One of the most difficult and hardest things about moving is the safety of your precious antiques. It can be your collection of expensive art pieces, a china set inherited from your grandparents, your grandfather’s clock or your glass showpieces. Apart from being exceedingly expensive, they also have a deep sentimental value attached to them. That’s why it can get stressful for you while moving them.

If you’re worried about how you’ll move them, you have come to the right place. We have covered everything you need to know in this article. So let’s get started and learn how to pack antiques for moving.

What Should You Do Before Packing Your Antiques?

Make an inventory of your antiques

The first and most important thing before packing your items is making an inventory. You need to list down all the antiques you possess in your house. Start with your living room, then kitchen, followed by your bedrooms. That way you won’t miss out on anything. Now you can make your inventory in the form of a video, collection of pictures or on paper. But make sure you keep a record of important details like their size, weight, date, time and cost during purchase, current value, etc. This will make it easier for you to get appropriate packing supplies depending on their size and fragility.

Get appraisals

Now the price of all your antiques won’t necessarily be the same from the time you purchased or inherited them. In order to get a precise current value of your precious antiques, you can contact any professional moving company. If you’ve made an inventory of all your antique possessions, it’ll make it easier for them to give you an accurate value for your antiques. This will help you if you want to make any claims for any of your items.

Check for an insurance policy

If at all you have an insurance policy with your homeowner or renter, check the insurance coverage. In case you don’t have an insurance policy with your homeowner or renter, you can discuss your insurance options with your insurance agent. An important thing you need to keep in mind is that professional moving companies have a 60 cents per pound formula. That means no matter how valuable or expensive your item is, you will only get a coverage of $60 from your moving company. So it’s always better that you consult your insurance agent or get Full Value Protection for your precious antiques from your moving company.

Also See: Do I Need A Moving Insurance?

What Do You Need To Pack Antiques?

In order to pack your precious antiques safely, you first need to gather all the essential packing supplies. You will need the following packing supplies for moving your antiques in a safe manner:

Microfiber Cloth

In order to keep your antiques in a good condition, you will need a microfiber cloth to clean them. It will help you clean all the dirt and debris on your antiques before packing and after unpacking them when you relocate.

Bubble Wrap

The different kinds of antiques such as china sets and glass framed art pieces are very delicate and fragile. So they need to be protected with a soft and secure material like bubble wrap. Do not compromise on buying bubble wrap if you want all your delicate antiques to reach your new home in one piece. You will need a bubble wrap of more than 2 rolls of 100 foot if you have a large collection of antiques.

Plain Packing Paper

For your different art collections like paintings and picture frames, you will need packing paper to wrap them up for a move. We advise you to purchase a plain packing paper instead of colored paper or newspaper. That is to avoid any newsprint ink or color stains on your precious antiques.

Specialty Moving Boxes

The antiques that you possess may all be of different sizes and shapes and some may be really delicate and fragile in nature like your glasses or dishes. So for you to move them safely, you’ll need specialty moving boxes. For glasses and dishes, you can use moving boxes that have dividers which help you accommodate a certain number of items in one box. But for your wall art and pictures, you might need medium and large size picture or mirror moving boxes made of corrugated cardboard.

Glassine

Glassine acts as a protective barrier for your antiques, especially the most fragile items like glasses and china sets. It will avoid your antiques from getting smudged or stained during a move.

Moving Blankets and Furniture Pads

There will be certain antiques that are large in size like your furniture. In order to protect it from any kind of damage, you will need to wrap it with moving blankets or furniture pads.

Also Read: Where To Rent Moving Blankets?

Plastic Wrap

In order to secure your expensive furniture, moving blankets are not enough. You need a tear resistant material like plastic wrap to cover them so that there is no room for any scratches and rips during your move.

Also Read: How To Use Plastic Wrap For Moving?

Packing Tape

This is one of the most essential supplies when it comes to packing. You cannot use any normal tape for packing as the seal may not be strong enough. There are chances of your boxes opening up or your packing coming out because of cheap tape. That’s why we advise you to purchase packing tape made from polypropylene or polyester with a width of at least 2-3 inches.

Labeling Materials

Each of your moving boxes can be labelled to make it easier for you to unpack your antiques when you relocate. For that you will need stickers or labels and a permanent marker.

