What Won't Movers Move? Items to Plan For

Which hazardous materials stay off the truck?

Anything flammable, corrosive or under pressure. Movers do not want it near your furniture, and neither do you. Walk the garage, the shed and the basement a few weeks before the move, because that is where most of it lives.

• Gasoline, oil and the fuel left in a lawn mower, snow blower, leaf blower or generator
• Propane cylinders from the grill or a patio heater
• Paint thinner, solvents, oil-based stains and varnish
• Pool chlorine and other pool and spa chemicals
• Lighter fluid, kerosene, fireworks and ammunition
• Car batteries, fertilizers, pesticides and weed killers
• Aerosol cans in any quantity

How do you get rid of hazardous items before a move?

Start early, because the collection options run on their own calendar. Use up or give away what you can: a neighbor will usually take half a bag of fertilizer or a spare can of deck stain. Drain fuel from equipment the way its manual describes, or ask your mover whether the machine can travel and how it must be prepared.

For the rest, Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection lists household hazardous waste programs. Most towns hold collection days or share a regional facility, and each one sets its own rules for accepted materials, dates and who may drop off. Check your town's program before you load anything into the car. Propane suppliers and hardware stores often run exchange or return programs for grill cylinders.

What should travel with you instead of in the truck?

Some things are not dangerous at all; they just belong in your car. Cash, jewelry, passports, birth certificates, closing papers, checkbooks, prescription medication, laptops holding work files and every set of keys should ride with you. So should the things you cannot replace: photo albums, family papers, a hard drive of pictures.

The reason is not that a crew will lose them. It is that the truck is the wrong place for anything you cannot replace, or anything you will need before the last box comes off. Pack one bag for the day and the first night, and keep it separate from the load. The moving-day essentials list covers what to put in it.

What about food, plants and pets?

Perishable food spoils in a closed truck, and open bottles leak. Eat down the fridge and freezer in the last two weeks, give away what is left, and pack sealed pantry items only if your mover agrees to take them. Defrost and dry the freezer a day ahead so it does not drip on everything loaded beside it.

Houseplants suffer in the heat or cold of a truck, and soil spills when pots tip. Move them in your own car where you can. Pets never go in the moving truck. Keep them in a closed room or with a friend while the crew works; the guide to moving day with pets walks through it.

Which heavy or specialty items need a separate conversation?

Pianos, gun safes, hot tubs, pool tables, large aquariums, slate or stone tops and oversized glass are not automatic refusals, but each needs its own assessment: the weight, the route out of the house, the stairs and whether special equipment is needed. Send photos and model details with your estimate request rather than mentioning them on the day, when the crew may not have the right gear on the truck.

Appliances are a similar case. The crew can move a washer, dryer or refrigerator as part of a residential move, but gas lines, water connections and dedicated wiring should be disconnected by the right tradesperson before moving day. Drain washer hoses, and leave the fridge door ajar once it is dry.

What happens to the things you are not moving at all?

Label anything staying behind: the landlord's furniture, appliances sold with the house, items for a buyer. Keep donation items in one room with a clear sign, so nobody loads them by mistake. If a whole basement or garage needs emptying, that is a different job from the move. Major Movers offers clean-outs separately, and hauling and disposal are confirmed in writing before booking. The guide to what a house clean-out involves explains how to sort a property first.