Moving house takes careful organisation. When paintings, sculptures or other valuable artworks are involved, there is an extra layer of planning to consider.
Your collection may include pieces with financial value, personal significance or delicate materials. Each needs suitable handling, protection and transport arrangements, alongside everything else happening on moving day.
Professional art handlers can help you plan this part of the move. At Aardvark Art Services, we work with private collectors and other art owners to transport artwork throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
Here is our checklist for preparing an art collection for a house move.
Create an Inventory of Your Art Collection
Start by making a list of every artwork that needs to move.
Include a photograph, a brief description, its dimensions and its location in your current home. Measure framed paintings with their frames included, and note any particularly heavy or awkward pieces.
Record features that may affect handling, such as glazing, fragile decorative frames, loose components or delicate surfaces.
An inventory helps you explain the scope of the move to your art handlers. It also gives you a practical checklist when the collection arrives at your new property.
For larger collections, number each piece and use the same references throughout your records.
Photograph Each Artwork’s Condition
Before anything is packed, photograph the collection in good light.
Capture each piece in full, then take close-ups of corners, edges, frames and any existing damage. For sculptures and three-dimensional works, photograph them from several angles.
Keep the images somewhere you can access easily during the move. Make sure the photographs match the references in your inventory.
These records help you check the artwork after delivery and give the transport team useful information about areas requiring particular care.
If a piece is especially valuable, fragile or already damaged, discuss its condition before arranging collection. Advice from a conservator may be appropriate where its stability is uncertain.
Speak to Art Handlers Early
Do not leave the artwork arrangements until the rest of your move is already booked.
Contact your art handlers as soon as you have a likely moving date. Share your inventory, photographs and both property addresses so they can assess the requirements.
Explain whether you are moving a few individual pieces or an entire collection. Mention any artwork that is unusually large, heavy or difficult to access.
Early discussions give you time to agree packaging, collection and delivery arrangements. They also help identify practical issues before moving day.
If your completion date is uncertain, make that clear and ask how changes would affect the booking.
Coordinate With Your Household Removal Company
Make sure everyone involved understands who is responsible for the artwork.
If a separate specialist is transporting your collection, tell the household removal company which items are excluded from its load. Keep those pieces clearly identified and agree who will handle them.
Consider whether collecting the artwork before the main house move would make access easier. A quieter collection period may reduce congestion around doors, stairs and loading areas.
Your art handlers and removal company will also need realistic access arrangements. Avoid booking both teams to use a restricted driveway or entrance at the same time without discussing it first.
Clear responsibilities help keep the move organised.
Check Access at Your New Home
Think about how each artwork will enter the new property.
A painting that fits comfortably through your current front door may be difficult to move through a narrower entrance or around a tight staircase.
Check relevant doorway dimensions, corridors, stairs and lifts. Tell your art handlers about steps, restricted parking or a long carrying distance from the vehicle.
For larger pieces, send photographs of the access route if requested. Discuss any obstacles before collection rather than discovering them when the artwork arrives.
You do not need to have every display position finalised, but it helps to know where the collection can be safely received.
Agree Suitable Packaging and Handling
Different artworks need different approaches.
Framed paintings, works on paper, ceramics and sculptures can have very different vulnerabilities. Packaging should take account of their materials, condition, dimensions and the planned journey.
Speak to your art handlers before removing pieces from their display positions or wrapping them yourself. Explain any existing packaging and ask whether it is suitable.
Avoid applying tape or wrapping materials directly to artwork surfaces. Do not assume that adding more layers automatically makes a piece safer; pressure and unsuitable contact can introduce their own problems.
Agree who will prepare each item and when this will happen.
Plan for a Gap Between Properties
Sometimes the collection cannot go directly from one home to the other.
Completion dates may change, renovation work may still be underway, or the new property may not be ready to receive delicate items.
Raise this possibility when planning the move. If temporary storage may be needed, discuss suitable arrangements in advance, including access, cover and how the artwork will be transferred.
Avoid leaving valuable pieces in a space simply because it is available. Garages, outbuildings and rooms undergoing building work may expose artwork to damp, dust or changing conditions.
Planning for a delay gives you more options if the moving schedule changes.
Confirm Cover Before Moving Day
Review the insurance arrangements for the collection before transport begins.
Ask what cover applies during handling and transit, and whether additional arrangements are needed. If storage is involved, clarify the cover for that stage too.
Keep relevant valuations, photographs and booking documents together. Tell the transporter about any pieces whose value or particular requirements need to be considered.
Confirm the details directly so you understand the applicable limits, conditions and exclusions.
Prepare a Safe Receiving Area
Before the collection arrives, choose a suitable place for the handover.
Keep access clear of furniture, boxes and other moving-day clutter. Where possible, choose an area away from active decorating or building work.
Have your inventory ready so you can check that every piece has arrived. Follow the agreed process for checking condition, and raise any concerns promptly.
Discuss positioning or installation requirements separately before the move if you need help with them. Transporting an artwork and installing it may involve different arrangements.
Giving the collection a planned arrival space helps you settle it into the new home carefully.
Plan Your Move With Aardvark Art Services
Moving an art collection is easier when its requirements are considered from the start. An inventory, condition photographs and clear access information give everyone a better understanding of what is involved.
At Aardvark Art Services, our trained art handlers work with private collectors, artists, galleries and auctioneers. We understand that each piece deserves individual attention throughout collection and delivery.
If you are preparing for a house move, contact us to discuss your collection and transport requirements.
Call 01253 794673 or visit our website to request a quote.