Fine art is made to be treasured. And if you are lucky enough to own a genuine Van Gogh, Michelangelo, or a simple imitation, transporting any form of art during a move takes preparation. When it comes to transporting a beautiful bronze sculpture or priceless gilded Renoir, nobody wants to discover any unpleasant surprises at the final destination. To better your chances of all your art arriving damage-free or heaven forbid missing in action, be sure the journey begins correctly. Here are our best tips for moving your fine art!
Begin with the Experts
Start by hiring a top-of-the-line professional and experienced mover to ensure your art will arrive safely and unharmed. Here are some tips to take into account before your precious art hits the moving van.
- Firstly, make sure you plan for your move far enough in advance and set up a visit for movers to take inventory and offer pricing before the actual move day.
- Ask your moving company if it transports valuables such as paintings and other forms of valuable art even if the pieces are replicas.
- Make sure the company is insured in case anything happens during the relocation process.
- Find out if your own insurance company covers any damages to paintings, sculptures, glass, etc. If it doesn’t, you can seek out a fine art company that may insure your items with a separate policy.
- Take an inventory of all your art valuables. Make a list before the move for your own records, as well as for the moving company. Log all items in a journal and put them away for safekeeping. Include notes regarding description, condition, weight, dimension, and any other pertinent information about each item.
- Take multiple photos of the items at various angles and in different scenarios. Then, you have a visual record of each piece.
- If you do the packing yourself, remove all art from walls, cabinets, etc. Pack each item in proper crates with heavy padding and/or shrink-wrap, or appropriate packing materials for each art piece.
You may also inquire if your moving company can accommodate packing the art items for an extra fee if you don’t want to do it.
Storage options
Some art may need to be placed in temporary storage. Ask your moving company to recommend storage that is secure and monitors humidity and temperature if this is the case. Ask if the moving trucks have climate control features. If your art will be transported on a moving van, climate control offers more protection.
In the end, working directly with your moving company is the best move. Direct communication ensures that your beautiful paintings, sculptures, and other art valuables make it safely to their final destination.
If you have questions, the moving company you hire should be able to answer and assist you. You need to feel comfortable with these important items that will be transported.
Remember, your relocation should be easy and worry-free. That is true whether you have a household filled with antiques, exquisite paintings, or just your sentimental valuables.