The Ultimate Moving Non-allowable Checklist

Reliable moving companies constantly work on improving their services, getting better ratings, and keeping their customers happy. They’ll work together with a client to tailor a specific moving plan, they’ll have the best equipment, trained crew, and affordable moving rates. While you’re looking for the best local movers, you should know beforehand that even the top-rated moving companies in Brooklyn have a moving non-allowable checklist, and will not move some items due to safety, ethical, or legal reasons.

Even though you will get the best customer services and lower rates, you won’t be able to get assistance with certain items. The only way to be absolutely sure that your items are not on the non-allowable list is to get in touch with a moving company and ask them to provide you with one. For now, our ultimate moving non-allowable checklist will help you get an idea about what not to pack and which items professional movers will refuse to pack or transport.

Non-allowable Moving Checklist

Why movers have a non-allowable list?

As with any other services you’re getting, safety is always a top priority. When items are being transported, it’s often to another state and those items need to be stored in a moving truck or a storage unit for quite a while. The reason why movers refuse to move specific items is that handling them may cause risk to your property their property, their crew, it may pose a risk to the environment, and it may even be illegal and forbidden by federal law. For instance, flammable, corrosive, or explosive items are forbidden to be transported by federal law.

So, even though your movers strive to provide the best service possible, they won’t break the law while doing so. Besides illegal items, different movers will have other forbidden items, and that depends on a specific company. Some moving companies will have a more extensive list than others because they’ll take more precautions and avoid some items even if they’re not forbidden by law. If you’re not sure what not to pack, contact movers you’re eyeing to hire and ask them to give you their own non-allowable list.

Moving Non-allowable Checklist

Hazardous materials

Moving companies are not allowed to transport any flammable, corrosive, or explosive items because federal laws forbid them to do so. Also, highly dangerous goods that can burn, corrode or explode present major risks to the people involved in the move, to your own property, to the mover’s property, or the environment as well. Transporting flammable, corrosive, or explosive items is prohibited by federal law, so understanding that this is for safety is important. These are some of those forbidden items:

  • Firearms
  • Ammunition
  • Black powder, smokeless powder
  • Signal Flares
  • Fireworks
  • Igniters or primers
  • Lighter fluid
  • Motor Oil
  • Lamp Oil
  • Candles
  • Propellers
  • Acids/Ammonia
  • Petroleum products
  • Yard equipment containing fuel
  • Propane tanks
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Paint
  • Nail polish remover/nail polish
  • Dyes
  • Aerosol cans
  • Charcoal
  • Pool chemicals
  • Scuba diving tanks
  • Fluid cleaners
  • Disinfectants
  • Pesticides/Fertilizer/Weed killers/Poisons
  • Car batteries
  • Cleaning supplies/bleach

Moving Liquor

Moving liquor is different from state to state, so it’s not easy to answer whether movers will accept to move it. Contacting your movers is the only way to know for sure whether they’ll do it or not. If you have a wine collection or another liquor collection, your best bet will be a specialty moving company. If you’re not moving far away, you can always transport these things yourself, just make sure to pack them properly and handle the transport with the utmost care.

Several Bottles Of Wine

Moving Cleaning Supplies

Most movers won’t move cleaning supplies because they can easily spill and cause damage to your other items or someone else’s items if you’re sharing space in a moving truck. Instead of throwing them away, you can always give them to your friend or a neighbor before you leave. If you’re moving locally, you can also move these items alone without movers.

Moving perishables and non-perishables

Here comes the part where items are not dangerous or explosive, but they’re still on the non-allowable list. Most movers won’t move food whether it’s perishable or non-perishable, simply because it can get spoiled quickly and cause different troubles, including bad odor, growing mold, attracting rodents, etc. here are some of the prohibited items:

  • Frozen foods
  • Refrigerated foods
  • Fresh foods

Moving Plants

Another non-allowable item is any type of plant – moving companies will not accept moving your plants. The best option is to pack and move the plants alone or ask a friend to help you out if a plant is too big.

Plants In The Living Room Are On The Moving Non-allowable Checklist Too

Moving Pets

Every trustworthy moving company will refuse to transport your pets, simply because no pet should be closed inside the moving truck with household items – it may get too cold, too hot, too bumpy, and you certainly don’t want to put your pet to risk.

