Keeping your antiques and art safe in self storage

Whether you antiques and art are retained for precious memories or they are collectibles, when storing and transporting, you need to use extra caution to protect from damage and theft.

How to keep your antiques safe when packing

• Aquire a valuation for any good going into storage, you will be required by your storage company to purchase insurance while storing and may need to list some of these specific items on your insurance.
• Clean and dry thoroughly, this prevents airborne dust particles and mildew from staining and damaging your antiques whilst in storage.
• Treat each piece before storage e.g. for wooden antiques use a proper wood conditioner before storing to protect the integrity of the piece.
• Remove any loose or fragile parts to be wrapped separately and tape mirrors and glass.
• Only use acid-free paper when wrapping antique items
• Use layers of acid-free paper between layers of clothing and linen and where possible do not fold.
• Roll silverware individually in soft cotton clothes to protect from tarnishing.
• Cover or wrap furniture in a  protective layer and store each item separately.
• After items have been wrapped put extra fragile items into crates for extra protection.
• Remember you cannot go overboard with use of corrugated cardboard, bubble wrap or polystyrene peanuts to keep fragile items safe.
• Label everything and indicate correct orientation (this way up arrows).

How to properly pack art pieces

• Wrap every piece of art in acid-free polyester plastic specifically designed to store artwork.  
• Avoid using bubble wrap as the first layer as it may leave marks on your artwork.  
• Where possible use acid-free boxes specifically designed to store artwork. For expensive and fragile artwork it is worth the investment of custom built crates.
• Label all items correctly and indicate orientation, this is critical as framed painting may otherwise become dislodged and damaged.

Extra safety and security measures

• Choose a self storage facility that has individually alarmed units and pin code entry on security gates.
• Spend the money on purchasing a heavy duty lock.
• Ensure your insurance will fully cover your antiques and art while in insurance against theft, fire and flood damage.
• If unsure how to look after any antique or art items pop into a local dealer such as Antique Alley where they will be able to advise you on storage of each individual item. 

Lastly ... rest easy knowing you have done everything you can to keep your memories safe for future generations.

How to effectively pack a storage unit

When I pack a storage unit I think of it like packing a moving truck. My main aim is to ultilise the maximum available space and keep my possessions damage free. I very quickly came to the realisation that to do it well and get the most bang for my buck a well executed plan goes a long way.

1. Create an inventory

Before you begin to pack, make a detailed list of everything that will go into the storage unit. This makes it easy when you need to access your storage unit to remember what is in your unit and where it is packed. It is also great to have on hand if you need to make a insurance claim in case of disasters such as fires or flooding.

2. Clean EVERYTHING before storing

Opening a fridge or washing machine after a few months in storage that hasn't been cleaned first can have some pretty nasty consequences, empty all food, waste water etc. out of electrical items and ensure nothing perishable is packed into boxes. I have also found using damp-rid silicon packets in my boxes can soak up any excess moisture as can vacuum packing.

3. Box and cover everything

Utilising all available space and preventing damage are always my two primary goals when packing my storage unit. To achieve this whenever possible I use uniformly sized boxes to pack all the items and mattress and furniture covers to protect large items.  By using boxes that are strong, have flat, non-slippery surfaces and can be stacked high I can use all the available vertical space. Old banana boxes may seem great at the time, but they do have a tendency to cause some pretty major unwanted damage.

4. Pack your items tightly

Leave no space unused! By packing possessions tightly inside your boxes it prevents breakages and sunken boxes.

5. Label the boxes

Don't forget what you have in your boxes. I am really specific when I label my boxes, everything is itemised on the outside and a different colour permanent marker is used for each room in the house so I know immediately which room they belong to when I move them back into my house. Once in my storage unit I face all the labels towards the door and/or the aisle so I can identify them easily.  I love the smart-move tapes below to make my life easier.

6. Leave room for easy access

Sometimes my items end up in storage much longer than I originally anticipated. So when moving my possessions into a storage unit I draw a plan with an aisle creating an access way and ensure all boxes I need that I may need to access are on the aisle or at the front.

7.  Stack the heaviest items at the back

Mattresses, fridges and washing machines can cause damage both to you and smaller items if they happen to fall. I stack them against the wall at the back with other heavy items between them and put the lighter small boxes on top.