Tips for packing and moving antiques cross country
Relocating across the country with your antique collection is something you need to prepare for accordingly. You want to ensure that your precious items survive the trip unscathed. For this reason, you might want to look into professional moving assistance from Pro Movers Miami or any other reputable moving company. With their help, ensuring the safety of your belongings becomes almost trivial. But that is not to say that you don’t need to prepare for the trip ahead. This article is going to provide you with several tips and guidelines on how to go about moving antiques cross country.
Moving antiques cross country – How to prepare?
As with every other endeavor, careful planning is key. You want to make sure that you have enough time and energy for all the necessary work you will have to put in. There will be numerous moving tasks you will need to deal with so time might be in short supply. Coordinate the effort with your moving company Fort Lauderdale and everything will be a lot easier. They will be able to offer you valuable insights into the whole relocation process. Having them on your side will make everything easier. Just make sure that you schedule the move well in advance, so you are able to get the date that you want. This is especially important if you are planning to relocate in the middle of the moving season.
Moving collectibles, small antiques, and valuables
Here are some of the items that you do not want to hand over to anyone else:
- Jewelry
- Coin collections
- Keys
- Pictures and photo albums
- Important files and documents
These items are small enough that you can fit them inside your traveling bags and valuable enough to warrant a spot. By having them inside your own vehicle, you will ensure that they are safe and sound. It can be really difficult to properly appraise and insure these items so you might as well take care of them on your own when moving to Florida. Basically, anything that is extremely valuable and small enough that you can carry with you, should go with you. It is as simple as that.
Tips for packing and moving antique furniture cross country!
If you have several antique furniture pieces, these warrant some special considerations. You will need to:
- Make an inventory list before moving antiques cross country
- Take photos
- Sell some of your antique furniture
- Get additional insurance
- Hire professionals to pack and move antiques cross country
Make an inventory list before moving antiques cross country
The first thing that you need to do is write down the list of all your antiques. If you have many of them, this might take a bit of your time but is ultimately worth it. Having an inventory list at hand will enable you to do a quick assessment of what is there and what is not. This is especially important if you are playing a lot on moving insurance. Reinforce this list with some photos of your belongings, as well as noting any previous damage (scratches, dents). Make this into a separate list, don’t lump it with your non-antique item list.
Take photos
When taking photos of your items, you want to cover all the sides and angles. By doing so, you will have irrefutable proof of every item’s condition. Take extra care when taking pictures of fragile or weakened parts, as well as preexisting damage locations. If you want to be extra careful, you can even film a small video with your mobile phone. The phone’s camera is quite versatile but you need to know how to take a good picture. Blurry images will not serve you well, after all. And the more proof you have, the easier it will be to deal with any potential insurance claims.
Sell some of your antique furniture
But you don’t need to relocate every single piece. Sometimes it is better to simply sell an item instead of relocating it. It all depends on what you have and what you need, though. Selling antique furniture can be a lengthy process so you might as well make this decision as early as possible. The good part about it is that even selling one of your pieces can pay off for much of the relocating expenses. If you simply have no room for a specific item in your new home, why place the antique in storage and forget about it?
Get additional insurance
Almost every single piece that is considered an “antique” is worth way more than its weight would indicate. And regular insurance only covers based on the weight of an item. In order to properly protect your interests, you will need to purchase additional insurance for your antiques. There are many insurance options out there and you need to figure out which one is the best for your specific situation. Talk with your movers or even bring in an insurance professional.
Hire professionals to pack and move antiques cross country
And speaking of professionals, there is no one better to conduct your cross country move. Especially if there are antiques involved. Their crews have all the necessary tools, experience, and knowledge that are required for the task. By entrusting your belongings to professional movers, you will be able to breathe more easily, so to speak. And while they know their job and how to do it, feel free to provide additional instructions if your items warrant it. Every antique piece is different, after all, and might require special consideration. By making sure that your movers know about them, you will ensure the timely and safe arrival of your belongings.
Cross country relocation is long and full of potential dangers. Luckily, moving companies have been doing it for decades and they know what to expect. Just provide them enough information about your belongings and they will do the rest.