If you are getting ready for an upcoming move and you are partially worried about the packing that you will need to do on your own in an attempt to save money, you have reached the right page. We are going to tell you what not to pack yourself when moving so you can save yourself the trouble of seeing your items get damaged during transportation. While packing your own personal items and some of your home appliances is a good idea if you are working on a limited moving budget, there are also a few items that you should not have to concern yourself with in terms of packing.
Why It Is Important To Know What Not To Pack Yourself When Moving
The shortest answer to this question is the following: no one wants to risk having their big moving day turn into a hot mess. Improper packing can easily lead to that, and the same goes for wasting precious time and energy packing hazardous items that are considered non-allowable and which cannot be transferred by professional movers because of the current out-of-state moving laws. How to make sure you will steer clear from this type of problems when the big day of your relocation finally arrives? Use our simple, yet efficient guidelines that can ensure a smooth and zero-hassle process.
As stated before, one of the most important things you should know when packing and moving items for a DIY move is knowing what not to pack yourself, especially when it comes to those items that are considered potentially dangerous or hazardous.
An expert long-distance moving service like ours knows best which apparently regular normal household objects are, in fact, considered hazardous to ship and, thus, illegal to carry in moving trucks and vans. Items that are too heavy, bulky, or made of too many complex pieces to be correctly disassembled, packed, and transported to your new address on your own should also be handled by expert hands of professional moving technicians with rich experience in the field.
What Items Not To Pack When Moving
Any reputable mover will provide you with a detailed list of so-called “non-allowable”, which is a term that refers to all items that a professional moving company will not be able to transfer at your new address. This particular list includes some rather obvious items like gas and ammunition, but it also incorporates a series of rather peculiar items that you might not normally consider to be nowhere near as hazardous as the previously mentioned items. Think in terms of alcohol, chemistry toy sets your children have in their toy boxes or your favorite nail polishes and you should get the idea.
If you want your move to be completed with zero headaches and complications, do not think about packing flammable items such as matches, charcoal, or lighters, as well as cans filled with aerosols, batteries, garden pesticides or soil fertilizers, tanked and bottles gas in any form, paint, solvents, oils, ammonia, bleach, and other similar household cleaning products. They are all considered potentially hazardous and they will not be packed and transported by expert movers as they are hazardous that cannot be shipped.
Other things you should not pack yourself nor hire movers to pack for you refer to frozen food, food that has already been opened, produce, potted plants, fresh herbs, and flowers. While they might not be hazardous on their own, it is also advisable not to pack them yourself as they will most likely not make it on the list of items that the movers will agree to transport for you. Even though your open cans of food are not toxic or able to catch fire, they will most likely attract pests like rats and bugs, especially when temporary storage is needed for several days.
Instead of packing these perishable goods before the movers arrive, focus on donating them to a shelter that offers warm meals to people in need, or hands them over to the neighbors, friends, or family that you will be leaving behind. Plants and flowers are also great gifts for worship houses or friends’ houses, so make sure you find the best alternatives before you start planning your relocation.
What Should You Not Pack Yourself When Moving
There are also a series of items that you should avoid packing into the boxes that will be carried out and transferred by the movers in their trucks and vans. This list of items includes a series of personal items such as identification papers, insurance documents, prescription pills, daily necessities and items that carry a certain sentimental value for you and which you would have a difficult time replacing in case they would get lost, partially or completely damaged during the move. Basically, anything that you need to use regularly, including any critical items that you would usually place inside tour carry-on luggage and not the checked baggage at the airport should not be packed and prepared for the movers to pick up.
You should also include any collectibles, bonds and stocks, the fiat currency you might have inside the house, expensive furs and pieces of jewelry part of the family heirloom. While it is possible to pay for insurance coverage for some of these items, it is best to take no risks and have them personally transported to your new location instead of packing them into sealed boxes and letting the movers load them into their trucks.
Just make sure that any precious and irreplaceable vintage pieces of furniture or home decorations are packed with the help of professional packing supplies that can ensure they will reach the destination with zero problems and no damage. Getting decent moving insurance is something that should take away some of the stress associated with problems triggered by under packing or over packing cartons to capacity, not meeting the right industry packing and truck loading standards and so on. A professional mover will carefully listen to your exact concerns and any special requirements for your special items and choose the best solutions every time. Plus, they will complete the packing while also making sure to protect the floors and prevent any damage to them and the items they will be packing, with the help of quality cartons, wrapping, tape packing equipment, and protective gear. While there is never a 100% guarantee that your precious items will never break during the packing and more, the damage is less likely to occur when hiring expert movers instead of handling the packing on your own.