DIY tips

How to hang your artwork

Once you’ve settled in, it’s time to start putting you into your house. Get those vulnerable pictures off the floor when the furniture placements are decided.

WHAT YOU NEED:

* Picture in frame with hanging cord attached.

* Picture hooks or stout screws, two per picture unless very small, then one each.

* Drill with masonry bit

* Rawlplugs

* Stud-finder if going into a frame wall

* Spirit level

* A couple of corks, a dab of Blu-Tac and a sharp knife.

1 Select the location for your picture. Ensure it is not likely to be hit by passing traffic on, say, a stair. Watercolours and photographs should be placed out of direct light.

2 If the centre of the picture is higher than 1.5 metres from the floor you won’t be able to see it comfortably. Centre it on an adult eyeline.

3 Determine the hanging point and drill out your two hook positions to prevent the frame swinging.

4 Insert rawlplugs and tap lightly if using a masonry wall, followed by a matching hook or screw. Find a stud for a frame wall using your stud finder.

5 Level (on the floor and wall if they are not true).

6 Cut a couple of thick slices out of your cork and use Blu Tac to attach them to the bottom corners of your frame from behind. This will let the frame sit firmly and completely parallel from the wall all around.

* Go Further: Group pictures, imagining a frame around them all, with spaces close enough to suggest a relationship, but far apart enough for each work to ‘breathe’. A horizontal line or pictures can lengthen a stuffy wall.

Q&A

Q. I have to hire professional movers. How can I save money without hiring cowboys?

A. You’re right to seek a reputable firm. Don’t take chances. Choose a quiet time to move, avoiding weekends, bank holidays, Fridays and school term breaks, this should positively affect the quotes. Insist on a detailed quote following a survey from at least three companies. Choose a firm with EU Certificate of Professional Competence for Road Haulage and membership of the British Association of Removers.

Q. Moving our own stuff seems an overwhelming task. How much time should we allow to get it done? Do we need insurance?

A. If you are going DIY, or partially managing the move, two weeks is an absolute minimum for paring your living down to the skeletal surroundings. Six weeks is just enough to arrange a large family house while fitting in the working week, so don’t hang around. If you’re using a man with a van, ensure your household insurance is up to date and inclusive from one property to another.

Q. We have not sold our house but are moving out, should we leave the house empty or set up some furnishings to make it looked lived in?

A. If you have enough stuff to leave a staging of key pieces, then do so. Yawning empty spaces can frighten off viewers without the imagination to place their own furniture and belongings. Ensure the house is warm, clean and fresh smelling for viewings. If you must keep boxes on-site, designate one room and keep things orderly.

* Answers by Kya deLongchamps.