Moving personal and extremely valuable items

Moving companies will refuse to move irreplaceable items, including:

  • Personal documents
  • Passports
  • IDs
  • Insurance papers
  • Birth Certificates
  • Financial Statements
  • Medical records
  • Tax records
  • Cash
  • Credit/debit cards
  • Certain artwork (if it’s one-of-a-kind)
  • Travel tickets
  • Stocks and bonds
  • Keys
  • Collections (stamps, coins, baseball cards, etc.)
  • Medicine
  • Photos, photo albums
  • Extremely valuable pieces of jewelry
  • Expensive electronic devices

Hopefully, our ultimate moving non-allowable checklist will help you learn why movers refuse to move some items. By knowing what not to pack, you can make a plan and put those forbidden items to good use or dispose of them on time. Don’t forget to be proactive and ask your moving company to provide you with their list of non-allowable items. That’s the only way to be completely sure that you’re compliant and avoid packing items that can’t be moved. Each moving company has its own prohibited list, so getting the list directly from your movers is necessary. If you’re still not sure whether your items are allowed or not, Dorothy and Martha Moving is here for you. Contact us anytime and we’ll be more than happy to answer any questions.

How To Pack Pictures & Mirrors for Moving

Packing pictures and mirrors for moving can be tricky because of how fragile they are. You’ll need to be extra careful and use proper packing materials to pack fragile items and transport them safely to your new address. Unlike packing basic household items, fragile ones are best taken care of by professional packers and movers. Reliable movers will have the best packing materials and they’ll have the experience necessary to pack efficiently even the most fragile items in your household. However, if you prefer to DIY, you can achieve that with a few tips from professional packers NYC. Our guide will help you learn how to pack pictures and mirrors for moving with ease.

A Big Mirror Ready For Packing And Moving

How to pack picture frames and mirrors for moving

Gather necessary packing supplies

Before you move on to the actual packing, you’ll have to get tools for doing the job. If you don’t have the proper equipment, you won’t be able to pack your flat and delicate items properly, and they’ll be more likely to get damaged or broken. These are supplies that you’ll need in order to safely pack your mirrors, picture frames, artwork, or other items of similar shape:

Boxes

The first thing to get when you’re packing pictures and mirrors for moving are boxes. But regular moving boxes won’t cut it. You’ll have to get picture and mirror boxes that are designed specifically for this purpose. There are also boxes with telescopic options, allowing them to be telescoped together with another box. Special boxes are designed to hold heavy items and to accommodate large mirrors or similar items.

A Telescopic Box For Packing Picture Frames

Bankers Boxes or Cardboard Tubes

If you also need to move loose photos or prints after you take them out of the picture frames, the bankers boxes or cardboard tubes will be the best option. They’re designed in a way that allows you to roll a loose photo and place it inside for safe transport.

Packing tape

As with packing any other type of household item, packing tape is necessary for packing pictures and mirrors. Don’t try to save on this, rather buy a durable quality tape that will keep things in place.

Glassine

Instead of using regular plastic wrap, invest in Glassine paper that’s designed specifically for protecting your items such as glass, pictures, prints, art pieces, etc. It is air, moisture, and grease resistant, so it makes perfect protection for your pictures and mirrors.

Packing paper and/or bubble wrap

In order to safely transport your mirrors or frames, it’s necessary to fill in all the voids left in the box after placing the item inside. The easiest way to do so is to use crumpled packing paper or bubble wrap and both of these materials will also serve well for cushioning the box before packing mirrors or frames inside.

Corner protectors

You can purchase already made corner protectors or make DIY ones to help your mirrors and frames stay safe while being transported.

Sharpie

Labeling is always helpful when moving, but when you’re moving mirrors and pictures, labeling is necessary, Use a regular sharpie marker to label each box after you place pictures or mirrors inside − this will make it easier to locate these boxes later on when you have to unpack and also serve as a reminder to handle these boxes carefully.

A Wooden Frame For Pictures

How to pack pictures and frames for moving

Now that you’ve gone through step 1 – gathering supplies, you can move on to the next step, the actual packing. Here’s how to do that:

Secure the glass

Whether it’s a picture or a mirror, use bubble wrap or Glassine to cover the entire surface and secure it in place with packing tape.

Corners

The next step is to use those corner protectors you made or purchased and place them on the corners of pictures or mirrors you’re moving.

Wrap

Once you’ve made the first layer of protection, it’s time to wrap the item. The easiest way to do so is to lay several sheets of packing paper on the ground and place the picture or mirror on it, keeping the glass side down. Wrap the entire item and secure it with packing tape. One layer of wrap is usually not enough, so be more generous if your item is very fragile.

