Packing for a move is a gargantuan task. Finding the right number and size of boxes, wrapping breakables, and finding the time to get it all done, is just the start of the process that ends in a successful move to a new home. 

There are some items that you will want to avoid packing and putting on the moving van. We have separated them into prohibited items according to federal law, restricted items depending upon permission by your movers, and special consideration items that you may want to move separately. 

Prohibited Items 

There are many common household items that are prohibited by the federal government to be included in your moving van. 

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports “Federal law forbids you to ship hazardous materials in your household goods boxes or luggage without informing your mover. A violation can result in five years imprisonment and penalties of $250,000 or more (49 U.S.C. 5124).”

Many prohibited items are things that you may find in your garage or basement and may not even think twice about them. Here is a list of our references but you will want to confirm a full list from the FMSCA. 

• Weed sprays 
• Fertilizers 
• Gardening chemicals 
• Paints
• Detergents
• Acids
• All flammables, including matches and lighter fluid
• Explosives and corrosives
• Fireworks
• Fire extinguisher
• Car batteries
• Motor oils and fuel
• Ammonia and liquid bleach
• Pool chemicals 
• Poisons and Pest killers
• Bottled gas or propane
• Lamp oil
• Charcoal

Restricted Items 

There are some items that your moving company may have their own requirements about including prior permission to have these items on the moving van. These could include: 

• Firearms 
• Ammunition
• Clean gas tanks
• Scuba tanks
• Power tools 

Special Considerations

There are also some items that homeowners may want to transport on their own instead of putting on the moving truck. This short list really depends upon the distance of the move, the personal preferences of the people moving, and what items you may need right up until the time you move. 

• Medical information and files
• Family documents such as passports and birth certificates
• Plants
• Prescriptions
• School records
• Checkbooks, credit cards, and financial records
• Jewelry 
• Family heirlooms
• Collectibles 

While these lists are not exhaustive, they can help you plan what NOT to pack for the big moving day. As you go room to room packing, especially the garage and basement, consider these items prior to the day of moving so you can make plans to dispose of them properly. 

Many of the prohibited items are included on the list due to the fact that improper storage or spillage during the move could potentially start a fire or cause an explosion, thus destroying your personal possessions during the move. 

Talk to our moving specialists who can help you determine what to pack and what to handle and dispose of prior to moving day. 

With holidays approaching, it’s a sure bet that we’ll all be adding to our belongings with presents from our loved ones. It’s the season of giving… and receiving, if we are being selfish. But then again, there is nothing wrong with appreciating those tiny little presents we want to keep forever. KEEP. FOREVER. Most of us, at some point in our lives, became hoarders of things. Ever since we were young, we were always saving things. Whether it was the hundreds of different stickers, all kinds of rocks, or those weird plastic charm bracelets.

Living on your own, it’s hard to see the nostalgia attached to items, you just see clutter! Unused clothes and bags, dusty boxes that you don’t even know what’s inside, paper and documents (might want to check those) lying around, the tiny presents you received from several holidays. These things pile up and one day you’ll just notice that you don’t even have space to walk anymore. If this is your situation, it is time to start decluttering.

Divide and Conquer!

First thing to do is to separate it by sections. Pick a section and focus on that one first. As you go through each object, ask yourself questions like “Have I used this for the past year?” or “Do I need this?” If the answer is no, then that thing must go!

Another thing you can do is to grab a trash bag and go through each section. In the trash bag, put things that you think can still be used by another person. Things like old clothes, old bags, or old books that have still life in it would do better in another person’s hands. This is a great way to organize your home little by little. It’s also a win-win for you and another person!

No Paper Trails!

Although we live in the digital age now, we still have paper mail. Mail tend to pile up especially if you don’t take care of it on the regular. As a start, go through all of it once and like before, organize them by type. Bills, invitations, credit card offers, whatever they may be, separate them and go through each pile one by one. Have a place in your house where you can keep the necessary bills, invitations, and others for future reference or opt for paperless!

The best thing to do after doing these steps is to commit to the routine. Make it a part of your day/week and this will help you maintain the cleanliness of your home. More than that, it will give you peace and a decluttered mind. Plus, you get to see your countertops again, right?

Storage Rentals

Following these steps are great but sometimes it’s just not enough. If things are still not looking good, there is always an option to rent a storage space where you can put the stuff you’ll use again but don’t need right now. Storage rentals are great because they allow you to have a clean and organized home while still being able to keep the things that you love.

Mastodon Moving offers storage rentals that feature plenty of room for all your belongings! All our units are under high security and climate controlled. If ever you decide to declutter, call us for our storage unit for the things you just cannot part with yet.

Packing up your everyday household belongings is a huge challenge in and of itself, but when high value items come into the equation, this is when things can get tricky. If you have a pool table that has been sitting in your basement or bonus room since you originally moved into your current residence, then chances are you don’t exactly remember how to move it.

Our professional movers have packed and moved more than our fare share of pool tables and we’re here to tell you that it can be tricky and does involve multiple steps. Below is a rundown of how to disassemble, pack, and move your pool table.

How To Pack A Pool Table

1. Remove All Pockets. Before anything else, make sure to remove all 6 pockets from the pool table. This will require a few simple hand-held tools such as a philips head screwdriver.
2. Remove The Rails. The rails are the (usually) wooden frame that surrounds the felt. You will need a wrench to unscrew the bolts in the rails. Be sure to carefully wrap each rail in bubble wrap so that they do not dent or scratch during the move.
3. Remove The Felt. This is the tricky part as some felt is glued instead of stapled. If the felt is stapled, then a staple remover will get this job done. If the felt is glued, then we recommend detaching the entire board from the table and wrapping it in packing materials such as bubble wrap and placing it in a properly sized moving box or custom wood crate.
4. Remove The Base. Using hand-held tools or light power tools, loosen and unscrew the bolts that hold base of the table together. At this point you may want someone to help you lift the base and set it aside as this section is quite heavy and normally made of wood.
5. Remove The Legs. After removing the base, you will see that there is an underlying frame to which is attached the legs of the pool table. To detach the legs from the frame, you will again need handheld tools to loosen any screws.
6. Pack Each Part. At this point your pool table should be in separate pieces: the pockets, rails, felt, base, frame, and legs. Make sure you stop and take inventory first to ensure you have each part. Next, grab bubble wrap and boxes and start packing. Try and find boxes that have similar shapes as the object that is to go in them.
7. Pack Accessories. You’ve focused all of your attention on the pool table itself, but now it’s time to pack up all of the accessories. If you have saved any of the original boxes that the accessories came in, then be sure to place the items in their rightful box. If not, you will need to wrap each pool ball and stick in bubble wrap. Don’t forget to put the chalk in a plastic bag to prevent it from ruining your other items.

Now that you’re all packed up, the next step is to secure the pool table in the moving van. Be sure to use moving pads to protect the boxes or pieces of the table that didn’t fit inside the boxes. We recommend using any ties that the moving van has within to secure each item. If you can, do not stack the pieces and do not place other items on top of the pool table pieces. Once the van is packed, don’t forget to drive carefully to your new home and unpack the pool table items first and foremost.

Having trouble disassembling your pool table or do you need the proper packing materials? Contact Mastodon Moving today for a free moving estimate.