While packing up your personal belongings as you prepare for your move, you might be wondering which items movers might not be able to take for health and safety reasons.
Here are a few items that either movers will not take or we recommend packing and transporting yourself to avoid any damages or complications.
1.) Pack Your Plants
Keep your beloved plants safe by transporting them to your new home on your own. Laws exist which prohibit moving certain plants certain distances. This keeps insects and diseases away if moving from one state to another, where the environment between states may be vastly different. Many insurance companies often prohibit moving live plants.
To keep your plants alive, you will want to make sure you’re able to water your plants as needed, which you cannot do if they are on a moving truck. Otherwise, they could soil or die, which could damage your other belongings. The pots holding the plants could also break if there are bumps in the road and they are not being held upright. Temperature changes in the vehicle for an extended period of time can impact the wellbeing of your plants as well.
2.) Put Aside Food for Charity
In addition to perishable food going out of date in transit, it can attract insects, which neither you or your moving company will want to deal with. During your transition time from one home to another, give yourself permission to order take-out and tap into your supply of self-stable items like soup and cereal.
As you are packing, you can put any non-perishable items aside to be donated to Move for Hunger, one of our charitable partners. We will donate your food for you to avoid food waste and limit any extra inventory you may not want to take into your new home.
3.) Movers Aren’t Allowed to Move Combustibles
Our insurance company prohibits us from moving any combustible items for obvious reasons. For an item such as a lawnmower, we will move it as long as it has been drained of all gas. A riding lawnmower should be noted in advance to make sure our Giants have the right materials to properly load the item into the truck.
As a rule of thumb, any item which could put the rest of your inventory or your movers at risk of danger should not be shipped or transported in one of our trucks. We cannot move propane tanks, aerosols, paint, gasoline, lighter fluid and kerosene or charcoal in order to keep everyone safe.
4.) Movers Won’t Move Chemical Materials
On a similar note, movers will not move items such as corrosives, bleach, ammonia, nail polish remover or other chemicals in order to protect your inventory and your movers. There are too many uncertain variables at stake when moving these items, so it is best to simply replace them once you arrive at your new home.
5.) Pack Your Sentimental Items and Personal Valuables
A family heirloom does not have a legal restriction preventing a moving company from transporting the item to your new home, but we highly recommend keeping sentimental belongings on your person as you move. While packing, consider if an item can truly be replaced in unforeseen circumstances, and if it cannot be, please keep it with you in your personal vehicle during your process.
Many common items which fall into this category include: financial and personal documents, cash, jewelry, checkbooks and credit cards, passports and medicine. Keep these items with you to avoid any additional stress.
The trained professionals at Gentle Giant are here to answer any of your moving questions with care and compassion. First, see if we offer moving services near you. Then make sure to get a quote and reach out to your move coordinator during your packing process if there is an item you are unsure about packing and whether or not it is safe on the moving truck, and we will be happy to offer the appropriate guidance.