Your home is an expression of who you are, packed with furniture, decor, and treasured belongings that reflect your personality. It is these items that turn a house into your home, and so it stands to reason that when moving from one place to another, you’ll want to take extra care in making sure they arrive safely and in one piece.
Keeping your belongings safe in transit relies on how they are packed. In some instances, packing may just be a case of applying common sense, but for some items, the process becomes a little more complex. In this guide, we will talk you through how we at GB Liners pack and move some of the more unconventional items you have in your home.
Getting Started
At GB Liners, we have a wealth of experience moving unusual items, from statues of Roman gods to a dismantled greenhouse, and every move begins with a plan. When we carry out your pre-move survey, we will be able to assess any potential issues and ensure we have the tools, equipment, and skills to mitigate them. To arrange a pre-move survey, you can get in touch with us for a full moving service quote.
Once we have surveyed your property, we will be able to provide advice and support on preparing for moving day, making sure everything is ready to transport in a timely manner. We will also be able to prepare any equipment that may be needed for your move, including protective packing materials or even bespoke crates for transportation purposes.
You may also want to take the time to think about where your items will fit in your new home space. This will reduce the amount of times your belongings will need to be moved or handled. Each time an item is moved, it runs the risk of becoming damaged, so the more efficient you are with finding a place for it, the less chance there is of any accidental harm.
Moving Artwork and Decor
Much of the personality of your home shines through in how you choose to decorate it. Often, a unique statement art piece ties our home together, and holds both sentimental and monetary value. Therefore, it’s essential to make sure any artwork or decor is correctly packed and transported.
When it comes to artwork, we recommend handling paintings and canvases as little as possible. Oils on the hands can smudge or damage the artwork, and to avoid this, we cover with wax paper before packing. Particularly delicate pieces may also be at risk of creasing or bending.
- Gilt Framed Pictures or Mirrors should be measured and packed in a bespoke crate built to size in order to preserve the ornate frame. These items can easily be damaged if not packed properly, so care should be taken to get this right.
- Grandfather clocks can be incredibly fragile, particularly if they are antique. Look into if your clock can be safely disassembled prior to packing. If so, we can dismantle the clock for you, wrap the case in a protective bubble blanket, and securely wrap in pieces before reassembling at the final location.
Large, Heavy, and Bulky Items
Items that are very large or very heavy require extra caution when it comes to the moving process – not just to ensure they arrive in good condition, but also to protect the safety of both your family and the removals team. This goes for more common objects, such as beds, wardrobes, and fridge-freezers, but also the more unique items.
One example of this is if you own a greenhouse, and need it transported to your new home rather than leaving it behind. Prior to moving day, the greenhouse should be dismantled, ensuring you have a flat area to lay out the glass whilst you take apart the panels. Usually, this is not a particularly tricky job once the glass is removed, but care should be taken to reduce the risk of breakage.
Another unconventional item we see from time to time are pianos. Whether upright or grand, pianos are both very heavy and require extreme caution when moving. As well as the weight, pianos are a very awkward shape, prone to scratching, and the internal mechanisms are sensitive to movement. Speaking to professionals before attempting to move a piano is essential – both for its appearance and its internal functions. Even with the greatest of care taken, it isn’t uncommon for pianos to become out of tune after being moved. At GB Liners, we pack pianos into specialist quilted bags and have equipment on hand, such as piano wheels, to move them.
- Pool tables are extremely heavy items that require multiple people to move safely due to their size and weight, particularly if you don’t disassemble them before moving. Usually, they have a very heavy piece of slate inside that requires extra care. Additionally, you should pay attention to the felt to ensure it remains flat, so as not to affect future games. Whilst we usually don’t move pool tables ourselves, GB Liners can arrange for these to be moved via a third-party specialist.
- Large pots and trees come in all shapes and sizes, but if you need to move them to your new home, we have heavy-duty sack trucks in our fleet of vehicles to ensure they are moved safely and efficiently. On occasions, pots may need to be emptied in order to move them safely.
Moving Delicate Items
The more fragile, breakable items in your collection may be a cause for concern when moving home, but there are steps you can take to protect your more delicate belongings, such as ornaments or your crockery.
Fine china dishes and glassware should be individually wrapped in tissue paper, or bubble wrap secured with tape. You may want to double up on this for certain items, for example, wrapping in tissue and then bubble wrap to cover every exposed area and make sure you no longer feel the china underneath.
At GB Liners, we offer full and part packing services from our team of dedicated moving professionals. Our crew are trained to pack safely and efficiently, so if you’re worried about any delicate items, please do reach out.
- Silverware is easily tarnished, so should be wrapped in clean, unprinted and acid-free tissue paper. Loose silverware should be wrapped in sets.
- Fragile Figurines aren’t unusual, but are often an awkward size and shape, and obviously prone to breaking. We use tissue paper to wrap and protect intricate parts of these most delicate objects before packing.
Get Support from GB Liners
At GB Liners, we’re here to help you see your moving journey through to completion, offering support with both packing and removal services. For more information, why not get in touch with our team, or make use of our online budget calculator for more information on the level of help you require?