Moving Plants, Pianos, Pets & Hazardous Materials

The Items That Need Special Planning

Every move has a few items that don’t fit neatly into the standard packing routine. Houseplants can’t be sealed in a box. Pianos need specialist handling. Pets need to be kept safe and calm. And certain household items can’t legally travel on a removal van at all.

These are the things that catch people off guard on moving day if they haven’t planned ahead. This lesson covers how to handle each one so there are no surprises.

Moving with Houseplants

Houseplants are more common in moves than ever, and many of them have real sentimental or financial value. The approach depends entirely on the size of the plant.

Small Plants

Carrying small pots out one by one is impractical and time-consuming. Instead, group them together in a small/heavy box (30×50cm) — the same box you’d use for kitchen items.

Place the pots carefully inside and stuff scrunched packing paper into the gaps to prevent them from tipping over or sliding into each other. If any pots are glass or ceramic, wrap them individually in bubble wrap before placing them in the box.

Leave the box open. Plants need air, and many will protrude above the top of the box. The box isn’t there to seal them in — it’s a way to transport multiple plants together safely, minimising the chance of them falling over during transit.

Medium Plants

Medium-sized plants — orchids, ferns, and anything with spreading foliage — can also go into open boxes. The box contains the leaves and reduces the chance of branches snapping during the move. For plants with particularly wide or fragile foliage, gently tie the stems together with soft string or a strip of fabric to reduce their volume and make them easier to carry.

Large Plants

For larger houseplants — floor-standing pots, tall ferns, established indoor trees — there’s no practical way to box them. Transport them as they are. If the pot is delicate or fragile, wrap the base in bubble wrap, but otherwise these go straight onto the van as a standalone item.

Garden Plants and Outdoor Pots

Garden plants in pots can be moved as they are, but the English weather creates a specific challenge: waterlogged soil.

A large outdoor pot that’s been sitting in the rain for weeks can be extraordinarily heavy and will leak water throughout the journey, potentially soaking boxes stored nearby on the van.

A few days before moving day, bring outdoor pots under cover — a porch, a garage, or even a plastic bag loosely draped over the top to keep the rain off. This gives the soil time to dry out, reduces the weight dramatically, and prevents water damage to other items on the van.

For very large or heavy garden pots, this single step can make the difference between two people lifting it comfortably and four people struggling.

Plants That Won’t Survive the Move

Be realistic about which plants to take. Very large, mature garden plants that are planted in the ground are usually best left for the new owners. Attempting to dig up and transport established shrubs, trees, or hedging plants rarely ends well — the root disruption and stress of transit often kills them. Take cuttings or propagations if you want to preserve a favourite plant, and start fresh at the new property.

Moving Pianos

Pianos are among the most challenging items to move. They’re heavy, awkward, and easy to damage if handled incorrectly — and they can cause serious injury to anyone who underestimates their weight or doesn’t have a proper plan.

Upright Pianos

A standard upright piano weighs between 150 and 300kg. Moving one requires a minimum of two experienced people, proper equipment, and a clear plan for getting it out of the house and onto the van.

We use padded cases and piano wheels to make the removal go smoothly. The piano is wrapped in padded blankets to protect the finish, and specialist piano skates or trolleys allow it to be rolled rather than carried wherever the floor is level.

Before moving day, close and lock the keyboard lid to protect the keys, and secure any loose music stands or decorative elements. Don’t attempt to move a piano without the right equipment — the weight and centre of gravity make it unpredictable, and a dropped piano damages both the instrument and the floor beneath it.

Grand Pianos and Baby Grands

Grand pianos are a different category entirely. They’re heavier, wider, and far more delicate than uprights. The legs often need to be removed, and the piano may need to be tilted onto its side for transport — a process that requires specialist knowledge to avoid damaging the frame, strings, or soundboard.

For baby grands, grand pianos, or any piano that involves awkward access — flights of stairs, narrow hallways, tight corners — we recommend using a specialist piano moving company. Firms like these transport pianos daily and have the equipment, experience, and insurance to handle even the most valuable instruments safely. It removes the risk from your move entirely and saves a real headache on the day.

If you have a piano, mention it during your home assessment so we can plan the best approach — whether we handle it ourselves or arrange specialist assistance.

Moving with Pets

Moving house is stressful for everyone in the family, including your pets. Dogs and cats in particular are sensitive to the disruption of their environment — unfamiliar people coming and going, furniture disappearing, doors propped open, and their usual routine thrown out entirely.

The Best Option: Remove Them from the Situation

If possible, arrange for your pets to be somewhere else entirely on moving day. Boarding kennels, a cattery, or a family member or friend who can look after them for the day (or even a couple of days) is the least stressful option for everyone.

This keeps them safe, calm, and out of the way while the house is in chaos. It also removes the risk of a pet escaping through an open front door — something that happens more often than people think during a move.

If That’s Not Possible

If boarding or a family arrangement isn’t an option, the next best approach is isolation. Choose one room in the house that will be packed and cleared last — ideally a quiet room away from the main activity. Put your pet in that room with their bed, water, food, and a familiar toy. Close the door and put a clear sign on it so the removal team knows not to enter.

Once the rest of the house is loaded, the pet and their belongings can be moved last.

What We Can and Can’t Do

We cannot transport live animals on the removal van — this is an insurance and safety requirement. Your pets need to travel with you in the car.

However, we can take all their accessories — beds, crates, bowls, food, toys, leads — and we can load the van so that these items are accessible as soon as we arrive at the new house. Let us know what your pet will need immediately on arrival, and we’ll make sure it’s the last thing loaded and the first thing off.

Settling In at the New House

At the new property, set up a quiet room for your pet before the rest of the unpacking begins. Familiar items — their bed, their blanket, a worn piece of your clothing — help them feel secure in an unfamiliar environment. Keep them in this room with the door closed while the removal team brings everything in, then gradually let them explore the rest of the house once things have calmed down.

Hazardous Materials — Items We Can’t Transport

For insurance and safety reasons, there are certain items that cannot travel on a removal van. These include:

• Gas canisters — BBQ gas bottles, camping gas cartridges, portable heater cylinders
• Flammable liquids — petrol, lighter fluid, methylated spirits, white spirit
• Corrosive substances — bleach concentrates, drain cleaners, strong acids
• Open tins of paint — sealed, unopened tins are usually fine, but anything that’s been opened and could leak is excluded
• Fireworks and explosives — including any stored from previous celebrations
• Pressurised aerosols in large quantities — a can of deodorant in a box is fine, but a box full of aerosols is not

These items need to travel in your own vehicle on moving day. Put them in a sturdy box, keep them upright, and transport them in the boot of your car. If you have a significant quantity — say, a garage full of half-used paint tins and barbecue gas — plan ahead and consider disposing of what you don’t need before the move. Many local recycling centres accept paint and gas canisters.

Don’t leave hazardous items as a last-minute surprise. If you know you have items that might fall into this category, mention them during your home assessment so we can plan accordingly.

Pro Tip from Jay

“The two things people always forget to plan for are the pets and the gas bottles in the garage. Both need sorting before moving day, not on the day. Get the pets to a friend or a kennel, and check your garage and shed for anything flammable or pressurised — it can't go on the van, and if you only realise that at 8am on moving day, you've got a problem.”

— Jay Newton, Director