Written by: Madeline Blake
Date:

Bringing your belongings with you when you move is one of the central preoccupations for many movers. There are so many things to think about, but how to bring everything you need with you is one of the most crucial ones. However, even this one task, among other moving-related tasks requires special attention. If you want to make sure that you bring everything you need with you, you will have to consider some very important things. One of them is that professional moving company have policies that prevent them from transporting specific goods. In other words, this means that there are items movers won’t move, and in this article, Verified Movers will cover this exact topic, so read on.

a many carrying a plastic moving box
Remember that there are certain things movers won’t move and that you will have to do some extensive research to make sure you have everything prepared and avoid any surprises.

Do extensive research on a moving company you wish to hire to see what they won’t move

Apart from reading the moving reviews to find out whether a company has all the necessary qualities, you will have to research whether their policy forbids them to handle any of your items. Although moving companies have the same standards when it comes to this, it can happen that a company is simply not equipped to move certain items. For example, you may need to relocate your car, but the moving company you hired doesn’t have this shipping option. Big trouble!

This means that you will have to go through all sorts of car shipping preparations, and maybe even hire another company which will further increase your relocation costs. We hope that now you see the importance of researching before hiring a moving company.

Be sure to prepare the items you want to take with you

When it comes to moving, one of the most essential things you want to achieve is packing all of your stuff and having it transported to your new home. And trust us – we know that there’s nothing more hectic than packing for a move. You’ve got all of your things to think about, and ensure it won’t break, spill, or be otherwise damaged in transit. In this kind of situation, it’s really easy to forget something: there are some kinds of items movers won’t move. For one reason or another, there’s stuff you simply have to dump or transport on your own. And just so you’re not surprised by this come moving day, learn about some packing guidelines through the moving process.

Alternate solutions for transporting the items your movers won’t move

As we all know, the first thing you want to do when preparing your items for a move is to decide which ones you want to take with you. This especially goes for big moves, for example moving coast-to-coast from North Carolina to California. That brings some serious decluttering. After you have done that, it’s time to see whether long distance moving companies North Carolina or any other movers will transport them. If it turns out that a company doesn’t transport the goods you have, there are several things you can do. First, you can simply throw them away. Honestly, if those are some of the things you don’t absolutely need in your new home, why should you go through all the trouble of finding alternative solutions to relocate them?

a man and a woman packing
If it turns out that your movers won’t relocate the items you want to bring with you, you can always opt for solutions like transporting them yourself or simply throwing them away.

Second, you can transport those goods on your own, or have someone to help you if there is a larger number of these items. If it’s really important to you, this won’t seem like much trouble. Hopefully, this won’t create any additional moving costs. Now, without further ado, let’s see why movers won’t move specific items and what they are.

Why are there items movers won’t move?

You should know right away – this isn’t some arbitrary list of items we’re talking about here. In fact, most moving companies have similar lists of items they refuse to handle. And it’s not about laziness or cutting expenses – it’s primarily about safety. Yes, your safety and the safety of the movers. And there’s also the general public and other risks to think about. Once you see what kinds of items we’re talking about, it’ll become much clearer why movers generally don’t handle them. So, make sure you plan for the transport of your:

  • Plants
  • Hazardous materials
  • Personal Valuables
  • Food
a man packing a box with items movers won't move
The most common items any moving company would refuse to move are plants, hazardous materials, personal valuables, and food.

Plants are among the items movers won’t move

Okay, we bet you were expecting something a lot more exotic to find its place on the list of forbidden items than your house flora. But yeah, relocating plants requires a lot more care, money and time than you’d think. First of all, plants are fragile in transit – they can break easily. And let’s not forget that the inside of a moving truck can get really hot. These temperatures may harm the plants, especially across long distances – so don’t count on state to state movers to handle flora.

And speaking of long distances, this is actually a major reason why plants are on the list of items movers won’t move. You may not have thought about this, but plants can be a breeding ground for bacteria, infections, and other pests. And these can reach new areas by getting a ride on your plants. That’s why it’s actually not legal to transport houseplants across more than 150 miles. Well, without a special license, anyway.

Several plants on the table
Most movers will refuse to handle plants because they are too fragile and easily perishable, as well as a breading ground for bacteria and pests.

What is the best way to relocate plants?

