It’s not rare to be left antique vases, art, furniture, and other items by a recently departed older relative.
It’s also possible that your relative has left you an art collection as part of your inheritance. If it was a distant cousin you hadn’t seen in years, you might not even know what these inherited objects are or how in good of shape they are. You should definitely call in a valuer who specialises in probate clearances at this time.
That’s because you’ll need to store the precious objects in such a way that they don’t get damaged, and you’ll want to make sure they last as long as possible. It only makes reasonable to hire a firm of clearing professionals who specialise in probate cases. In reality, like us at National Clearances, the valuer and clearance team are frequently one and the same.
Putting the artworks on display
If you can’t bear to part with any of the artworks – or at least one or two of them – it’s a good idea to figure out how to display them in your own home. After all, you want to avoid any long-term harm, especially if the paintings are priceless.
Light should be avoided at all costs. To avoid having an expensive art piece harmed by light – whether natural or artificial – it should be placed in a location where there is no direct sunshine. The latter will degrade the dyes and the structure of the paper. The dyes, as well as the pigment and photography emulsion, will be influenced in an image. In fact, select a location on the wall that receives little to no sunshine.
If you’re planning to use a picture light to highlight it, be sure the bulb has UV filters. The greatest protection is a UV-filtering glass film or UV-filtering glass over the artwork.
Also, stay away from the heat. Heaters, fireplaces, and any other place where your artwork might get warm is a no-no. You also don’t want your artwork to be displayed outside a door that is continually being opened, or suspended halfway up the landing. The latter two areas are active and will attract a large amount of foot traffic, exposing your artwork to dampness and dirt on a frequent basis.
Before you hang your artwork, make sure it’s in good condition.
Place the picture or photograph somewhere secure and out of the way in a quiet room once you’ve taken it down. Remember to make sure the area you’re putting it on is dry and free of mould.
An antique painting is being cleaned.
What if a painting or two you’ve decided to keep aren’t particularly valuable, but you adore them and decide they could use some TLC? They aren’t worth the cost of hiring a professional cleaner because they aren’t valued. So now it’s time to do it yourself. This is simply accomplished by setting the painting on a clean and dry surface, then sweeping the painting towards you with your hands cleansed and dried, dusting off any loose dust (so it doesn’t end up on the painting again).
To remove the dust, start at the top and work your way down the painting with a soft brush with natural hair bristles. To avoid making a matte painting ‘shiny,’ don’t brush it for too long.
Meanwhile, a cloth is ineffective for dusting a painting because the threads may catch on a lump of paint or other foreign object. A light feather duster, as well as a brush, will not work because the latter can scrape the artwork’s surface and damage it.
Please contact us.
Have you recently inherited a property from a deceased relative and require a valuation and probate clearance? If not, then here at National Clearances, we have a very skilled and capable team.
We are speedy, efficient, and completely knowledgeable with the process of cleaning a loved one’s house because we have worked in the probate clearing profession for a number of years (or a distance relative you may not have been in contact with for a number of years or even decades). Regardless of how well you knew the dead, the entire clearance procedure requires a lot of sensitivity — and, in some cases, emotional support. You can always count on our team to keep your information private. For additional information, please contact us at 0203 985 9552.