Common mistakes with relocating fine art

Moving is an exhausting process, regardless of whether you are moving to a neighboring area or from one coast to the other. Anyone who has moved at least once knows this well. Any mistake made during packing and transportation can increase your moving costs. But, it can also bring you into some unpleasant situations with movers. You may lose some irreplaceable things, for example- parts of your art collection. To avoid such a situation, you should consult with professional movers Brooklyn, and let them handle your relocation. Whether you opt for hiring movers or not, knowing about common mistakes with relocating fine art can greatly help you.

Common mistakes with relocating fine art

Regardless of what you do, mistakes are always possible. Sometimes, they are the result of not knowing the subject, and sometimes people are rushing to complete the work. Rushing is one of the things you should never do when relocating your fine art. However, there are several other common mistakes that you should keep in mind. Those include:

  • Hiring unprofessional movers
  • Not taking proper care of your art before moving
  • Improper packing and using low-quality packing material
  • Lacking proper moving equipment
  • Missing to obtain the paperwork
Four paintings on a wall
By hiring the right movers, you will avoid common mistakes with relocating fine art.

Hiring unprofessional movers when relocating fine art

Hiring unprofessional movers may happen for several reasons. It could be that you first opted for DIY, before realizing how demanding art moving is. Or you didn’t plan well, so you’ve left the mission of finding movers for the end. Unfortunately, in such cases, you can easily end up with movers not skilled and trained for art moving. There are many excellent moving companies. Regardless of their excellence, they will not be proper for you, since not all of them have in their offer specialized services for art moving, like fine art movers New York do.

Not taking proper care of your fine art before relocating

Art pieces have to be regularly checked, cleaned, and taken care of. Otherwise, you can’t expect much from movers. If your art pieces are already in bad shape, regardless of the skills and state of moving equipment, it will be hard to transport them safely. Moving such pieces is still possible, but with a high risk of damage. Also, it will take much more effort to relocate them safely. So, if you want your artwork to last, make sure to regularly clean and refurbish it.

Hands sculpture
Improper packing can expose your artwork to damage.

Improper packing and using low-quality packing material

You may have a sculpture, a tapestry, a painting, an antique vase, or a lamp. Each of those items is very different. They have different shapes, structures, and hardness, so they will need proper packing and packing materials too. Improper packing can expose them to damage, and low-quality packing materials can leave stains and scratches on your fine artwork.

You may use good packing material and pack all your artwork. However, imagine putting an oil painting into a moving box with some mold spots inside. Keeping in mind how quickly mold spreads, you can only imagine what your precious painting would look like after a few days. And, if you do not opt for hiring any of long distance moving companies NYC, your relocation can take a long time, and your other possessions can get easily infected with mold. If you opt for using a weak moving box, the cardboard can easily give up, and your precious sculpture can end up in several pieces scattered on the floor. Therefore, don’t save up on the proper moving boxes. 

Lacking proper moving equipment is one of the common mistakes

Loading smaller boxes with your artwork onto the moving truck is not a big issue. However, in the case of having bigger sculptures, huge mirrors, or really big paintings, you will need proper moving equipment. Usually, such big items would be the safest if packed in suitable wooden crates. According to furniture movers New York, such a solution will be excellent for antique chests, sofas, or other precious and expensive pieces. They will stand the best chance to reach your new place in perfect conditions in wooden crates.

 

Light modern kitchen
The artwork can make your new home feel more welcoming.

Missing to obtain paperwork

Whenever you are moving your art pieces, make sure to obtain the paperwork timely. That means you should obtain a moving contract and proper insurance for your artwork from the very beginning. Not all movers will accept to transport of such valuable items, and that is something you should check with your moving company before hiring them. In case you are using standard insurance, any damage to your valuables will be paid 60 cents per pound, which is far less than the value of the artwork. Therefore, it is important to sort out this question before the movers start packing or loading your art.

Loading fine art first is yet another mistake

You should never load your artwork first onto a moving truck. You might feel that your artwork will be safer at the back of the moving truck, but that is wrong. If you load it first, it can easily be covered with other moving boxes or pressed with heavier items. That is one of the common mistakes with relocating fine art, so make sure to avoid it. Other common moving mistakes with relocating fine art include: not hiring reliable movers, using improper and cheap packing supplies, and missing to obtain important paperwork. After learning about common mistakes when relocating art, we are sure you will transfer your valuable belongings safely!