Having professional movers take care of all the aspects of transporting the contents of a house is something that most people will have to do at some point. Professional movers take care of so much of the stress that comes with changing homes. However, you cannot expect movers to move everything that you need. For a variety of reasons, there are some things that they will just not be able to move. Some of the reasons might be the policy of the movers, and some will be legal reasons that they cannot transfer certain items. There may also be items that movers will not even put in boxes for you, even if you want to move them yourself.
Items They Can Never Move
Movers cannot transfer anything that may be flammable. For obvious reasons, they cannot have anything in their truck that could start a fire. While most people would understand that items like gasoline and propane tanks cannot be moved, there are other flammable items that you might not think about. Nail polish remover, paints and paint thinners, cart batteries, guns, pool chemicals, scuba tanks and fireworks are all fire risks and can never be moved. Even medical supplies like oxygen tanks are too high a risk for movers to put in their trucks. If you have any item that has gasoline in it, like any power equipment, they cannot move them for the same reason.
Movers can never move any live animal. Even if they are not a traditional pet like a dog or a cat, movers can never move any live animals. Plants also count. It is not possible for movers to transport plants by law. Plants can carry other pests on them to areas in which they could cause a lot of damage.
Things They Should Not Move
Packaged food that will not spoil is perfectly fine as long as it is boxed correctly, but perishable food or food in breakable jars is not a good idea. If something were to break, it would cause damage to other items on the truck.
While almost all movers will have a policy on how to replace any lost or stolen goods, some items will have value to the owner that cannot be reimbursed. Any personal heirlooms and family jewelry should be taken by the owner. In the unlikely event that something happens, you would only receive the replacement value. Some items are too personal and their refund value would never replace what they mean to you. It is also a good idea to keep personal documents with you, as sometimes they are very difficult to replace. Even personal computers will often have files in them that would be very difficult to replace.
Movers will almost always do a great job for you, and they will take the stress out of a big move, but you should check the items you want them to move. Some they just cannot move, no matter how much you would want them to, and some things it might be a better idea for you to take them with you.
