Your photo prints and home videos need extra care when you are moving from one place to another. If you aren’t careful, these memories could be lost or damaged, meaning you will never be able to look at them again. The best way to protect family photos when moving is to, whether by hand or through a photo scanning company, create digital files that serve as back-ups, along with taking extra steps when packing and loading the boxes for transport.
We often work with families that have several boxes of photo prints and want to protect them ahead of a move. Follow our tips to learn how to protect family pictures when moving.
1. Digitize Your Photos and Videos Before You Pack
No matter how you pack or store your prints, there is a risk that they will get damaged during the moving process. There are countless things that are out of your control, from how the movers handle your boxes to natural elements like flooding.
The safest way to protect family photos when moving is to create digital copies that are stored on the cloud or a physical device like a USB flash drive or hard drive. If your photos get damaged, lost, or destroyed, you can create new prints with the click of a button. Plus, you will always have access to these images during the move, even if you need to place boxes of prints in storage for several months.
Before you start the packing process, gather all of your family photos and memories that you plan to move with. These can also include movie film, camcorder videos, slides, and scrapbooks. Ship these items to Memory Fortress and we can digitize each format and preserve them on flash drives, DVDs, or in digital cloud files. We will send you the digital copies and return your originals before you move.
You will never have to worry about losing your photos in the move because the copies are backed up in digital format.
2. Invest in Packing Materials for Framed Photos
If you have framed art and photos on your wall, invest in picture frame corner protectors and bubble wrap pouches to store each piece. Too often, families will try to protect family photos when moving by wrapping frames in old towels or stacking them together in boxes. These protections aren’t always enough.
Too often, these homeowners unpack their boxes and discover that frames are chipped and the glass is broken. If you have custom frames for your family photos, replacing the damaged pieces could get expensive.
When you start packing for a move, count the framed photos and other pieces of art you need to travel with. It’s worth the cost to buy picture-specific packing materials for each item.
3. Find Storage Containers for Print Photos
Your family memories will start to degrade over time. Film breaks down after 10 to 20 years depending on how it is stored. If you had a camcorder before the digital era and own boxes of tapes from family memories, then these tapes could be degrading a little bit each year.
Additionally, other elements are proven to wear out photo prints. Heat and sunlight can bleach photos, ruining their original colors and causing them to blur. Moisture can cause some photos to run while humidity will make prints stick together. If you leave your photo memories in storage, you might discover that your prints are fused together and difficult to pull apart without ripping.
Choose the right storage container to protect family photos when moving. It should be water-tight and opaque. You can find rubber storage bins at most improvement stores, and for additional protection, look into archival paper that you can place between images.
Do not use paper clips or rubber bands to organize your photos. Look into small storage boxes and envelopes made of archival material. Paper clips and rubber bands can cut into your photos and damage them permanently.
4. Keep Precious Memories With You
If you are hiring a moving van or a pod service that transfers your belongings for you, consider setting aside your print photos instead of loading them up with the rest of your items. Most moving companies have insurance policies that will replace your furniture, kitchen appliances, and other essentials if they get damaged on the trip. However, some items are irreplaceable. You can buy a new blender tomorrow, but you can’t get a replacement wedding album or travel scrapbook.
In order to protect family photos when moving, consider storing them in the car or truck that you are traveling in. This way you can take steps to protect the boxes instead of hoping the moving service you hire is transporting them carefully.
5. Find a Place to Store Your Photos as Soon as You Arrive
As soon as you get into your new home, prioritize unloading and storing your family memories. You don’t want these boxes staying on the moving truck for too long or sitting outside while other furniture pieces are moved in. Plus, if you don’t find a place for these memories first, you risk storing them in an area where they could be damaged (like a garage or attic).
Identify a closet or storage area that you can dedicate to storing family mementos. It should be climate-controlled and away from sunlight. There should be no risk of moisture or chemicals (like cleaning products) falling onto the boxes. This way you can store the photos for years without any risk of damaging them.
Take Steps to Protect Family Photos When Moving
If you are ready to sell your house and move to a new area, start preparing for how you will protect your pictures when moving well before your current home hits the market. Collect all of your family memories, from printed photos to framed images, and send them to our team for digitization. We can turn all of your analog photos and videos into digital files and then will return the originals to you. You can then decide whether you want to move with these images or use digitization as a tool to save storage space.
Our team at Memory Fortress works quickly to digitize photos and return them to customers. As soon as we receive your box of memories, we will try to scan them within five business days and then will ship them back to you. If you have a fast-approaching moving deadline, we can accommodate your scheduling needs.
Start your order today and rest assured knowing that you did your best to protect family photos when moving.
We digitize everything right here at our facility in metro Atlanta, processed by US citizens.