The process of moving can be stressful on many levels. Making sure everything is taken care of, putting your trust in someone else to handle things for you, and simply the process of uprooting your life can be very worrying.
Is there any way to make the process easier and less stressful for you? Are there ways to break down the process so that you don’t have to worry about things cracking, chipping, or falling apart entirely? And what about your valuables? Art and other precious objects can be the most stressful things to think about when you have to move.
Fortunately, there are things you can do that will make the process more manageable and less stressful for you. Let’s take a look at some techniques you can pick up to help put your mind at ease while you prepare for your move.
Choose the right box for the right object
If you happen to be someone (and many of us are) who hoards boxes, don’t simply start picking up boxes at random in the hope that you’ll minimize your stash. Particularly, if you have objects of value, you want to take the utmost care that your things remain preserved. Choose boxes that are a bit larger than you need. We will discuss packaging methods below, but the first thing is to remember the box itself. For example, if you have oddly shaped objects, you’ll want a sufficient amount of space around them so that they don’t accidentally knock into anything hard.
The composition of the boxes you use plays a role as well. Cardboard can be ok, but keep in mind the elements that your belongings might be exposed to in the course of the move. If they might get rained on or exposed to other things that could damage the material, it could spell disaster. Although the world seems dead set against the use of plastic these days, using it to preserve your belongings during the course of a move can be a lifesaver for you. However, keep in mind that regular plastic can’t touch the surface of your artworks.
When you’re ready, you can call the professionals at the Elate Moving Company, and they will take care of the heavy lifting for you so you don’t have to worry about that.
Internal packaging
You should also take care to make sure that your valuables are sufficiently preserved before you put them in boxes. First of all, if you have artwork, ceramics, etc. with a delicate surface that you don’t want to be scratched, you should wrap it carefully in art plastic or glassine paper and then in bubble wrap or something similar. If you have artwork with a lot of intricate carvings or odd shapes, you might choose a soft covering like soft foam before you use the bubble wrap. You don’t want to get to your new location and suddenly find that you’ve lost fingers off a statue, after all.
After this, you should fill your boxes with bubble wrap or something similar. This will provide an extra cushion in case your belongings get knocked around. Once you’ve placed your object on top (and it’s best to use one box per object!), fill the rest of the box with more bubble wrap so that the object is surrounded on all sides.
Sealing your packages
Once you’ve put your objects in the boxes, you should seal them as carefully as possible. If a box accidentally opens up in the course of the move, all your efforts can be destroyed in a second. Be sure to wrap your boxes all the way around – rather than just covering the tops with strips of tape – and cover all possible openings of the boxes. If you do use cardboard, you might want to wrap the boxes with plastic wrap just to ensure their protection against the elements.
No effort is too great
If you own valuable artwork, you can’t be too careful in protecting it during the course of a move. If you think about the amount that you spent on your valuables in the first place – as well as the effort that you spent to find them, and the sentimental value that they likely have for you – no amount of effort will be too great in protecting them in preparation for a move.
When you get to your new home, you will find tremendous relief in the fact that you took care of your most precious belongings. Then you can focus on what really matters, which is finding the perfect spot to display them in.