Do You Need Specialty Movers For Your Antique Furniture?
If you are planning a move to a new address, you may wonder how to select from all the ads that promise they are the best moving companies. Although it won’t be difficult to find a wide selection of local moving companies, you may be concerned about your family’s particular needs when choosing a mover. For example, if you have heavy, antique furniture or a heavy item like a piano, you may want to search for a mover who is billed as a heavy furniture professional.
When talking to a prospective choice for a moving company, ask questions about their experience and their equipment for moving heavy furniture. According to Architectural Digest, you should be sure to ask if the company uses professional moving blankets. These protective items can be wrapped around fragile items like lights and antiques.
If your primary concern remains moving large and bulky furniture, you may limit your search to heavy furniture movers. Some people who are moving decide to use a furniture mover for larger household items while choosing to transport the rest of their belongings themselves. We recommend asking the moving companies if they use furniture holders in trucks to secure your belongings while moving.
On average, we’ll move homes somewhere around 12 times over the course of our lives. Is your furniture up to the task? If it’s a sofa or end table purchased spur of the moment from a local chain store, perhaps its sturdiness isn’t a big concern. Maybe the thought of replacing that couch you never really liked anyways makes you rejoice. But what if you need moving and storage solutions for your antique furniture? In this case, moving and storage might need more careful consideration.
Furniture Movers: When Dealing With Priceless Pieces, Your Might Want a Professional.
While you can probably find a moving service for less than $200 on short notice, it is likely that these individuals will cost you somewhere else. Namely, in the care with which your items are handled. For example, furniture made of soft wood or with a thick lacquer need to be covered with a thick clothe during transit, and need to be loaded in such a way so that it does not slide around, nor does any other piece of furniture bump into it. This is to minimize the chances of the surface becoming gouged by something sharp.
Ensuring this precaution requires some forethought on the part of the mover, and a willingness to take their time, something a cheaper mover might be unwilling to do if they’re trying to fit as many jobs into one day as they can. Commercial movers are not all alike, and it is worth it to take a little extra time finding the best one to move your prized possessions. In this pursuit, it may prove helpful to yourself to know a little about moving antiques or pianos, that way you’ll be able to spot the difference between the movers know what they’re doing and those who do not.
Here’s the Basics on the Moving and Storage of Fine Antique Furniture, Including Pianos.
In one study on intrastate moves, the American Moving and Storage Association found that the average person spends about $1,170. Depending on the number of delicate pieces in your home, that price might be higher. Keep in mind this is for in-state moves; moving to a different state or across the country will certainly cost more. The farther you travel, the higher the chances of a mishap on the road.
As mentioned above, gentle protection for special furniture pieces is important and doesn’t need to be complicated. Think about what makes a piece special. Is it the paint, the woodworking, the etched glass? Then consider how these features need to be protected during a move. Musical instruments especially will need to be treated gently. In the case of a piano, it might surprise you to know that experts recommend weighing the piano and mapping out a route that will provide a gentle ride (no sudden stops or bumpy roads).
Can I just Do This Myself? It Seems Fairly Simple.
It is completely possible for you to move your furniture yourself. But would you really want to have that physical and mental stress? Antique furniture needs to be handled gently, which means that you and any friends you have helping you will need to be able to lift each piece of furniture with ease. Professional commercial movers will cost you, it’s true. But the cost of replacing a treasured piece of furniture will cost you more.
Of course, the choice is up to you. Just remember to request a free consultation with a skilled mover so that you understand your options. You might even get a few tips should you still decide to move your antique furniture yourself.
Moving to a new place is stressful. There’s the planning, the packing, the moving and storage for items that won’t fit, and then the unpacking that seems to take three times as long as the packing up did. Add delicate furniture pieces to the list, and it shapes up to be one big headache. But it’s important to remember that moving can also be exciting. It’s a fresh start in a new place, but hopefully with intact furniture.