Pack

When your picture or mirror is completely wrapped, go ahead and pack it in a designated box. But before you place it inside, make soft cushioning by using bubble wrap for packing or crumpled paper. After placing the item in the box, don’t forget to fill in any voids to avoid shifting while in transit.

Close and label

The only thing left to do is to close, seal, and label moving boxes. Use quality packing tape with strong adhesive to make sure the box will not open. Also, use a bright-colored sharpie marker to write “FRAGILE” on each side of the box. Writing on all sides is helpful in case boxes get mixed up or something else gets placed on top of the fragile box. Another helpful thing to do is draw an arrow pointing up, to make it easy for people carrying the box to know in which direction they should place the boxes. If you’re hiring movers, let them know which boxes require special attention even if you label them. Notify them that there’re pictures and mirrors in specific boxes so that they know how to handle them properly.

Fragile Sign On A Box For Packing Pictures And Mirrors

 

Hire professional movers

Eventually, the safest way to move your pictures and mirrors is to hire one of the best moving companies Brooklyn that has the experience and necessary tools for moving fragile items. Here at Dorothy and Martha Moving, our crew will use specialized materials to pack your breakables and transport them the safest way possible. If you’re looking for a licensed moving company with the best moving quotes Brooklyn, we’re here for you. Contact us to chat about your relocation and get a moving quote free of charge.

6 Major Differences Between Local and Long Distance Moving

There are many differences between long-distance moving and short-distance moving, including time, moving costs, and different preparations. You’ll have to hire a professional moving company to assist you with your long-distance move while moving locally can be done with getting professional movers to help you or performing a DIY move. If you’re wondering how different these two types of relocation are, carry on reading to find 6 major differences between local and long-distance moving.

Preparations

Preparing for a long-distance move mentally, as well as physically, is more complex than preparing for living in another neighborhood. There are many things you’ll have to do to prepare for a long-distance move. You’ll need more time and you’ll have to be more thorough because you can’t just visit the place and figure things out yourself. For instance, finding a new place will be more complicated because you won’t be able to see it and you’ll have to find a real estate agent and see your potential new home online. Other preparations are also more complex, such as saying goodbye to friends, family, colleagues, and mentally preparing yourself for a completely fresh start.

A Hand And Empty Stickers On A Wall
There are many things you should do to prepare for moving

Time

The next notable difference between long-distance and short-distance moves is time. Moving to another country requires much more time, not only when it comes to driving from your current address to the new one. Interstate moving requires more preparation and it requires reaching out to your moving company a few months in advance. Travel tickets, overnight stays, and other bookings will also need to be taken care of well ahead.

Price

Probably the most important difference between local & long-distance moving for most people is the moving cost. Moving long-distance costs more than moving locally, and that’s for several reasons. When it comes to moving company’s costs, take into consideration that they’ll have to use a truck for several days, buy fuel to drive the truck for several thousands of miles, they’ll have to pay wages for several days, etc. All those expenses are way higher than paying a few people to complete your local move in a couple of hours. Other things you’ll have to include in your budget are travel tickets, hotels or another place to stay, and other expenses that are inevitable when you’re traveling far from your current home. The bottom line is that long-distance moves cost more than short-distance ones, regardless of doing it yourself or hiring professional movers to take care of it.

Packing

You may think that packing is all the same, but that’s far away from the truth when we talk about long-distance vs. short-distance moves. When you’re moving locally, your moving boxes only spend a couple of hours inside the moving truck, but when the truck is transporting your belongings to another state, those boxes will spend days, maybe even weeks inside. The longer transportation takes, the higher the risk of damage gets, and it’s easier for packing materials to wear and tear. That means you’ll have to take extra precautions when packing your things and use more packing materials. You may be just fine with packing randomly when moving to another neighborhood, but you’ll have to put some thought into packing before moving long-distance. You’ll also want to add insurance when moving to a different country, as a moving company’s insurance may not be enough for that type of move.

A Woman Packing Her Things In A Box For Long Distance Moving
Be careful when packing. You don’t want to damage your things

Moving Long Distance vs. Local – Can You DIY?

One of the most common questions regarding relocation is the possibility of DIY. This is a huge difference between local & long-distance moving. When we’re talking about moving locally, more often than not you can perform a DIY move. You’ll use any packing materials you have, pack without many strategies, load your belonging into a car and drive to your new home. Perhaps you’ll ask a few friends to help you or drive from A to B, you may have to go back and forth a few times, but that’s about it − it’s not too much trouble completing a local move by yourself.