Related: Get Cheap Moving Boxes

How To Pack Antiques?

Now that you know about what all essential packing supplies you need to pack your precious antiques, let’s learn how to pack them. These antiques are extremely valuable to you and irreplaceable and so you have to have a calm mind when you decide to pack them. Just follow our step by step guide on how to pack antiques for a move:

Step 1: Clean and sort all your antiques

The first thing you need to do is sort all your antiques. You will have to keep at least one or two days for sorting and packing your antiques. Take a clean microfiber cloth and clean all the dirt and dust that is accumulated on your antiques. You can start with the smaller items like your showpieces and small paintings and then move on to large antiques like your furniture. Make sure that you clean and sort similar antiques together so that it will be easy for you to accommodate them in your moving boxes. For example, you can keep your paintings together while your china sets and glasses can be cleaned and kept together.

Step 2: Packing Your Antiques

To begin your packing process, first check that you have all the packing supplies you need right beside you. We advise you to do this in a clean and spacious room as these are very delicate items. You can start with your smaller and fragile antiques like your glasses, china sets and small picture frames. Make sure that you cover each item individually with a bubble wrap or a glassine to give a strong protection. Always add an extra layer of protection with the help of bubble wrap or packing paper and secure it with packing tape.

Once you’re done packing all your smaller items, it’s time to move onto the large ones. For large items like your furniture, you will first need to wrap them entirely with a moving blanket or furniture pads. Do keep in mind that you tape the drawers before you wrap your furniture with furniture pads or moving blankets. After that, you can wrap them with a tear resistant plastic wrap for an added layer of protection. An important thing you need to keep in mind is protecting the corners of your items like large pieces of art or furniture. For that you can cover the corners of your items with corner protectors. You can also make your own corner protector using cardboard and packing tape.

Step 3 : Disassemble your furniture before packing

Packing and moving furniture is a really tedious task and it takes a lot of time and effort. So to make it a little easier for you, we advise you to first disassemble your furniture and then pack all the parts like the drawers, drawer handles, casters, etc separately.

Step 4 : Prepare your moving box

Before you place your precious antiques in your moving boxes, you need to check them and make sure they are in a good condition. Start by checking the bottom, corners and sides of the box to see if there are any tears or holes. As a precaution, you can seal the bottom of the box with packing tape. The next thing you need to do is make a soft cushioning in your box with the help of crumpled packing paper. If at all you don’t have packing paper, you can use old towels.

Step 5 : Place your antiques in the right moving boxes

Do keep in mind that your moving boxes will be different for your different kinds of antiques. For example your artwork can be accomodated in picture moving boxes while your dishes and glasses will need special dish packing boxes. You can keep similar items together in one moving box as long as there’s enough room in it to accommodate a certain number of your items. Ideally, a medium sized dish pack box can accommodate at least 12 glasses while a small dish pack box can accommodate 6 dishes, 6 salad plates and 6 bowls.

Speaking of your picture frames and paintings, you will need both medium and large size boxes. An important thing you need to note is that the size of your moving boxes should be slightly bigger than the actual size of your paintings in order to seal them properly. Check whether you have made the soft cushioning in all your boxes and then start placing your items one by one.

Step 6: Check all your moving boxes and then seal them

Before you start sealing all your boxes, you need to first check whether you’ve placed all your items properly. If you think you have placed too many items in one box which is making it heavy, you will need to remove a few items and accommodate them in another box. Also, if you notice any gaps or spaces in the box in between your items, you need to fill those with crumpled packing paper. That will avoid your items to toss around during transportation reducing the risk of any kind of breakage. Once you’re sure that your box is neat and strong, you close the flaps and seal them tightly with a packing tape.

Step 7: Label all your boxes

The reason we asked you to keep similar items together is to avoid any confusion when you relocate. Labeling makes it easier for you to identify the contents in each of your moving boxes. Make sure you use a permanent marker to write the details on every box before you load them onto your truck.

