What is a White Glove Delivery Service?

Written by Martha Lott Reviewed by Dave Sayce

26th Jan 2018 (Last updated on 10th Mar 2023) 9 minute read

White Glove Removals vs Standard Removal Companies

All removal companies should be mindful of your items when moving - but white glove movers will take extra measures to ensure every item, no matter how awkward or delicate, is protected.

The attention to detail with white glove services will be greatly increased, with the removal plans being fully bespoke and catered to your requirements. Whilst some removal companies may focus on a fast and efficient house move, white glove moving companies typically focus on protection and security. Some white glove removals will even use padded trucks to reduce the risk of scratches and breakages.

Another difference to consider is that white glove movers will be trained to handle a wide variety of items, from fragile antiques to grand pianos. The team will have the vital knowledge and experience to handle even the bulkiest and most difficult items, with the latest technology ensuring a more efficient and safe process. A white glove delivery service will ensure you receive the highest standard of work and care from the moving team.

Benefits of White Glove Delivery Services

There are many benefits to choosing white glove removals over more traditional services. It’s always important to research what’s available to you and why the service could benefit you in the moving process. The most notable benefits include:

1. Extra Peace of Mind

The major benefit of this service is the peace of mind it provides. Knowing that your most highly regarded items are being dealt with by a company that has extensive experience will allow you to relax during a rather stressful and chaotic time. All of our removal partners at Compare My Move go through a strict verification process, ensuring that every member is professional, reliable and trustworthy, handling your items with absolute care and respect.

White glove removal teams are highly trained with extensive knowledge of how to handle delicate, valuable and sentimental items. With the potential chaos of the moving day taking its toll, protecting and ensuring the safety of these important items is another factor that can easily be taken off your already full plate.

2. Flexibility

Many removal firms will provide the white glove service as an option. The way in which this service works allows the removals team to provide a greater level of flexibility, fitting around you and your schedule.

This is because the service is often offered as a premium due to the skilled nature of those providing it and the risk they take on by moving these items. This premium, plus the niche nature, means that the service is less in demand than regular removals. This potentially means more spaces and appointments will be available. The niche nature also means that providers are used to tackling unique challenges when it comes to moving high-value items.

3. Delivery Options

Similar to our previous point, the nature of white glove delivery services can mean a greater number of delivery options are available. This is an excellent benefit as it allows the service to fit in better with your schedule during the hectic time that is moving house.

Whilst regular moving services usually means moving the items within one or a few days, white glove deliveries will often allow for specialist storage so that your precious items can remain safe throughout the process and can then be brought into your new home when everything is less chaotic.

4. Highly-Trained Personnel

It can be difficult trusting someone to handle your most valuable and important possessions. However, it can be reassuring when you know that they’re fully trained and capable of protecting them.

That is why everyone on the white glove removals team is trained to a high standard to ensure the reputation of the business remains intact. it also provides you with peace of mind and ensures all your items are fully protected and secure. They will be qualified with extensive knowledge of the industry, as well as regularly trained to keep up to date on modern removals equipment and techniques.

5. Reliability

Although many respectable moving companies will arrive on time and be completely trustworthy, there are the odd few cheap and unestablished providers who can be unreliable. It’s also important to remember that delays do happen and that even a professional company can sometimes encounter issues.

White glove moving services, however, provide the assurance and confidence required to be trusted with valuable items. This is especially true of their reliability. As a premium service, this is of paramount importance to their success. Meaning you’re less likely to waste time waiting around for them to turn up. There’s a certain level of urgency attached to moving valuable items which encourages punctuality and reliability.

6. Reduced Waiting Times

High-end services such as white glove removals usually provide a high-quality service that is even above many regular removals due to the urgency and importance of the tasks required. This means that customer satisfaction is of great importance and waiting times are usually minimised as much as possible.

This can be of a huge benefit when moving properties as time is so precious during the process. The efficiency gained from reduced waiting times will then pay off in the long run.

Costs of White Glove Delivery Services

We have already alluded to the fact that white glove deliveries are a premium service which of course, comes at a cost. It’s impossible to give an accurate figure on these costs as they are so dependent on a number of variables These include the distance which will be travelled, the size and weight of the items, the number of items and, of course, the provider you choose.

However, you should expect to pay a reasonable amount more for white glove delivery compared to the regular home removal services. We recommend that you only use these premium services for very high value contents, whether they’re of monetary or sentimental value.

If you’re opting for a white glove delivery service, we recommend booking a home removals survey in advance so that the removal company can examine your items and give an accurate quote before you make your decision.

Packing Your Specialist Items

Packing your belongings may be offered as part of the service when you enquire about white glove delivery. However, in some cases, this may not be available or you may choose to do it yourself. If you’re in this situation, we’ve provided a couple of tips on how to pack valuable items so that they’re completely secure and ready for transit. These include:

Packing Paintings

When paintings are of a high monetary or sentimental value, it’s important to pack them safely to limit any potential damage. This is applicable to any framed items like photographs and high-quality prints. But it's most suitable for paintings where the physical material which makes up the picture is also at risk of being damaged.

Firstly, it’s worth noting that all packing materials should be checked over to ensure that no sharp objects are sticking out. Also, make sure that all the materials you’re using to pack are dry and clean so that there’s no negative impact on the painting during transit.

Lay the painting flat in its frame and cut some brown packing paper large enough to wrap it. You can buy the paper from any moving supply stores, post offices or online. We recommend that you cut enough to wrap around the painting a number of times to keep it secure. Fasten the paper with a good quality adhesive tape.

The next stage is to pack the painting into cardboard. For this, you can either buy speciality boxes, which are sturdier, or you could cut cardboard to fashion a box to the correct size yourself.

Finally, pack any spare space within the box, ideally with polystyrene filler or newspaper. Make sure the box is secure and tightly shut to limit the possibility of it moving or sliding during transit.

Packing Antiques & Collectables

Packing antiques and collectables can be a real challenge. Not just because of the value of the item but also often because of the ornate presentation of them. When packing these items’ it is key to consider the individual elements which make it up. For example, an antique clock may need certain elements removed during transport so that the strain does not damage the working parts.

Similar to a painting, ensuring the antique is wrapped to protect it from dust or dirt is the first step to packing. For this, using a good quality tissue paper in a few layers works well as it is usually easier to wrap around the various shapes and features of the item. Once this is done, securing it with a good quality tap will keep this layer in place.

Secondly, placing the antique into a suitable box will protect it on its journey. Depending on how fragile the item is, you may want to place this into a box that already has some additional protection inside to limit movement.

It is not recommended to place multiple antiques or collectables into one box as it allows them to crash into each other during transit. However, in the case of collectables it's advised to put all of the collection into smaller boxes and then into one larger box . You can also number or colour code them so you can quickly account for everything during the moving process.

Book Your White Glove Moving Service With Compare My Move

In this guide, we’ve covered some of the issues that come with moving high-value items. However, one solution is to hire a white glove delivery service. We’ve included the benefits of these services as well as how you can ensure the items are safely packed.

If you need a white glove delivery service then look no further. By using Compare My Move’s free service, you can receive quotes from our verified partners by filling out our quick and simple form, saving you both time and money during the moving process.