Antique Item Moving Tips

Antique Item Moving Tips

Your belongings are way more than simple material objects. They’re your link to the past and your treasured memories. They’re the vestiges of loved ones who are no longer with us. They are the things that, while they may not define you, bring you joy and fulfilment and make your home a more pleasant and relaxing place to be. This is especially true of your antique possessions. Inherently fragile and utterly irreplaceable, you take great care when using, moving and handling them in the home. But what happens when you move home?

When you’re moving home, whether you’re moving to a new property in the same city, intercity or even interstate, the process can be fast-paced, frantic and stressful. With so much to handle logistically, financially and time-wise, it’s easy to find yourself neglecting the little things that can become big problems later in the moving process.

The further away you’re moving, the more logistically fraught the moving process may seem. As experienced interstate removalists we understand that as imperative as it is to take care of fragile belongings, especially antiques, the chaos and panic of the moving process can lead even the most meticulous of us to make mistakes.

Protecting the things that mean the most to you

When you’re moving, especially when moving interstate, it can be an extremely fast-paced and stressful experience, and it never feels as though you have enough time to put out the (metaphorical) fires popping up all around you. But don’t let the panic  in the run up to moving day pressure you into rushed or haphazard packing, especially when it comes to your precious antiques.

If your antiques are damaged in transit, they may be impossible (or at the very least incredibly expensive) to replace them. Besides, for all the stress moving is supposed to be a joyous occasion. Nothing is more likely to sour the experience of moving day more than arriving in your new home to find that your antiques have become damaged in transit.

With this in mind it’s absolutely vital to protect the belongings which matter the most for you.

Here are some ways in which you can do exactly that…

Pack your antiques first and as far in advance as possible

Your home may not feel like home without your antiques on display. Nonetheless, one of the most effective ways to move fragile items is to pack them up first and as far in advance as you can.

This will greatly reduce the avoidable risks which are caused when delicate antiques are packed in a rushed or careless way. Even if you have to keep your precious items in storage for a little while it’s far preferable to irreplaceable belongings

Pack them slowly and carefully

Another advantage of getting your fragile antiques packed in advance is that it affords you the time you need to pack carefully, slowly and appropriately.

One of the most common reasons for the damaging of antique belongings is not so much negligence or mistakes in transit, but errors resulting from a rushed packing process.

When you’re in a hurry, you move more quickly and with less care. And when moving in this way, it’s far more difficult to give these items the care and attention that they need.

Make it a point that when you sit down to pack your treasured antiques, you have plenty of time at your disposal to pack slowly, carefully and methodically.

Make sure that you have the appropriate packaging materials

As experienced antique removals specialists we know that when moving delicate antique belongings, the right packing materials can also make all the difference. When you’re undergoing long removals, especially between states, you can’t always be assured of consistently smooth, flat and straight roads. Shocks, bumps and vibrations picked up along the way represent a risk to your valuable antiques no matter how careful your driver is.

In order to protect from damage on the road, it’s a good idea to avail yourself of soft yet durable packaging materials. These can insulate your antiques from risk by absorbing the shock, rumbles and vibrations that can potentially damage your valuables on the road.

A lot of people use household fabrics like teatowes, socks, t-shirts, bath towels or blankets in order to protect their antiques on the road. However, household fabrics can be surprisingly inefficient when it comes to protecting antiques.

While you may have to spend a little money, investing in the right packaging materials is the surest way to protect your delicate antiques on long interstate journeys. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective packing materials for protecting antiques…

  • Bubble wrap is essential in providing cushioning for your antiques to ensure that even if they move around in transit or collide with other objects they won’t be damaged. Some of our customers eschew bubble wrap because they don’t use single-use plastics. But there are still much more eco-conscious ways in which you can protect your antiques. There are biodegradable bubble wraps out there, or if you’d rather use something you can recycle use heavy grade paper or corrugated fibre board.
  • Loose fill or packaging peanuts are also helpful. They’re a great way to fill the spaces left in packing boxes and buffer your antiques against shocks, bumps and jolts.
  • If your budget won’t stretch to packing materials, even scrunching up balls of old newspaper can be an effective and eco-friendly way of protecting your belongings in transit.

Mark the box containing your antiques as fragile or colour it red

Whether you’re moving with the aid of interstate removalists or doing it alone, it’s easy to forget which boxes contain your fragile antiques in the turbulence of moving day. Mark boxes filled with fragile items in red or with the word “FRAGILE”.

If you’re using a removals specialist ensure that they know well in advance which boxes contain antiques. They may require you to use their own stickers so that they can quickly and easily identify boxes filled with delicate antique items. Speaking of moving services…

Choose a reliable removals service and maintain good communications with them

If you’re moving interstate you’re likely to need the help of an experienced interstate removalists. Take the time to research one that is reliable and has earned the trust of people in your area. Look for removalists with experience in moving antiques over long distances and see what other customers are saying about them.

Maintaining good communication is key. Make them aware from the outset that you need to move valuable antiques. They can usually help by providing a specialist packing service or at the very least provide further advice on packing your treasured antiques safely.

How we can help

As experienced interstate movers, every day is moving day for us. As such, we know a thing or two about packing and transporting your valuables, even when you’re moving long distances or interstate.

We are established specialists in home and office removals and offer a comprehensive range of packing and moving services to suit your needs. Need to store your valuables somewhere safe prior to moving? No problem! We also offer safe and secure storage services. And with our backloading services, we can offer a range of moving solutions to suit every budget. We have helped business and residential customers move their homes and offices from Sydney to Adelaide, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth, Brisbane, and Canberra. As well as handling valuable antiques we are also adept at transporting other delicate valuables such as consumer technology.
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