No crying over spilled paint: How to move fine art safely to your new home

Do you collect fine art? Is your residence adorned with treasured antiques? Do you revel in being surrounded by beautiful paintings in your home? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these, you probably know the meaning of sentimental value, and in most cases monetary value since art isn’t usually cheap! It can be scary to imagine transporting these kinds of fragile and valuable objects up and out of your house if you have an impending move.

In the event you are moving in the Lower Mainland, or moving across Canada with fine art in tow, there are a few things to keep in mind. When moving high value items, it’s important to plan ahead, communicate with your movers, and stock up on packing supplies!

Account for all of your art pieces before you move and consider insurance

Expensive jewellery can fit in a padded box, a vintage guitar can fit in its case, but art pieces can come in the randomest of shapes and sizes. It’s a good idea to take inventory on everything you anticipate taking with you on your move. That way you can even put aside extra special pieces to be moved by hand in a personal vehicle.

Depending on their value, you might have to separately insure fine art pieces in BC. Sometimes regular home insurance plans do not account for high-value art collections. It is imperative you check with your insurance broker before you move to ensure all of your items are protected. After all, art is fragile and one of a kind– it’s wise to view it as an investment so you can safeguard its value.

Less is NOT more: Stock up on quality packing supplies

We’ve previously talked about what’s involved in properly packing framed photos and paintings, and you can find a simple step by step in this resource. However, fine art often goes beyond paintings and more durable packing solutions are required.

If you are going to be putting fine art objects into a box, it is wise to use one box per item (obviously, if the object is smaller than a milk jug, perhaps doubling up is ok). Then, you can wrap it many times over with bubble wrap, and surround it with packing peanuts or filler instead of other objects that might knock into it. Give yourself ample time to do this, as being rushed might cause you to accidentally damage your art while trying to pack it. Even experiment with using an old pillow on the bottom of your moving boxes or tote bins to provide extra cushioning.

Each piece of art is different, so as we mentioned above, give yourself lots of time. You might have to go through a bit of trial and error before coming to the safest solution.

Be diligent in communicating with your local moving company

From the moment you find a moving company, be very upfront about high value art pieces being involved. Moving companies should be familiar with replacement value protection and should be able to provide a written policy for your to reference. Our trained movers are especially careful, but sometimes highlighting the sentimental value of something will ensure a person will care enough to go the extra mile for you.

Also, be very present on moving day and work with your moving crew. Who knows, maybe your painting is the size of an entire wall, or maybe you have a statue or sculpture several feet high. This will ensure a team effort is going into your fine art pieces making their way safely to your new home. You thought babies were high maintenance– moving a piece of fine art truly does take a village!

Hire a reliable moving company that cares about your possessions

Ferguson Moving & Storage ensures each move we do is done with caution and care. If you have precious pieces of art that need moving, call us at 604-922-2212 or fill out a quick online quote.