If you plan to hire a moving company for your upcoming move, you’re very wise.
A good moving company will shoulder a lot of the stress of moving. They are trained to move your valuables as quickly, efficiently, and safely as possible.
You’ll be so glad you invested in movers.
However, local moving companies will not move ALL items. But they will outline their rules and “non-allowable items” far in advance, so you’re well aware and can plan accordingly.
Most moving companies will have guidelines similar to ours.
Here are 15 items movers most likely can’t move and are exempt from coverage.
- Loose, unboxed items
- Furniture that has contents left inside
- Bagged items such as rice, dog food, rice, flour, fertilizer, etc. (Must be boxed or binned)
- Any items containing fuel or oil, such as lawn mowers
- Live plants
- Jewelry and precious items
- Weapons/firearms
- Explosives of any kind (fuel, propane, ammunition)
- Anything toxic
- Jacuzzis
- Animal mounts
- Safes weighing 300lbs or more
- Valuable artwork
- Loose musical instruments
- Light bulbs/neon light signs
Why Movers Won’t Move the Above Items
These rules are mostly for the safety of the movers and the rest of your items. If you can’t throw it away in the regular garbage, your moving company probably will not transport it for you. Some of the items are illegal to move, so the guidelines are simply a way of abiding by the law.
We also have to think about liability.
With so many people going in and out of your home during the moving process, moving companies don’t want to be liable if something precious goes missing. Make sure to pack items that are exceptionally valuable or special to you and transport them on your own.
Items that Need Preparation Before Moving
There are countless items that we are willing and able to move. Some just need a little preparation to allow us to do our job. First off, we cannot transfer any loose items. If it fits in a box, it needs to go into a box.
● Furniture
Our moving company, and probably many others, can only reassemble items that we have disassembled ourselves. If you need items disassembled, most moving companies will do so and then reassemble them for you at your new location.
● Mirrors
Mirrors must be in a frame, or insurance won’t cover them. If an unframed mirror gets damaged in the move, there will be no compensation.
● TVs and Electronics
TVs and any other electronic items must be removed from mounts and boxed. Most moving companies will not move stand-alone TVs, computers, printers, etc.
● Artwork
You must remove all artwork from the wall. You should move all artwork that is exceptionally valuable to you by yourself or hire art movers.
● Any Mounted Items
All wall-mounted items should be removed from walls for liability reasons before your mover transports them.
● Appliances
All appliances must be disconnected and ready to go. If your movers need to disconnect appliances, you are responsible for any potential damages that may occur during disconnection.
● Lawnmowers, Chainsaws, Weed Whackers
Any items that contain fuel or oil must be completely drained of flammable liquids before being moved.
● Barbeques
If your barbeque has a propane tank, it must be removed from the barbeque. Moving companies cannot legally move propane. You can either move it yourself or give it away to a friend.
● Refrigerators
Fridges should be emptied, cleaned, and unplugged before your movers arrive. Don’t forget to clean the coils in the back.
What to do with items your movers won’t transport
When cleaning your home during the moving prep, you may need to discard chemicals and hazardous materials. We cannot move anything hazardous, flammable, or dangerous. You might decide to risk moving some of them on your own if it’s a short distance, but for long-distance moves, it’s better to be safe than sorry and buy new items when you’re in your new location.
Take items to your scheduled neighborhood hazardous dump days. If that doesn’t apply, do a quick search on where to get rid of dangerous materials in your area.
Don’t wait until moving day to try to figure out how to deal with these “non-allowable” items. Pay close attention to any checklists or guidelines your moving company in Utah provides you and start early clearing out items that cannot be moved on the truck.