Moving is always stressful. But moving antique furniture feels especially nerve-wracking, since you cannot easily replace these items if they suffer damage. There are things you can do to prepare your antiques for relocation. But perhaps one of the best tips is to have an experienced antique furniture mover working with you. To help you get ready for your antique furniture mover, consider these points, below.
Take an Antique Furniture Inventory
Before your antique furniture mover arrives, ensure you write down an antiques inventory. Note the furniture maker, any preexisting damage, description of the item and other important details. Take photos of the pieces from all angles, including any maker’s marks you can find. Also take photos of each room of your house, to jog your memory of what your moving shipment includes and maintain proof of your possessions.
Of course, you should inventory all of your expensive or irreplaceable items, not just antiques. These lists and images come in handy, should damages or losses occur. Even the most professional movers make this recommendation to clients. After all, like any other vehicle, a moving truck can sustain damage in an auto accident. Or any number of other things can happen.
When you make your detailed inventory, consider the special needs or risks associated with moving your antiques. Make notes about these issues, such as:
- Dimensions, as compared to stairs, tight spots, door frames and doors
- Which room for placement in your new home
- Special temperature or humidity needs, to match one home interior to the next and prevent structural damage to the antiques
- Vulnerable or weakened spot identification on the antiques, for special attention during the move to prevent damage
Advise your antique furniture movers in the Triangle Area about these issues. Through this information, they can properly cushion and protect your pieces during the move. They can also prepare ahead for tough issues, such as tight stairs, to avoid causing damage to the furnishings or your properties.
Decide Which Items Are Not Worth Moving
Once you create an inventory of your belongings, take some time to consider whether all of the pieces are worth moving. Sometimes it is more productive and financially beneficial to sell antiques or other furnishings instead of moving them. If you do decide to sell your vintage and irreplaceable pieces, ensure you do your homework to determine a price. Also find qualified buyers who appreciate quality craftsmanship or other value your pieces bring. The last thing you need is to haggle in price with someone who does not understand the value.
Have Your Antiques Appraised
Having your antiques appraised before your move, or even before selling some of them, provides third-party proof of their value. An appraisal also establishes their pre-moving condition, in the event something happens during the transition from one place to the next.
When the appraiser visits your home, ask about known collectors active in your area. An appraiser meets such people as part of their everyday business. If they have leads to provide for selling some of your items, that makes your work much easier. One of their clients will also trust the appraiser’s valuation.
Insure Your Antiques Before the Move
You need to protect your antiques before moving them. The best protection is an insurance policy. In fact, moving your expensive possessions without coverage is never recommended. This shortcut can leave you quite upset and cost you a lot of money, if damage or loss happens.
With insurance coverage, you can recover the full value of your antiques when loss occurs. Talk to your insurance agent about a policy and what you need to cover. For less unique items and modern household furnishings, you can probably get by on the moving company’s offered policies. Those cover your household goods by the pound. But for anything you particularly cherish or cannot replace, you certainly need an independent insurance policy.
Use Professional Antique Furniture Movers
To avoid damage or loss of your antiques, you should always use a professional moving company. Some have experience in moving these treasured items, whereas others do not. By properly screening your choices, you can save yourself a lot of heartache and money in the long run.
In North Carolina, Branch Out Moving & Delivery is the highest quality of antique furniture movers. Branch Out Moving & Delivery has the experience you need for your local Triangle Area or city-to-city North Carolina move, to ensure handling of your prized possessions with the best possible care. Call us today at 919-888-0090 to schedule your move, discuss your antiques and learn how we take care of these precious pieces.