Contemporary décor is so flexible; you can turn your home into a cozy refuge or bold statement. But, if you are moving from one residence to a new home, you might may find yourself worrying about those finer items in your possession, those antiques, collectibles, or treasures. So, if you downsizing or moving on up, you want movers to pay special attention to things important to you.
Plan well ahead of time. Professional movers like Tiger Moving & Storage Colts Neck, NJ will do your packing, and they will do it well. But, there are some things you may want to pack personally. For this, you will need some supplies:
- Packing Paper. This is not something you want to leave to old newspapers which leech their ink and acids. Invest in very reasonably priced packing paper which you can buy by the pound. You can use it to wrap items and crinkle it up to fill empty pockets in the box.
- Packing Peanuts. Styrofoam peanuts come in large bags and protects fragile items or fills spaces. Bubble wrap will serve the same purposes with the added virtue of wrapping around items.
- Foam Wrap. This spun styrofoam wraps and items and conforms to the shape allowing you to pack items snuggly. It also comes in the form of pouches, different sized envelops you can use to wrap crystal, fine metals, and fragile collectibles.
- Divider Packs. Cardboard grids and foam wrap come ready to wrap and separate glassware, but they can be used to protect anything that fits the pockets.
Pack fine art. If framed art is significantly valuable and/or you have a large collection, you should hire freighters who specialize in the packing and shipping of fine art. They will inspect the work, photograph it, inventory the provenance, and secure the pieces safely. And, they may insure the work and delivery.
If you prefer to pack your few favorite pieces, you can do it yourself. You can sandwich fine documents, prints, photographs, and other flat work between stiff heavy cardboard. To prevent slippage, you slip each corner into a protector made by folding white paper into a triangle with an open side. You, then, tape the cardboard sides firmly together. But, using too much tape may risk damage when you try to remove it.
Framed art takes a little more. You’ll need Strong Boxes, Mirror Boxes, or wood framed boxes with depth, so you can lay framed art in along with foam wrap, bubble wrap, or packing peanuts. Flat or framed art, you’ll want to take a photo, mark the package prominently as “fragile,” and label it with a number or code to coincide with your inventory.
Pack ceramics. Pottery and ceramics also take special care. For items, you can handle, you start with four or five turns of bubble wrap so the bubbles face into the item. You do not want to crush the piece, but wrap should be comfortable. After you place it in an appropriately sized box, you can cushion it with packing peanuts before sealing it with tape. The trick is to then place this box into a larger box and fill the void with peanuts. Again, you need to photograph the item, mark it fragile, and label it “fragile.”
Finally, don’t make a move until you have spoken to a representative at your homeowner’s insurance company. They will help you to evaluate, inventory, and insure the items that may not be covered. And, you must make sure your moving company has everything they need to know to underwrite your needs. However, this is a specialty risk that some insurers are not anxious to cover, show start shopping early.
