10 helpful tips for moving antique furniture

10 helpful tips for moving antique furniture - moving company

Antique furniture can be very expensive to acquire or might hold a special place in your heart. Moving normal pieces of furniture can be difficult but with antique furniture this process to amplified. Repairing antiques is expensive or it might even be impossible. The best way to go about moving antiques is to prevent them from getting damaged in the first place. The following are some tips to help you move antique furniture and can be applied to moving furniture or appliances in general.

1. When moving antique furniture, secure all moving parts such as doors and drawers. Attach keys to cabinets and shelves inside the furniture to avoid losing them.

2. Sometimes moving antique furniture is tedious because of  the pieces can be heavy. If an antique piece of furniture is heavy but has drawers and other removable parts, remove them prior to moving. Some furniture can become 50% lighter when you remove drawers. If legs or other fragile elements can be removed dissemble the furniture. This will prevent your furniture company from dropping or dragging the furniture when moving it.

3. Carefully choose the delivery or moving company. Before you hire any company, you should make sure that the moving company is well-equipped and experienced to handle antiques. Be careful when looking for cost savings because any damage to antique furniture will quickly cancel any costs you might save.

4. Use blankets in the van/truck to prevent scratches. You can even wrap the items in bubble wrap or with blankets and masking tape. Make sure to mark the furniture as fragile. Tell your moving company to pack the furniture upright and not to place anything on top of them

5. Make sure the courier’s insurance covers the full value of your antiques to avoid not being covered for transport damage.

6. Before moving antique furniture, photograph it in good condition to have evidence that it was okay prior to moving.

7. Take all details of the courier. This should be done when you book the moving company. Be sure to tell them directly that you have fragile and expensive items that you are moving. Mark the wrapped furniture with ‘fragile’ and ‘do not pack anything on top of this product’

8. Always have enough people to do the heavy lifting when moving antique furniture. If need be use sliders under the furniture to avoid damaging the bottom of the furniture or if you have wooden floors. Sliders could be cardboard or old blankets.

9. Make sure that there are people in the house when the antique furniture is collected. Their help might be needed to carry the product or to explain to the moving company which furniture is fragile.

10. Be grateful for people who help you to deliver antique furniture safely and tip them for competent and hard work.

Moving antiques moving company

Click HERE for some tips for physically moving the furniture itself

Relocation tips: learning about the neighborhood

Relocation tips

So, you just finished moving and are in your new home exhausted and surrounded by boxes. Your furniture is packed up and ready to go and your moving company has been booked. However, you are not in a hurry to start unpacking because you are in a strange place where you have no friends and don’t even know your new neighbour. People need a year or two to get used to their new neighbourhood. There are some things you can do to speed up the process and we shall mention some relocation tips here…

Meet the neighbors

Some people would prefer it if their new neighbors knocked on their door one day with a fruit cake to welcome them to the neighborhood. However, this does not always happen so you have to take the initiative. This might be difficult to do but it will show your neighbors that you are a sociable person. Neighbors will warm up to you a lot quicker if you approach them first. You can organise a small party and send hand-written invitations to your neighbours if you don’t want to go door-to-door. Make sure your home is semi-unpacked with some furniture set out.

Look for friendly people who are active and like the things you do

If you are not the type of person who likes club activities, it might be time for you to start after relocation. You can find people and clubs that suit your interests simply by searching Yellow Pages or the internet.

Explore

No number of relocation tips can help you to settle into your new home. Just walk out the door and walk aimlessly in the new neighbourhood. Go grocery shopping, find places to indulge in your favourite activities, or just go to the park and take in the scenery.

Click HERE for more tips on how to make friends in your new neighbourhood after moving home or office.

Before moving make sure you have chosen a moving company that eases you into the moving process. Someone who handles furniture removal, offers you transit insurance, storage facilities and even packs for you. Once you have your moving company sorted you will have more time to meet your neighbours and settle into your new neighbourhood.