See Also: Pack and Load a Moving Truck? | Steps to Safely Moving a Fish Tank

Unpacking Your Antiques

Make sure that you unpack one box at a time. Since your antiques are very delicate and fragile in nature, we advise you to carry out this task in a spacious room preferably on the floor. Check whether any of your items are damaged or lost after your move. In case you notice any damaged items, take pictures or videos and file a claim to your insurance company. Here’s when your inventory will help you. If you have all the details mentioned in your inventory with pictures of your items before they were moved, it will be easy for you to get compensation from your insurance company.

Things To Remember While Packing And Moving Antiques:

  • In order to load your antiques from your house to the trucks, use dollies or hand trucks to avoid any accidents that may cause your items to break.
  • Always purchase or rent extra moving blankets especially if you have to move large antiques like furniture.
  • When it comes to moving antiques, make sure you separate them from your other belongings to avoid any unnecessary crowding of items.
  • Make sure that your dishes are kept in a vertical position and your mirrors, paintings and picture frames are in an upright position in your respective moving boxes.
  • It’s good to get moving boxes of all sizes right from small, medium to extra large in order to accommodate different kinds of items.
  • For the safety of your precious antiques, it’s always good if you consult a professional moving company and let the experienced movers do the job. If at all yours is a DIY move, make sure you separate or isolate your antiques and avoid stacking them on top of each other.
  • In order to secure your important valuables like expensive jewelry and watches, carry them separately in a bag with you. Make sure that you have got appraisals and insurance for all of your important valuables before your move.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pack antiques?

Firstly, get different sizes of moving boxes to accommodate your different kinds of antiques like paintings, showpieces, glasses and china, clock, etc. Next, you need to wrap each item individually with glassine or bubble wrap and then seal with packing tape. If at all you have expensive paintings, make sure you add protective covers on their corners. Prepare each moving box by making soft cushioning at the bottom and bubble wrap at the sides. Place your antiques in their respective moving boxes, fill in empty spaces with crumpled packing paper and then seal the boxes with packing tape.

See Also: How To Move A Grandfather Clock?

How do you pack fragile items for moving and storage?

The different fragile items you possess can be your dishes and glasses, china sets, etc. To pack these items, you’ll need special dish packing and picture and art moving boxes. You need to wrap each item with glassine or bubble wrap and then secure it with packing tape. Make sure you create a soft padding in your moving boxes with bubble wrap and then place your items. Do keep in mind that your dishes have to be kept vertically in order to accommodate them safely. Finally, seal each box with packing tape.

How do you move antique furniture?

It’s very important that you carefully pack your antique furniture for moving to avoid any scratches or dents. Here’s how you should pack your furniture:

  1. Firstly, you need to disassemble your furniture if possible.
  2. Close all drawers and check if you have any valuables in it.
  3. Then cover your furniture with moving blankets or furniture pads. Once they have a protective covering, you can add an extra layer of protection with a bubble wrap or strong plastic wrap or cover. Secure the covering with a packing tape.
  4. Seek professional help especially for packing and loading your furniture in your moving trucks.
  5. You can contact professional moving companies for their crating services.

How do you safely transport a mirror?

Mirror is one of the most fragile items and so you need to be careful while moving it. Here’s how you can safely pack and transport your mirror:

  1. Wrap your mirror in glassine or bubble wrap. Make sure you give an extra layer of protection with bubble wrap or packing paper. Then seal it with a packing tape.
  2. Make a soft cushioning in the box and cover the sides of your box with bubble wrap as an added protection.
  3. Place your mirror in a vertical position in a mirror moving box. Make sure that you have the corners of your mirror protected with cardboard.
  4. Check the box for empty spaces and fill it with crumpled packing paper. Seal your mirror moving box tightly with packing tape.
  5. When you load your mirror box in your truck, make sure it rests behind some soft and smooth surface like your sofa or your couch.

Read Also : How To Pack Pictures And Mirrors For Moving | List of Truck Rental Companies in the US

Conclusion

Packing and moving your antiques can be really stressful and nerve-wracking. All it takes is a bumpy ride and by the time your items reach your new home, you may find them damaged or broken. So you have to be exceedingly careful when it comes to packing them for a move. That’s why it’s always important to get full value protection for your items or insurance in order to minimize the risks while transporting your antiques. But don’t worry, if you have read our step by step guide then we assure you that you are ready to pack them safely by yourself.