Tips on packing up fragile items and antiques
There is an art to packing up your fragile items and antiques. After having stood the test of time, the last thing you want to do is damage your invaluable antiques in a move. So before you go ahead and start putting things into boxes, have a read through our packing tips below.
Prepare everything
You can speed through the packing of your clothing and soft furnishings, but packing up your crystal wear is not the time for a mad rush. There is a lot more involved in packaging up your antiques and delicate items. Don’t leave it until a few days before moving day – allow yourself plenty of time to get the job done.
Take photos
Before packing up any precious antiques or heirlooms, give them a good clean and take detailed photos of their condition. Not only are the photos good to have for home insurance purposes, but they can help you identify if any new scratches, chips or nicks have shown up in the move.
Wrap and pack everything with enough padding and cushioning
You can never be too careful with your delicate pieces. When moving, have plenty of protective packing paper, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, blankets and cushions on hand. Make sure your cardboard boxes are of a good quality too – nobody wants a blow out when the contents are this important. If you are worried, invest in some sturdier plastic tubs.
Before placing your fragile items into a box, make sure each piece is wrapped up properly. For plates, use two pieces of packaging paper and stack them with a sheet of bubble wrap in between. For cups, glasses and vases, scrunch up some packing paper to stuff them with, and then wrap them up individually. If your item is particularly ornate or has moving parts, take apart what you can and wrap each piece up separately.
The golden rule when putting your precious pieces into boxes is ‘keep it snug’. This doesn’t mean packing as many of your fragile pieces into the box as possible. Keep your heirlooms and delicate pieces a good distance away from each other, but fill any extra space with packing peanuts, packing paper and cushions to prevent things moving around.
For particularly precious pieces, try laying a blanket on the bottom of a box, filling the sides with packing peanuts and popping a pillow over the top.
Label everything
As well as labelling your boxes with what is packed inside, you must label your boxes as fragile. There is no such thing as over-communicating how fragile something is, so go nuts on the labelling. Label every side of the box in big, bold letters; and don’t forget to mark the top of the box so nothing gets turned the wrong way up.
Leave the most precious things to the professionals
There are some pieces you just don’t want to risk breaking in transit. If you aren’t confident you will know how to protect your most prized possessions, hire a professional packer to deal with them for you. They will be a full bottle on how best to package up your priceless pieces.
With our many years of experience and dedicated staff, you can entrust your most valuable furniture and fragile items to us. The Moving Man have successfully moved thousands of valuable items in the past and will take extra care with your most precious belongings.
Contact us for a quote on moving any antiques or fragile items in your home or office.