How to move valuable artwork

Moving is never easy. Even when moving simple items you need to organize and prepare properly before you get to it. This is even truer when you try to move valuable artwork. Not only do you need to be extra careful when preparing your artwork for relocation but you need to find reliable movers that are going to transport it for you. A small mistake can easily cost you a lot of money, which is why you need to know what goes into moving artwork and how to do it properly. Luckily, we have created this guide so that you will avoid all the moving mishaps that might put you into risk.

Prepare it for relocation

There is no relocation without preparation. Someone should really make a t-shirt that says that. But, anyhow, this is true for any relocation. Be it office relocation, residential relocation and yes, even when you move valuable artwork. Especially when you move valuable artwork. You need to make sure that your art will remain in pristine condition and the only way to do that is to prepare it. Even if you hire the best long distance movers South Carolina out there, moving mishaps do happen. And, it will be up to you to make sure that your artwork survives said mishaps.

Clean it

Start off by cleaning your artwork. You should be doing this on a regular basis if you want your art to retain its beauty. So, if you haven’t done so in a while, now is a perfect time. Get the cleaners that are not going to damage your art and make sure to use proper technique to clean it. You don’t want to clean oil paintings with alcohol cleansers, now do you?

Get packing materials

You cannot move valuable artwork safely if you do not pack it. And in order to pack it, you will need to get packing materials. Now, you can try and get free moving boxes by going around your neighborhood stores and asking, but this can be a bad idea. You need to use quality moving boxes in order to maximize the safety of your artwork. Go to your local movers and see if they can sell you some artwork boxes. There are boxes that are specially designed for artwork and you should get them if they are available. Moving boxes need to be able to safely store both the item and the padding and wrapping materials that you are going to use. For them, you can simply use your clothing items and crumbled up paper. If that is not enough, you can also check with the local movers.

Proper Packing

First off you need to wrap your items. By doing so you’ll be protecting them from moisture and temperature changes. This is necessary as sudden rain or similar bad weather can easily cause damage to a fragile piece of art. Then, you need to place padding materials. These can be your thick clothes or if you want to be extra safe, bubble wrap. Anything that can provide safety from impact and vibrations will be useful. Finally, you need to put each item into a separate box, tape it up and label it properly. Make sure to use a brightly colored marker and put the label on a visible spot so that any mover can easily notice it.

How to work with movers in order to move valuable artwork

Some of you might think that they can transport artwork on their own. Well, you can try, but we strongly advise against it. Driving a moving truck is much more difficult then the truck rental companies would like you to think. You may be a great car driver, but a moving truck has its own set of difficulties that you need to master. And, if you don’t, you will be putting your loaded artwork into a risk of damage. As that potential damage can cost you a lot of money when you move valuable artwork, your best course of action is to simply hire good movers and be done with it.

Find good movers

You cannot relocate without good movers. Start your search by checking online to see who your local movers are. If you are living in Charleston you are much better off hiring cross country movers Charleston then hiring someone far away to move you. The reason is simple. You can check out local movers much more easily. You can see if they are reliable or not by talking to them and asking to see their equipment. If you go online you can only see their reviews, which is not bad. But, it is a very limited way of telling whether your movers are legit.

Insurance

What few people seem to realize is that moving insurance is based upon the weight of your items. So, if you are moving a priceless piece of the family heirloom that only weighs a couple of pounds, don’t expect to claim much money. Actually, you aren’t going to get 1% of what you should. What you need to do is to get separate moving insurance for your artwork. You need to have a professional appraisal to know how much your artwork is worth and how much you need to pay to have it insured.

Properly load the truck

If you have picked reliable movers you can be assured that they can load a truck. But, there is no hurt in knowing how a truck needs to be loaded in order to avoid damage. Especially when you move valuable artwork. Just know that nothing heavy should be placed on the artwork and there should be no risk of something falling on it. A small bump on the road can easily cause havoc in the back of the truck. This rarely happens, but you need to be safe if it does.