Tips for relocating antique furniture nationwide
Antiques are those items that have not only extreme monetary value but also even bigger emotional one. Whether they were passed down as a family heirloom or you bought them yourself, when moving, it is of extreme importance that you keep these items as safe as possible. The last thing you want is to risk damaging them because even the slightest damage can be very detrimental. Since relocating antique furniture will be everything but easy, we recommend you take a moment to read our tips on the matter. Over the years, all of our moving teams, including our interstate movers California have collected a lot of useful information about this topic. We have no problem sharing what we’ve learned – quite the contrary!
An appraisal is the first step to relocating antique furniture
First of all, you need to have a precise idea of how valuable an item is. It goes without saying that you won’t put the same care into relocating an item that is worth $1,000 as opposed to the one whose worth is under $100. So, before you take any other action, have your antique collection appraised. It won’t be a very long and costly process (well, if you do it right anyway) but it will provide valuable insight.
Decide whether you want to hire professionals or handle antique moving on your own
Since this is a nationwide relocation we are talking about, it’s only natural to assume that you will hire long distance movers Nevada, Texas or New York (insert any other US state). While a local move is possible even without professional help, a long distance one is simply unthinkable without it. Since whether or not you hire a moving company should not even be a question, the possibility of hiring antique movers does, however, remain an issue.
Additional moving services do cost a lot of money, and money may not be pouring in right now. On the other hand, you will practically be paying for someone else do to all the hard work instead of you. Not to mention that with professional help, the possibility of something going wrong is practically non-existent. But, if your budget doesn’t allow extra help, don’t worry. We’ll give you some tips on packing and moving antiques which are completely free.
Purchase a proper insurance policy
While you will be able to find an abundance of tips on packing antiques, not many sources will mention the burning issue that insurance is. In this day and age, we know the importance of insurance. In fact, we have every aspect of our lives insured. From life insurance to relocation liability coverages, we like to keep every phase of our life safe. Well, as safe as it can be. So why is it that people often overlook the importance of ensuring the safety of their antiques?
There are many answers to the question. All we can say is don’t be one of those people – there’s nothing to be gained. Instead, inquire about different liability coverages and choose the one that works best for you. Remember that it’s better to splurge if you have some very valuable items in your possessions. In fact, if that’s the situation then it’s not even splurging. With a good insurance policy, you don’t have to worry about relocating antique furniture. Even if something does go wrong, you’ll be financially reimbursed. The emotional value cannot be so easily restored, though.
Get everything ready for the moving day
The moving day is a moment of immense stress and worries. You are very much afraid that something will go wrong and that you will end up broken-hearted. And the truth is that a lot of things can go wrong. The key to surviving this day is in planning. And don’t be delusional – you can have great organizational skills and still fail to plan everything properly for moving antique furniture. So, what are some of the tasks to take care of on your moving day but before your cross country movers arrive?
- Make sure the path between your items and the moving truck is obstacle-free.
- Clean your furniture with proper cleaning supplies (although bear in mind that you shouldn’t use any aggressive chemicals with your antique furniture). Usually, some water and a piece of cloth will do the trick.
- Disassemble your furniture as much as possible. It’s much easier to relocate bulky furniture when it’s taken apart. But do remember the process, as you will have to reassemble it very soon.
- From those antiques that have drawers, make sure there are no personal items left inside on the day of your move. Otherwise, they can get lost in the process or worse – scratch your antique furniture.
Protection is the key when it comes to moving antique furniture nationwide
At the end of the day, you could do everything right, but it still won’t matter unless you properly pack your antiques for moving. And when we say properly pack, we do mean properly secure. When it comes to relocating antique furniture, protective packaging is what it’s all about. Ask any residential movers around and they will tell you the same thing. Every piece you own should be wrapped in layers upon layers of packing paper and should be properly packed inside cardboard boxes. If the items are too big to fit into boxes, then they need to be properly placed inside the truck. Heavier items always go at the bottom with the lighter ones on top – we hope that helps. Good luck, and just remember to be careful. Everything else depends on luck!