There is no question that moving home can be one of the most stressful times of anyone’s life. After all, you will be moving all of your belongings which you will have likely spent years collecting and moving them to a new location. The key here is that whilst many of these items will be fairly valuable they will also be incredibly sentimental. So, you will want these items to move from your old home to your new one without sustaining any damage. As you might expect there are many ways for you to keep these items safe and in this blog we will run through these.
Unfortunately, it does happen from time to time and things get damaged. Though the key is to do as much as you possibly can to mitigate this risk. Naturally, you won’t just do one thing and leave the rest to chance. To reduce the risk as much as possible you should incorporate as many mitigating measures as possible so you can be rest assured that your items are safe. So, what are these measures? Well, they can vary from things which you can do at home before the move day and things which you ask your removals company to do whilst they are moving the items around.
Don’t share your move
Moving home is incredibly exciting and you are probably on the edge of your seat waiting to tell all of your friends about your exciting new steps. Though, you should proceed with caution before you start to share this new move online and on social media. Of course, telling your most trusted friends in person is slightly different but when you post a video or image on social media almost everyone can see it. As you might expect, you should be somewhat careful with this kind of thing as you may attract unwanted attention.
Always label boxes
The fact is that when you move house you will often need to move an extremely large amount of objects and one of the largest risks is losing things. All too often people don’t label their boxes correctly and items get lost with miscellaneous objects. While it may seem obvious an easy way around this is to simply label your box with its contents. This way when you start to unpack you can easily locate things and put them safely in the places where you need them. It doesn’t necessarily matter what kind of label you use but we would recommend using a label printer for clarity.
Use storage facilities
Sometimes, moving everything in one go can just be too much. Let’s say you are moving a large distance, perhaps from the south of England to the North. If this is the case then your move will almost certainly take a fair amount of time and you may spend a great deal of time between the two homes. This will mean that at least one of your homes with a fair amount of your things in will be unoccupied and therefore vulnerable. To combat this you could place a few of your more valuable or sentimental items in a secure storage unit so you no longer have to worry about their safety.
Keep hold of valuables
Sometimes your valuables are just too precious to leave unoccupied and you will need to have a pair of eyes watching over them. In this instance moving home can sometimes be a stressful ordeal. Though there is one fairly simple way to avoid this stress and keep your items safe at the same time. The smaller, more manageable valuable items you have you should keep on your person so you can avoid any of that unwanted stress and worry. Of course, you won’t be able to keep everything close to you but can definitely look after your most treasured items.
Write an inventory
Over the years we’re sure you have built up a fair amount of possessions and it can be difficult to remember everything you have. In fact, often people only recognise they are missing something when they need it and, by that point, it is often too late. So, you’ll be glad to know that there is a simple way around this that you can easily do in a few hours. All you need to do is make an inventory list of all of the most important items you have. This way, when you are unpacking your things you can tick things off as you go ensuring that nothing is forgotten.
Move insurance
As we’re sure you are aware there are many different insurance policies which you can now obtain to protect a variety of different items or, in fact, scenarios. When moving home you will likely need to obtain a wide range of insurance policies from home insurance to perhaps even life insurance. Though one of the most useful is move insurance. Often these kinds of policies will protect the value of your home’s contents. So, if anything gets damaged during your move you will have the financial element of this inconvenience covered. There are a wide range of move insurance providers so make sure you shop around to find the best deal.
Pack your security system at the end
We’re sure that many of our readers have security measures in place in their homes from cameras to large electric gates. If this is the case then we would suggest packing these items away last during your move. Why? Well, these items are designed to protect your home and its contents. So, while you’re packing and leaving your home unoccupied for a long period of time then your cameras and other security measures will be able to keep your home’s contents safe. We would then strongly recommend that you re-fit these security measures to your new home as soon as possible.
Tracking systems
Over the past few years, there have been a variety of different remote tracking systems which have been developed. Thanks to improved GPS software and other commuter systems we have been able to build small tracking systems which cost a great deal less than a few years ago. So, if you have a few items that are worth a great deal to you sentimentally then you should fit them with these tracking devices. This means that if they do go missing you will be able to track them down and find them fairly easily.
Utilise locks
This may seem a touch obvious but you should use locks wherever you can during your move. While it may seem like your items are safe once you have moved into your home the likelihood is you will still be to and from your old home a fair amount. This means that your new home could be left vulnerable and without locks, your items may be easy to access. Therefore with a few simple locks, you can safeguard your antique furniture and other items from being stolen or damaged. So, what else should you look out for? Keep reading to find out.
Use a removals company
A removal company really is a must when it comes to moving house. After all, these people will be professionals in the trade with many years of experience when it comes to handling large pieces of furniture and other objects. They will therefore be able to take far better care of your belongings than others. A removal service will have experience in handling a variety of items. What’s more, you may even be able to find a specialist antique removal service that can handle your things with the care they deserve. So, make sure you have a look for the right company.
Here at Essex Removals, we have many years of experience in the industry and certainly know a thing or two about antique removals. So, if you need a team of reliable experts then we are the people for you. We can help and advise you on how best to tackle your move and make sure that everything goes smoothly. So, contact us today to find out more!