On the other hand, moving to another state is pretty difficult. You’ll have to rent a truck and pay for fuel, you’ll have to be ready to drive for thousands of miles to reach your destination, you’ll have to pack your household in that truck (you won’t be able to take round trips), there may be issues along the way you need to handle yourself, and that’s only the beginning of it. DIY long-distance moving is a complex job and most people choose to hire a professional moving company because once you calculate all the moving expenses and all the risks, it pays off more to let professionals take care of it.

Choose Trustworthy Movers

You may not have to search for too long if you’re looking for movers to assist you locally, as the process is less complex and you may be just fine with only hiring them to transport your belongings. But when it comes to long-distance moves, you’ll have to research and make sure you find a reliable and experienced company. Start by researching your local movers and checking their website and customer reviews. Search for relevant comments – for example, look for how satisfied customers were with specifically long-distance moves.

Professional Movers With Protection Masks
Always hire the most reliable movers

Ask your friends and family to recommend a trustworthy moving company if any of them has moved recently. Reach out to several movers, at least three of them, and ask for moving quotes. Compare their prices and services included, and pay attention to how well their customer service is, how they respond to your question, etc. Don’t try to skip this step because an experienced and professional moving company can make all the difference when you’re moving to a new state. Dorothy and Martha may be a perfect solution and the best ally for your upcoming relocation. Get in touch with us to chat about your move and get a moving quote free of charge.

Things People Forget When Moving Interstate

There’s nothing worse than realizing you’ve forgotten something important when moving. Of course, the dread rises the farther you move – conceivably, you could return for your item if you moved to the other side of the city, or a neighboring city, or anywhere local moving. But moving interstate? That’s a lot of effort, and a lot of gas money or bus ticket. And right after moving, when everything is in chaos and you need to stay focused and unpack? That’s incredibly difficult to accomplish. So, ideally, you wouldn’t forget any of the things people forget when moving interstate – but just in case, think about making yourself a handy reminder. A checklist can do wonders if you utilize it right! So how do you do that? Continue reading “Things People Forget When Moving Interstate”

Moving Day Essentials Box

Moving day essentials box can be well explained in just one simple sentence. This is the last to close and first to open a moving box! Preparing an essentials box is not an easy task because there is a lot to think about. Nevertheless, everyone should prepare an essentials box, full of items that you will need for your last few nights in your current home and the first few nights in your new one. There is no doubt that this particular box is the most important box that you will pack, you can think of it as a survival box. Packing an essentials box is not a time-consuming task and yet it will help you a lot on the day of the move.

Moving day essentials box makes your relocation easier

The whole moving process can be stressful and small things can make your life so much easier during this transition. Take all the help you can get, you can hire a professional moving company, your movers will offer packing services, they will help you with storage facilities and other important things, but packing an essentials box is one small thing that you will do on your own and to make your moving days more comfortable.

essentials box

We should make a clear difference between an essentials bag and an essentials box. Essentials bag is very important too, and it will help you a lot especially if you are moving long distance. In your essentials bag, you should pack all the things you need close to you all the time.

Consider packing:

  • Wallet, money, and credit cards
  • Life and travel insurance policy
  • Headphones
  • Mobile phone
  • Laptop
  • Favorite book
  • Battery cable
  • Tissues
  • Toilet paper
  • Snacks and water
  • Kids’ items

Here you can find all the information on essentials bag, why it is important to have one, how to pack and what should you put in it.

The moving day essentials box is a little more complicated since you will need a lot more things for surviving the first few days. There are multiple strategies on how to pack an essentials box, you can pack one small box for every room or you can prepare one box per family member. Our advice is to go with the second option. Every family member can have their own small essentials box where they will pack clothes for the first few days, favorite books, handphones, charges, and personal items that they use every day. Apart from those boxes, the more important one would be one shared box containing items that you and your family will use together, this box should contain bathroom items, kitchen essentials, and basic tools.

What will you need upon your arrival at your new home?

When you arrive at your new home, you will crave a healthy meal, a good night’s sleep, a refreshing shower, and leisure time with your family members. This is where the essentials box comes in. You don’t want to go through all of your boxes on the first day only to find towels or coffee mugs. If you hire a professional moving company, try to fit your moving day essential boxes in your vehicle, if this is not an option, make sure that those boxes are loaded in the truck last, so they can be unloaded first.

