Antique furniture is not a regular element of décor. In most cases, antique chairs, tables, cabinets, and other pieces are investments that cost thousands of dollars. For some owners, they also represent valuable memories and are cherished as part of their families’ history. So, it should not come as a surprise that moving such items requires a great deal of expertise and knowledge. Here’s why antique furniture movers must always be employed to handle very fragile, expensive, and valuable antique pieces of furniture.
Responsibilities of Antique Furniture Movers
Antique furniture shippers are not simply the people who move objects from one place to another. Companies such as Fine Art Shippers specialize in many other areas surrounding antique furniture handling, from insurance to packing. Their task is to protect the items, decrease the risk of accidental damage, and ensure smooth and fast shipping. Typical responsibilities of antique furniture movers include the following:
- Inventory and documentation. One of the biggest mistakes owners make is skipping the documentation and insurance part. Antique furniture handlers make sure the bureaucratic part of shipping is handled professionally. They create an inventory of each piece (photos and videos) and obtain insurance, which is particularly important for international shipping.
- Packing. Due to its size, antique furniture is not easy to pack. Antique furniture movers measure every object and design custom packaging or wooden crates to keep the items secure throughout the journey. For transporting such items, they use fine art shuttles, special vehicles with climate control and enough space to keep every piece in place.
- Handling and loading. Antique furniture requires extra care, so there can be no dragging, throwing, or leaving the pieces outside for a long time. Professional antique movers know how to carry each piece from your house to the truck, how to tie it (or box it), and how to store it before and after shipping.
Extra Services Provided by Antique Movers
Particularly expensive, rare pieces of furniture can be exhibited at galleries or sold at auctions. So, in addition to standard shipping services, specialized furniture movers provide extra services like installation, inventory management, and temporary storage.
Given the strict timelines and complex legal procedures surrounding official events such as exhibitions, it is vital to hire professional furniture movers like those of Fine Art Shippers to avoid delays. Finally, art movers sometimes collaborate with small restoration businesses that can help preserve the look and integrity of old pieces of furniture.