High-Risk Items During a Move and How to Protect Them
Moving can be exciting, but it can also be stressful. Finding the right moving company, paying relocation expenses, and handling a disrupted routine can quickly become overwhelming.
One of the most significant concerns when it comes to moving is the safety of belongings. Many people are understandably concerned about damage to their possessions during relocation, particularly for items with a high financial or intrinsic value. Moving locally costs up to $2,500, and a long-distance relocation can hit $10,000, so you want to minimize costs by protecting your belongings. Items like furniture, glassware, electronics, and office equipment are especially susceptible to damage during relocation.
Protecting Furniture During a Move
Whether for a large or small move, furniture can be a challenge to transport. The furnishing's size and weight can cause your piece to be easily damaged, especially if it is packaged poorly. Even a simple scratch or tear can seriously damage delicate furniture with polished wood, glass tabletops, or fabric.
Protecting furniture during a move is a process that can take time. Disassemble furniture where you can, which should make it easier to transport. Remove table legs, drawers, and shelving. Keep any hardware you remove, including screws and fasteners, in bags for easy reassembly once your move is complete.
Choose storage options that keep furniture safe once you place it in a vehicle. While some furniture is perfectly safe without a covering, other items might need a box or plastic sheeting to prevent dust damage. Furniture with glass and marble top pieces often requires wood crates for added protection against bumps or scrapes.
It is also essential to wrap furniture in protective padding before transporting it. Use blankets, furniture pads, or bubble wrap to protect your items, particularly around sharp edges. Tie down items with straps to minimize movement once you place furniture in a moving van or other vehicle.
Shipping Glassware Safely
More than many other items, delicate glassware is susceptible to damage during a move. The slightest bump or drop can damage crystal stemware, antique vases, and other sculptures. These items require special care to ensure they arrive at their destination unharmed. When shipping glassware, the risk of damage increases if it is not appropriately packaged. When glassware isn't correctly wrapped, stored, or separated from other items, it can crack or break even with minimal movement. Many people opt for white-glove service during relocation, where trained moving professionals transport your high-value items with the utmost care. White-glove movers pack your glassware onsite using dishpack boxes made explicitly for delicate crystal, stemware, and hand-blown glass items.
If you're packing glassware yourself, use the right packing materials. Instead of packing peanuts, consider bubble wrap or foam padding materials made for delicate items. Choose boxes that create a snug fit for your glassware, eliminating any movement once your items are in transit. Also, consider shipping your high-value items for convenience and specialized handling.
Moving Electronics: Tips and Tricks
While electronics might seem sturdy, they're surprisingly vulnerable to damage during a move. Computers, televisions, and gaming consoles often feature protective outer layers, but their internal parts are sensitive to changes in temperature. Exposure to extreme heat causes materials to deform, damaging components like circuitry and batteries.
Appliances like refrigerators, washers, and dryers are easily dented during a move. Relocating a bulky dryer, for example, can be challenging because of potential damage as it bumps into doorways or stairs. Tipping a washing machine can cause contact between the inner and outer tubs, weakening the suspension. Scratches can compromise refrigerator screens, door alignment, and cosmetic value.
Proper packaging goes a long way toward protecting electronics. Wrap your appliances in protective padding, and secure doors, lids, and other moving parts before transporting them. Use bubble wrapping and other protective wrappings when shipping your electronics.
When moving electronics, disconnecting appliances, removing heavy parts, and wrapping them to avoid damage during transportation can be a hassle. Many people use professional packing and shipping services to ensure this process is done correctly the first time.
Protecting Office Equipment During a Move
Expensive office equipment like executive chairs and desks should be carefully protected with padding and crating during a move. When relocating electronics such as servers, copiers, and routers, handling them carefully is crucial to avoid damaging sensors or components, which may lead to mechanical failures and the need to replace them with new items. More oversized items like server racks are awkward and can easily damage walls and flooring during transportation.
Many people hire professionals for less stress and more peace of mind during your office moves. Having professionals move your items ensures they are adequately protected, cataloged, and stored during relocation.
Space planning, or organizing your office layout, to meet your needs is essential in moving office equipment. This helps you understand which items to ship and which you might need to leave behind. After space planning, you may leave items behind to avoid damage, save money, or simply because you don't have enough room for particular items in your new office.
Art Shipping: Keeping Your Artwork Safe
Artwork can hold high intrinsic and financial value. Whether it's a masterpiece from a renowned artist, a family heirloom, or a high-value print, losing art can be devastating for owners. If artwork is damaged during a move, its original value may be irrecoverable, making it crucial to relocate artwork with exceptional care and attention to detail.
One of the best ways to move art is to leave the task to art shipping professionals. The pros have years of experience shipping fine art and understand how to package and protect your items in ways that keep them damage-free. They feature full-service pickup, and many art shipping services offer comprehensive replacement insurance for peace of mind.
If you're packaging artwork yourself, take your time. Use high-quality shipping materials for artwork, including acid-free tissue paper and corrugated cardboard, to separate your art from crate walls. Use foam padding and bubble wrap to protect artwork from incidental scratches and breaks during handling.
Handle all artwork with care, no matter its shape or materials. Wear gloves whenever possible to avoid getting fingerprints or smudges on your art. Support it from underneath, and use two hands when moving it. During transit, store the art in a temperature-controlled environment. This avoids any exposure to extreme heat or cold, elements that could fade, warp, or otherwise damage your art's appearance.
These extra precautions help minimize damage to artwork and everything else you might need to transport during relocation. Suppose you're worried about moving delicate glassware, bulky office items, or intricate electronics. In that case, contacting the professionals is always a good idea. They can help you expertly package your items for a move or ship those items securely to your new home. This minimizes damage to your items in transit, provides peace of mind, and gives you one less thing to worry about during your next move.
