Preparing artwork for courier collection

To prepare a work for collection, photograph it, measure it including the frame, note the glazing and the surface, wrap it unless it is still hanging, check the access at both ends, and name the people who will hand it over and receive it. Each step is explained below.

Most of the care in moving a work of art happens before the van arrives. A few minutes of preparation makes the collection quicker and the quote more exact, and gives you a clear record of the piece’s condition.

Photograph it first

Take a photograph of the front and the back of each piece in good light, and close-ups of any existing damage: a chip in a frame, a crack in glazing, a loose corner, flaking paint. Keep these photographs. They are your record of how the work looked before it moved.

If you are asking for a quote, send one or two of the photographs with your message. A picture tells us the type of frame, the glazing and the shape of an object faster than a description can.

Measure it properly

Measure the height, width and depth in centimetres, including the frame. For a sculpture or object, measure the widest points and note anything that sticks out. If the piece is heavy, give an approximate weight, or say whether it takes one person or two to lift.

Tell us about the glazing and the surface

Say whether a framed work is glazed, and whether with glass or acrylic. Glass is heavier and can break, so it changes how the frame is protected. Tell us, too, if the paint is recent and may not be fully dry, if the frame is gilded or fragile, or if the work is on paper.

Take it down only if it is easy

Take a work off the wall only if it is easy and safe to do so. If it is large, high up or hung on unusual fixings, leave it hanging and unwrapped, tell us in the notes, and ask us to wrap it (at an extra cost). Every extra move is one more chance of damage.

Wrap it before collection

Pieces that are already down are normally wrapped by you before we arrive. Protect the corners and any glazing, and do not put bubble wrap or plastic directly against a painted surface, where it can leave a mark or trap moisture. Use glassine or acid-free tissue first.

If you would rather we wrapped it, we can, at an extra cost: tell us when you ask for a quote. Either way, tell us what protection is on it, such as a travel frame, glassine, bubble wrap or a box, and we will plan around it.

Check the access at both ends

Think about the route from the room to the van at the collection address, and from the van to the room at the delivery address:

• stairs, and whether they turn
• lifts, their size, and whether they need booking
• door widths, for anything large
• parking or loading restrictions outside
• whether the building has a porter, a goods entrance or set delivery times

Galleries, sale rooms, fair venues and many apartment buildings have their own rules for collections and deliveries. Find out what they are and send them to us. If a loan agreement sets conditions for transport, send those too.

Name the people at each end

Someone needs to hand the piece over, and someone needs to receive it. They do not have to be you. Give us their names and phone numbers, and tell them roughly when to expect us.

If the work is leaving the UK

Some works of art and antiques need a UK export licence from Arts Council England before they leave Great Britain. Whether yours does depends on what it is, its age and its value. Check before the collection date: a licence can take time.

If it contains protected materials

Items made of or containing ivory, tortoiseshell or other material from protected species can need an exemption to be sold, and CITES permits to cross borders. Tell us at the quote stage, before anything else is arranged.

When you are ready, the quote form turns these details into a WhatsApp message for you.

Last updated 5 November 2026.