The most important items

Here is the comprehensive list of all the most crucial items that you will need during the first few days:

Essentials box per family member

family member essentials

As it was mentioned earlier, every family member should pack their own small box for the first few days, these boxes will contain different items according to personal preferations. You can use a suitcase for this too. Everyone should pack these few crucial items:

  • Prescription medicines
  • Personal documents
  • Personal care items and cosmetics
  • Clothes
  • Shoes
  • Passports, birth certificates, driver’s licenses, credit cards, school records, medical records, certificates, diplomas, etc.
  • Electronic devices
  • Laptops, phones, chargers, tablets, headphones, music players, cameras, etc.
  • Books

Kitchen Essentials

kitchen essentials

Chances are that after a long moving day you will crave a hot meal or tea, and you will be too tired to go out. Here are a few kitchen essentials to be able to prepare some basic meals and drinks, and survive the first few days using your kitchen as normally as you can, you can read more about moving a kitchen here.

  • Soft drinks
  • Non-perishable snacks
  • Jars of jam or peanut butter
  • Canned food
  • Pasta, rice, and sauces
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Spices
  • Mug, glass, and plate for each family member
  • Knife, fork, and spoon for each family member
  • Can and bottle opener
  • Paper towels
  • Dish soap and towel

Bedroom Essentials

bedroom essentials

Nothing is better than a good night’s sleep after a moving day. To ensure that you will sleep well on the first night at your home you will need several things for your bedroom essentials box:

  • Bed linen
  • Pillows
  • Pajamas
  • Clothes
  • A night lamp

Bathroom Essentials

bathroom essentials

A refreshing shower will be your priority after the moving day, here is the list of bathroom moving day essential items:

  • Toilet paper
  • Toothpaste and toothbrushes
  • Hand soap
  • Towels
  • Shower gel
  • Shampoo
  • Hairdryer
  • Cleaning supplies

Check with your movers which items are on the list of prohibited items. While they should be a part of your moving day essentials box, liquids are not allowed on the airplane for example. Always check for regulations and follow instructions given to you by your movers. If you cannot pack some of the items, make sure to put them on your shopping list as soon as you arrive at your new home.

Medication

medications

Apart from prescription medicines for each family member, you should pack:

  • First aid kit
  • Painkillers
  • Plasters
  • Allergies medicine
  • Vitamins

Before you head off you should check the expiration date on all the medication, as well as the proper way for storing it. And, to ensure you will have everything that you need, find a new doctor even before you move so that you avoid the stress when you arrive at your new home.

Toolbox Essentials

Something that you will need can be broken or missing, and you will want to have the necessary tools to repair it right away, You will also need some basic tools for unpacking, here is the list of the tool essentials:

  • Scissors
  • Utility knife
  • Screwdrivers
  • Drill
  • Hammer
  • Torch
  • A few light bulbs and candles

Kids’ essentials

If you have young children and they can not pack their own first-night box you will need to pack theirs too, and you should include:

baby essentials

  • Baby items
  • Favorite snack
  • Favorite toys
  • Books, DVDs, games to entertain them

These items will also come in handy when you are in a car driving to your new home. Your kids` attention span is short, and having their favorite items will make the relocation more pleasant. Remember that it is the journey that matters, and try to organize a sightseeing tour where possible. It is never too late or too early to make new memories with your family.

Don’t forget pets

If you are moving with a pet don’t forget that pets need some first few days essential items too, such as:

pets essentials

  • Food
  • Food bowls
  • Leash
  • Toys

When it comes to moving with pets, bear in mind that they should not be around on the very moving day. If you have packers or have friends coming over to pack everything, your pet shouldn’t be there. First of all, they are usually small and can be a distraction for movers, not to mention the possibility of getting injured. So, have someone take your pet to the park while your items are being packed and carried away. Secondly, your pets will find it quite stressful that the house does not look the same anymore, and they will not understand why is this happening.

Make your moving day more comfortable with a moving day essential box

A moving day essential box will make it easier for you to go through the moving day. However, even with a moving box ready, there is a chance you won`t find everything that you need in a fast and efficient manner. This is why it is extremely important to create an inventory list and label your moving day essential box. Labeling the box will prevent the movers from packing it in the front of the moving truck, or packing it at all if you instruct them this way.

On the other hand, as you pack your essentials box you should write down all the items that you have packed. In this way, you will save yourself a lot of time, as you will know exactly which items are in the moving box. Although the essential moving box should contain only essential items, as we have seen there are a lot of items that you will need during your moving day and the day after it.

Feel free to print out our list and use it as an essentials box checklist to make sure you don’t forget any of the crucial items to make your first few days at your new home comfortable!

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