Many of us tend to have a lot of plants in our homes. This becomes a particular problem when we have to relocate, especially if we are relocating far away, say from Washington to Florida. Since long distance movers Washington usually don’t transport plants, the best idea, in this case, is to transport the plants on your own. You won’t be able to put them in a storage unit since storage also doesn’t take plants. Carefully pack your plants and secure them in order to avoid damage as much as possible.

Boxes next to plants, that are among the items movers won't move.
Plants are too fragile and sensitive so they are one of the items movers won’t move. However, you can pack them in your car and transport them yourself to your new home.

Dangerous items and materials

There are some flammable and otherwise dangerous materials and products out there, that moving companies simply refuse to handle. And again, it’s not always their choice – some of these items also require special permits and licenses for transport.

For example, gasoline, and other kinds of fuel are definitely something a moving company can’t transport. Really, the risk of an explosion or a fire is just too big, as is the cost of acquiring the needed permits. And before you ask – it’s the same regardless of the local weather. So it doesn’t matter if you’re hiring long distance moving companies Alaska or you’re moving to Texas – flammables are a no-go. So, if you’ve got any fuel you’re keeping around for any reason: don’t count on the moving company to take it to your new home. This also goes for any lighter fluid you’ve got laying around or stuff like charcoal.

orange flames
Anything flammable is a definite no-go since the risk is way to big for any moving company to accept!

Anything that runs on fuel

Speaking of which, here’s another similar kind of items movers won’t move: power equipment. Or rather, more specifically, power equipment that runs on fuel. So while your hair dryer is probably fine, you shouldn’t expect movers to handle your motorcycle. Or, for example, your lawnmower. Although, there is a chance a moving company may accept to handle this equipment if it’s been completely and properly drained of fuel. This means you’ll need to somehow drain all of the fuel out of the tank – or alternatively, just leave the machines running until all of the fuel is gone. We recommend you do this well enough in advance, at least a day before the big moving day.

Some of your valuables won’t be handled by movers

Okay, here’s something that really varies from moving company to company – it’s really a case-by-case type of thing. We’re talking about your valuables. Yes, stuff like cash money, or personal documents such as a driver’s license or other ID. You should know – these aren’t forbidden items per se, not really. But on one hand, most people tend to prefer transporting these by themselves – and on the other, movers shy away from accepting this responsibility, because the items are of such high value.

a hand holding money
It’s always the best options to transfer things that are highly valuable by yourself since most movers don’t want to accept the responsibility of transporting such goods.

So, regardless of whether the moving company you’ve hired has any internal policies on valuables – we recommend you keep them on your person while moving anyway. And sure, if there’s any lost cash or something valuable broken, theoretically movers might reimburse you for this cost. But what about the items that have great sentimental value, that money can’t replace? What about your precious photo albums with family photos that you haven’t got anywhere else? Or some ancient jewelry, or other family heirlooms? And let’s not even begin talking about various stamp and coin collections.

Lastly, and this probably goes without saying: you don’t want your most important documents left in anyone’s care, not even a moving company’s. If you’ve got any stock certificates, or land deeds, personal wills – keep them with you, and transport them on your own!

Food items

You should definitely plan out what you will do with all of your food before and during the move. And yeah, there are firms out there that will even move your food: but most treat it as items movers won’t move. Also, even if a moving company accepts to relocate your food items, bear in mind they probably have canned goods, spices, and other boxed food in mind. Really, no one will transport stuff that can spoil in transit, like frozen food, or food placed in open containers. And this goes double for states with hotter climates such as New Mexico or Arizona! So, don’t expect New Mexico long distance moving companies to handle food that might go bad!

people having dinner
Food is also among the items movers won’t move! But why not have a dinner party and get rid of all the excess food?

The best solution is to throw away foods that are past their expiration date or donate some food to a local homeless shelter or public kitchen. Another great way of getting rid of all the excess food you can’t move with you is to throw a nice going away party and invite all your friends to help you eat your food.

Keep in mind the items movers won’t move and welcome the moving day prepared

Hopefully, after reading this article, you know how to prepare in advance before your relocation, especially if you have items that movers won’t move. Sometimes, moving inflammable items and things that run on fuel is just plain dangerous. It’s no surprise that most moving companies won’t take this risk. After all, there are even special permits you need to have in order to relocate these kinds of items. However, don’t worry if you have many plants and valuables, which are other items movers won’t move. There are alternate solutions for moving these specific items, as you have seen. That means that all you have to do is get some appropriate moving supplies and transport them yourself!