Relocation and furniture removal

Your Moving Home CheckList

moving-house-checklist

Numerous studies confirm that moving home is one of the most stressful events that people encounter. One of the things you can do to relieve some of the stress is to be very well prepared. The following are some of the things you should do when moving home – here is your very own moving home checklist

Who do you tell?

Of course you cannot just get up and move away without informing some people. You should let the following people know that you are moving home, maybe using a stock email with your new address and contact details.

  • Your internet service provider, telephone provider, and Cable TV Company
  • Your building society, bank, pension provider, and any other lenders or companies you have investments with
  • Store card and credit card companies
  • The municipality
  • The domestic revenue office
  • Employers
  • Magazines you have subscribed to, charities, etc.
  • Your children’s schools
  • The department of motor vehicles
  • Family, friends, and colleagues

What to do on the day of moving home

1. Before moving clear out and have a jumble sale, label all boxes accurately to make unpacking easy

2. Switch off all electricity, gas, light, sprinklers and geyser before you leave – hand over your old keys to the new owners

3. If you are using a moving company, give the foreman your new house’s layout so that everything can be put in the right place. Measure the spaces in your new home to ensure this furniture will fit where you want it to

4. Make sure that every item that was included when you bought/rented your new house is present. These things include carpets, curtains, light fittings, etc. Also ensure that electricity and phone lines are activate from the day you move in

5. For extra security, consider having the locks in your new home changed.

6. When you have finally completed moving home, you will most probably be exhausted. Collapse on the sofa, order some food and pop open a bottle of champagne.

You don’t have to do all the work when moving home. You can hire a moving specialist who can handle everything including transferring utilities, making change of address cards, hiring a removal firm, and much more.

Have a look below for another view on moving  house checklist:

moving house checklist

How to Handle the Psychological Effects of Moving House

The process of moving home or office can have large psychological effects on your employees, your family and you. Human’s naturally avoid change and adjusting to as large a change as relocation is really quite a big deal. Along with the physical process of moving comes dealing with new people, friend, a new job and new schools all of which can result in a range of emotions. So here are a few pieces of advice that might lessen the stress of moving home or office

1. Accept that you are moving. Tackle it head on
2. Visit your new home or office a few times: Take your family or coworkers with – allow them to adjust to the new area and space gradually instead of suddenly springing the relocation on them. An idea could be to gradually move stuff into your new house or office together over an extended period of time
3. Maintain your routines: Keep your lifestyle and routines roughly the same in your new home or office space.
4. Say goodbye to the space: Organise a farewell party or closing party. This might give you closure when moving away from a space
5. make the most of your new home or space. After moving home or office explore the area, attend events and activities in the area and focus on enjoying your new space.
6. Accept that at times your may feel uncomfortable and uprooted: be honest with yourself, allow yourself to feel uneasy, stressed or upset by maintain a positive attitude

moving house stress and pshycological effect

Life is constantly evolving and the change associated with relocation is something that needs to be accepted. If you can embrace the move and view it as an opportunity for new experiences, you will tend to reap the benefits more than those who resist it.

What To Look For in A Moving Company

Moving Company, furniture removal

When it comes time to move from one home to another, things can easily get out of hand. From the packing process to the physical labor involved with transporting your life to another locale, things can turn hectic fast. It’s for that reason that you may want to look into getting a moving company to help you with the heavy lifting. When you’re looking at the variety of options that are available today, you will want to look for several things in a company, and not just hire anyone to help.

The first thing to look for in a moving company is their location. Calling local companies will benefit you because of distance that they are from you. A closer company means faster service, as they will not have to come a great distance to get to you. This is of course something to look into if you’re not moving out of the province or too far.

For those that are moving a long distance, or relatively far, make sure to ask about the pricing of your move. You’ll denote that companies charge based on weight, length of truck needed, mileage, and labor. You will need to cycle through several estimates, to ensure you’re getting the best rate from the most competent movers.

