who has the lowest price. Go for a moving company that is licensed and fully insured.
• It is essential to use a reputable moving company. This way, damages are less likely to occur, and if they occur, you can more easily file a claim and succeed.
• You should know if professional movers are placing your antique furniture in a rental truck or using other transport means.
  

Moving Services of Removals Companies

You can depend on trusted, experienced removal companies to provide reliable services. Specifically, they can help you out with the following packing and moving services:

• A moving company has a furniture removal team to handle all aspects of your antique furniture removal.
• Some can manage pre-move activities such as packing before your furniture moves.
• They have great moving tips and tips for packing to make your move a cost-effective one.
• With a moving company, you do not have to worry about the availability of packing materials such as packing tape, bubble wrap, or plastic wrap.
• They have experience handling bulky furniture and moving items such as sofa and pool tables.
• You can use their self-storage units to keep your things safe in the short and long term.
  

Hire a Local Company for Furniture Removal

You can implement these tips for packing and moving antique furniture as a quick guide. They are certainly helpful for home or office relocations that involve moving antique furniture.

While a lot can be said for DIY removals, hiring a professional removalist company is advisable to move your antiques. They will have the perfect solution to suit your move. For example, you can call on them if you need piano movers or if you need to move valuable artwork.