Check your insurance before you pack anything
Most removals policies exclude or cap high-value items unless they are individually declared in advance, and some exclude glass breakage entirely unless the item was packed by the remover. Read the wording, then declare each piece with a value and photograph.
Do the same with your home contents insurance. Cover during transit between two addresses is a common gap: the old policy may end at the door and the new one begin at the other. Ring the insurer and get the transit position confirmed in writing.
- Declare individual high-value pieces with valuations
- Check whether glass breakage is covered when self-packed
- Confirm cover applies in transit between addresses
- Photograph every piece, front and back, before packing
Packing framed pieces
The two failure modes are glass breaking and something pressing through the front. Tape a large X across glass so that if it breaks the shards are held rather than travelling into the artwork — this is unnecessary and harmful on acrylic, which the tape can mark, so check which you have first.
Then build up layers: acid-free tissue or glassine against the frame, bubble wrap with the bubbles facing outward, and corner protectors. Finish with a purpose-made picture box or two sheets of stiff cardboard taped into a sandwich. Label the outside with the contents, which way is up, and a bold warning not to lay it flat.
- Tape an X across glass — never across acrylic
- Glassine or acid-free tissue against the frame face
- Bubble side outwards, corner protectors on all four corners
- Rigid outer box, clearly labelled with orientation
Loading and travelling
Framed pieces travel upright and on their long edge, never flat and never stacked with anything on top. Stand them against a van's side wall, separated by blankets, and strap them so they cannot slide. Weight resting on a flat frame is what pushes glass through a photograph.
Keep the most valuable pieces in your own car if you can. A short, controlled journey in a heated cabin removes a whole category of risk, and it means the items never leave your possession.
Temperature, timing and unpacking
Do not unpack straight away. An item that has spent hours in a cold van will condense moisture on its glazing the moment it enters a warm house. Let each package acclimatise, still wrapped, for several hours — ideally overnight — before opening it.
Unpack in a clean, dry room with clear floor space, keep the packing materials for future use, and inspect each piece against the photographs you took before it left. Damage claims are far easier when you can show the before-and-after within a day of arrival.
- Acclimatise wrapped items for several hours before opening
- Unpack in a dry room with space to lay things out
- Inspect against pre-move photographs immediately
- Report any damage to the remover and insurer within their stated window
Posting or couriering individual pieces
The same principles apply, with two additions. Use acrylic rather than glass where you have the option, and choose a courier service with a declared-value option that actually covers the piece rather than a nominal default of fifty or a hundred pounds.
Everything we ship within the UK travels tracked at our flat rate, packed to the standard above. We do not ship internationally.
Every item we sell is supplied with the WDW Certificate of Authenticity, signed by Derek Warwick and valid for as long as you own the piece.
Need a straight answer on a specific piece?
Send photographs and we'll give you an honest opinion — whether you're buying, selling or simply curious. You can also visit us at 87 Princes Street, Southend-on-Sea, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–4pm.