The last thing to look into is licensing and insurance. Always hire movers that are licensed and insured to help you. In case anything goes awry, even if it’s small, you need to be covered from loss and damage.

What Do All The Best Moving Companies Have in Common?

What do all the best moving companies have in common? That question is something that all consumers should ask themselves when it comes time to move home or move office. If you find yourself amidst the moving process and needing help with your relocation, then consider the common traits that come alongside with the best in the industry. You’ll find that these will also help you narrow down the search for a competent, fast moving, and affordable company to work with.

Insurance and Licenses

Every company that is in the industry will need to have insurance, licenses, and possibly bonding. If you hire someone that doesn’t advertise this notion, then you can’t really trust them. Don’t confide in any moving company that doesn’t have these in place, because you will be risking your furniture and more.

Free Estimates

If the company you call doesn’t give you an estimate based on your information, then you will be surprised by the bill after you hire them. Ask for an estimate, and you should receive one with relative ease.

Local and Long Distance Options

The best in the moving industry will give you an option of local or long distance moving. Whether you are going a few miles or you are going out of the province, you will want to make sure that you go with a company that has experience doing both.

Online Reputation

When narrowing down the options you have for moving companies, look at online reputation. The best have good reviews across the board on various sites. Websites such as Hello Peter could be a good example of this.

South African Accreditation

In South Africa all good moving companies or furniture removal companies should be registered or part of a movers association. An associations to look out for is: PMA (Professional Movers Association) and AMOSA (Accredited Movers of PMS SA). Furniture removal companies with these badges on their website are part of these organisations and therefore are more likely to provide you with satisfactory service.

AMOSA PMA

 

Click HERE for a furniture removal quote

The Similarities Between Moving Office and Moving Home

move office

When it comes to getting help with moving things, you will find that there are a few options that you can pursue. Whether you just need more muscle or you need the transportation assistance, you will find that you can choose between office removals and residential removals. These two services will allow you to get affordable assistance without having to spend a great deal of money. While there may be subtle differences in the name, each solution does the same thing for the most part.

The first thing that you want to do when hiring either one is to look for an estimate, which will require you to call the company you want to work with ahead of time, and explain the job in full. You will then be given a price based on the information that you are able to give them. When you get the estimate, do not agree to the terms just yet, you’ll want to shop around.

Keep in mind that the lowest quote may not always be the best one for your needs. Always stake into account reputation, price, and years in business. You also want to make sure that the company is licensed, insured, and bonded for added protection of your goods. You don’t want to trust anyone that could potentially damage your furniture.

Here are some similarities   between moving office and moving home

  • Know your budget
  • You need to right moving company to do the job
  • Furniture and Appliances need to be protected
  • Files and other objects might need to be kept in chronological order
  • Start packing and preparing at least 3 weeks in advance
  • Pick a moving date and keep to it
  • Shop around for moving quotes before settling on a moving company

Finding reliable office and residential removals is not a complicated task, but it could turn painstaking. There are a lot of companies doing these things, so you’ll want to narrow down your search accordingly.

furniture removal

Duct Tape and Packing Boxes: Items you need when you are Relocating

When you are going to move homes, packing becomes paramount. Whether you want to spend a great deal of time on this, or you try and rush through it all, you need to realise that packing takes time. You will need spend a good deal of time putting things in boxes and finding out how you’re going to get from point A to point B.  Consider the examples given below as a checklist of essentials for moving home. The idea is to help make the relocation experience as easy and efficient as possible.

12 Items You Will Need When Relocating (Moving)

Duct Tape – You’ll need heavy duty tape for boxes and other incidentals.

Packing boxes – Never underestimate the need for plenty of boxes. For an average size house start with 20 small moving boxes, 15 medium moving boxes and 10 large packing boxes as well as approximately 5 heavy duty boxes.

Packing paper – Look for paper that is all brown or find discarded newspapers to pack your items with.

