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Moving home is stressful enough without throwing priceless, irreplaceable heirlooms into the mix. Whether it’s a battered old dresser from your grandparents, or a slightly menacing Victorian mirror you just had to buy, you need a plan.
Antiques aren’t like your normal furniture, they can be a lot more temperamental, fragile in weird ways, and require a lot of care to move them. With that in mind, if you want to get them from your old to your new house in one piece, here’s what you’ll need to keep in mind.
Consider the pieces you’re moving
First things first: not all antiques are created equal. Some things look delicate but are basically indestructible (such as an old, oak dining table), while others – a porcelain figurine, a warped old picture frame – could disintegrate with one big pothole.
Before you even think about starting packing, take a proper inventory. Walk around your house with a notepad, or better yet, take pictures. Note down any existing damage too, because moving day has a funny way of convincing people that the damage was always there.
Get the right packaging materials
This is not the time for a last-minute, “wrap it in a towel and hope for the best” kind of approach. Proper packing materials are a must. You’ll need to get the right boxes, bubble wrap, moving blankets, and even some custom crates if you think they’re necessary.
Cardboard boxes from the back of the supermarket just aren’t going to cut it. Antiques hate moisture, they hate sudden jolts, and they often also hate being squashed. As a result, you’ll often need to create a little, portable safehouse for each piece.
Move with caution
It’s one thing wrapping your antiques properly, it’s another to get them onto the van without catastrophe. Always lift from the base, not any decorative edges or handles. If it feels awkward or heavy, the chances are that it is awkward and heavy, so get help. Two people minimum, sometimes three if it’s something oversized like a tallboy or big chest of drawers.
When loading the van, make sure heavier pieces are at the bottom, with plenty of soft padding between items. You want everything packed in well, so that it can’t fall over.
Use a removals service
Some things are just better left to specialists. If you’re moving particularly valuable or sentimental items, it might be worth investing in a removal company that actually knows what they’re doing. Some even offer custom packing services, insurance included.
You’ll want to book removals services like Bright Movers a while before the actual moving day, to make sure that they have availability on that date.
Moving house will always be chaos, no matter how organised you try to be. But with antiques, a little extra thought goes a long way. Assess, wrap, move the items with extreme care, and don’t be afraid to get help when you need it. With the right prep, you’ll be able to set your precious pieces up in your new home, ready to keep on adding class and style to your home for years to come.
