While packing your belongings while preparing for your move, you may be wondering which items movers might not be able to take with you for health and safety reasons.
Here are some items that the movers will not take or we recommend packing and transporting yourself to avoid any damage or complications.
1.) Pack your plants
Keep your beloved plants safe by transporting them to your new home by yourself. There are laws that prohibit moving certain plants over certain distances. This keeps insects and diseases away if you move from one state to another, where the environment between states can be very different. Many insurance companies often prohibit moving live plants.
To keep your plants alive, you need to make sure that you can water your plants if needed, which you can’t do if they’re on a moving truck. Otherwise, they could get dirty or die, which could damage your other property. Pots containing plants could also break if there are bumps on the road and they are not kept upright. Changes in temperature in the vehicle for an extended period of time can also have an impact on the well-being of your plants.
2.) Set aside food for charity
In addition to expired perishable foods in transit, they can attract insects that neither you nor your moving company will want to deal with. During your transition from one home to another, give yourself permission to order takeaways and tap into your supply of self-stable items such as soup and cereal.
When packing, you can set aside all non-perishable items to donate to Move for Hunger, one of our charitable partners. We will donate your food to avoid food waste and limit any additional inventory you may not want to take to your new home.
3.) Movers are not allowed to move fuels
Our insurance company prohibits us from moving combustible items for obvious reasons. For something like a lawnmower, we will move it as long as it is drained of any gas. A lawnmower should be noted in advance to ensure that our giants have the right materials to properly load the item into the truck.
As a general rule, any item that could put the rest of your inventory or movers at risk should not be shipped or transported in one of our trucks. We cannot move propane tanks, aerosols, paint, gasoline, lighters and kerosene or charcoal to ensure everyone’s safety.
4.) Movers will not move chemical materials
On a similar note, movers will not move items such as corrosive, bleach, ammonia, nail polish remover or other chemicals to protect your inventory and movers. There are too many uncertain variables involved when moving these items, so it’s best to simply replace them once you arrive at your new home.
5.) Pack your sentimental items and personal valuables
A family heirloom has no legal restriction preventing a moving company from moving the item to your new home, but we strongly recommend that you keep sentimental effects on you when you move. When packing, determine if an item can really be replaced in unforeseen circumstances, and if it cannot be replaced, please keep it with you in your personal vehicle during your process.
Many common items that fall into this category include: financial and personal documents, cash, jewellery, chequebooks and credit cards, passports and medicines. Keep these items with you to avoid any additional stress.
Gentle Giant’s qualified professionals are there to answer all your moving questions with care and compassion. Please contact your moving coordinator during your packing process if there is an item you are unsure of and whether it is safe on the moving truck or not, and we will be happy to offer you the appropriate advice.