Plastic wrap or bubble wrap – Wrapping up your furniture for moving is a great plan, and something that can be easily done with a roll of plastic wrap.

Box Cutter – A good box cutter will prove incredibly valuable for cutting through cardboard and more.

Mattress bag – If you’re going to be moving your matters, then it becomes imperative to have a bag for it. A mattress bag will help with keeping things clean upon moving.

Markers – Invest in permanent markers so that you can label all your boxes and ensure that nothing gets lost or left behind.

Packing peanuts – For extra peace of mind, foam peanuts could allow you to pack fragile things with more cushioning.

Transportation – You will want to have your transportation booked, especially if you’re hiring movers to  help.

Dolly – Purchase a dolly to help with moving appliances out of the way for cleaning and more.

Inflatable bags – these inflate to fill spaces and are ideal for fragile appliances or household items

Labels – either custom printed or blank will help you organise the contents of your boxes

moving house, bubble wrap and boxes

moving house, boxes

 

How To Find A Professional Yet Affordable Movers or Moving Company

Millions of people today will need help with their upcoming move. While there are ways to do it on your own, it’s never advisable to do it all, as there are a variety of things that could cause headaches. From the packing, to the heavy lifting, the total costs associated with doing it alone could rise exponentially compared to simply learning how to find a professional, yet professional movers or moving company. If you’re not sure how to do this, or have misinformation, you may want to look at a few tips.

Do not miss out on the yellow pages. While many companies have taken their listings to the online world, you will find that many companies still rely on these pages. Check them out and look for buzzwords like free estimates, insured, bonded, licensed, and more. The companies that have been around quite a bit will be in there.

cheap moving company

Look online for reviews, and make sure that you look for specific information on any company you plan on calling. Look for cost break downs, friendliness of the movers, and whether or not they would be recommended. When seeking the right company to work with, reviews become very valuable at finding out information about their service.

Most importantly you need to look for a moving company that meets your needs, someone who is happy to help you get a free quote, give pre-move consulting as well as services such as packing and transit insurance.

One option to consider is to ask for references when calling movers or a moving company. You’ll be surprised how forthcoming companies may be with this. Good companies will be glad to give you references, so that you can hear firsthand a testimonial from a satisfied customer.

For more tips and tricks on how to pick the right furniture removal company for you click HERE

Protect your Furniture when Moving home

Moving from one location to another is complicated and stressful for most people. Businesses and even homeowners will agree to the complications that could arise when trying to do the literal heavy lifting of items. If you don’t want to deal with the headaches found with this, you’ll want to look into hiring a company to help. The process may be simple, but you’ll want to learn how to ensure your furniture doesn’t get damaged by your furniture removal company, for added peace of mind.

Start off by buying or borrowing protective material, this could include bubble wrap, blankets and duct tape. Next one should wrap your furniture in plastic sheeting. Wrapping furniture completely and thoroughly will form a shrink wrapping that will allow for easier transport. Otherwise, your items may move in the truck or could get damaged when going through doorways, down hallways, or in tight spaces. This process is not complicated, or difficult and can ensure added protection to your belongings.
Another method that you can utilise is to cover your furniture with blankets, and then tie them down. The blankets will protect the edges, and if you tie everything down in place, picking up and moving around heavy items will be easy for whomever you hire to do the physical labor.

furniture removal

Try to dust and clean furniture before it is collected and packed as loose dust could scratch the surfice of the furniture. Make sure that the furniture is tightly fastened in the moving van or truck. You do not want your furniture

When you are shopping around for a furniture removal company, make absolute sure that they are licensed, bonded, and insured. This is the only way, outside of doing the aforementioned, to guarantee that your furniture is taken care of, in case anything goes awry. If nothing else, you will gain peace of mind. Even if your moving company promises careful furniture removal, accidents still happen. A way to further protect your possessions is through transit insurance.

Click HERE for more tips and tricks for furniture removal