What not to pack in a moving van (and what to carry yourself)
When you move, nothing flammable, explosive or corrosive goes in the van: butane bottles, petrol, solvents, open paint, aerosols, bleach and pool chemicals. Perishable food, pets and, in practice, delicate plants don’t travel with the load either. And there is a third group that could go but is better carried by you: documents, cash, jewellery, medication, laptops and hard drives.
Below you’ll find the list by group in a table, why each item causes problems, what to do with it in Valencia (ecoparque, pharmacy, gas distributor) and the bag or box that should stay with you on moving day.
What can’t you take in a moving van? The list by group
The short rule: if it can burn, explode, leak or go off within hours, it stays out of the load. If it can’t be replaced, it goes with you.
| Group | Examples | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Gas and fuel | Butane or propane bottles, camping gas cartridges, petrol, diesel, lawnmower tank | Gas distributor; empty engines beforehand |
| Chemicals and paint | Open paint and varnish, solvents, white spirit, bleach, ammonia, pool chlorine | Use up or give away; leftovers to the ecoparque |
| Pressurised items and batteries | Aerosols, sprays, fire extinguishers, e-scooter or e-bike batteries, car batteries | Aerosols to the ecoparque; lithium batteries with you, half charged |
| Perishables | Frozen food, meat, fruit, opened food | Empty the fridge beforehand; give away the rest |
| Living things | Pets, delicate plants, aquariums | Pets always with you; plants in your car |
| Valuables and irreplaceables | Passport, NIE, ID, contracts, cash, jewellery, original photos | A backpack or folder you carry |
| Work and health | Medication, prescriptions, laptop, hard drives, chargers | Hand luggage |
This is not a closed legal list: each company may have its own exclusions. If you have something that doesn’t fit, ask when you request the quote.
Why can’t hazardous materials go in a moving van?
Because a removal van isn’t equipped for dangerous goods. Carrying them by road falls under the ADR Agreement, which requires packaging, labelling and training that a house move doesn’t have. That’s why professional movers won’t load them, even if the container looks sealed.
Besides the fire risk there is a very practical problem: leaks. A badly closed paint tin or a bottle of bleach that tips over on a bump will ruin a mattress, a sofa or a box of clothes. In summer, with the van parked in full sun, aerosols and solvents are the first things to cause trouble.
What to do with each item before the day:
- Butane or propane bottles. Call your official gas distributor (Agencia Distribuidora Oficial) before moving. According to Repsol, if you change address and want to keep the contract, you must keep the bottles; if you cancel supply, the delivery person collects them and your deposit is refunded (checked in October 2026 on repsol.es). If the new flat has mains gas or an electric hob, cancelling is the cleanest option.
- Petrol and diesel. Empty the tank of the lawnmower, strimmer or generator before the move. Fuel cans don’t go in the load.
- Paint, varnish and solvents. Give half-used tins in good condition to a neighbour. The rest goes to the ecoparque.
- Cleaning and pool products. Use what you can for the final clean of the flat. Whatever is left, tightly closed in a plastic box you carry yourself, or to the ecoparque.
- Lithium batteries (scooter, e-bike, power tools). Better in your car, half charged and protected from knocks. Don’t pack them in a box of clothes.
What should you carry yourself instead of putting in the van?
Anything irreplaceable or that you need on the same day. It’s not that the crew will lose it: it’s that if a box ends up at the back of the van, or gets opened in the hallway of the new flat, you want those things at hand and know exactly where they are.
- Documents: passport, NIE, ID, rental or purchase contracts, deeds, bank and car papers, medical records.
- Cash and jewellery, plus spare bank cards and the keys to both the old and the new home.
- Medication for at least three or four days, with prescriptions.
- Electronics with data: laptop, hard drives, camera, tablet and their chargers.
- Irreplaceable keepsakes: original photos, letters, children’s things.
If you have high-value items (artwork, collections, instruments), mention them when you ask for a price: there is a dedicated white glove transport service. And for extra peace of mind, you can take out additional insurance for your belongings yourself.
Can you move food, plants and pets?
Sealed food yes, perishables no. Tins, pasta or rice in sealed packets can go in a small, clearly labelled box. Frozen food, meat and anything opened shouldn’t: a few hours without cold and it goes off and stains whatever is next to it. Plan the last two weeks of meals to run the fridge down, and unplug it about 24 hours before so it defrosts (see how to move a fridge and a washing machine).
Pets always travel with you. A dog or cat never goes in the removal van. Ideally, on loading day they stay with a friend or in a closed room with a sign on the door, so nobody opens it while everything is being carried out.
Plants: better in your car. Within Valencia they can travel, but they suffer: broken branches, soil on the floor and heat in the closed cargo area. Water them two or three days before, not on the day, wrap the pots in plastic and take them yourself, or ask for them to go in last, knowing there is no guarantee. On long moves to another province, delicate plants rarely arrive in good shape.
Aquariums: empty. Fish travel with you in bags or a lidded container; the tank is moved without water or gravel.
Where to dispose of what you don’t take in Valencia
A move is the best chance to stop carrying things you no longer use, and in Valencia almost everything has a place:
| Leftover | Where it goes | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Paint, varnish, solvents, oil | Fixed ecoparque (Vara de Quart) | Limits per person per day |
| Aerosols, batteries, cooking oil, fluorescent tubes | Mobile ecoparque in your neighbourhood | Visits roughly once a month |
| Expired or unused medicines | SIGRE point at a pharmacy | In their box with the leaflet |
| Gas bottles | Gas distributor | They collect the bottles if you cancel the contract |
| Furniture, mattresses, appliances | Fixed ecoparque or council collection (010) | Or paid furniture removal |
Opening hours, exact limits and how to find the mobile ecoparque date for your area are in the Ecoparque Valencia guide. Don’t leave chemicals in the regular bin or on the pavement by your door.
What to do on moving day with things that don’t go in the van
So you’re not caught in a rush, set these things aside the week before, not the last night:
- A “do not load” area. A room or a wardrobe with a sign. It holds the document backpack, the medication bag, the laptop and anything travelling in your car.
- The first-night box. Sheets, a towel per person, chargers, toilet paper, coffee and something to eat. This box can go in the van, loaded last so it comes out first.
- A list of what goes with you. Check it before the van doors close.
- Photos of valuable items. A quick photo of your good furniture before loading saves arguments later.
If you don’t have a full plan yet, the moving checklist sorts everything by week, and the moving boxes guide tells you how many you need and how to label them.
How much does the move cost if I carry some things myself?
What you take in your own car doesn’t add hours to the move. The approximate rate for an apartment move in Valencia is 55 €/h for the van with driver, with a 2-hour minimum (from 110 €), plus 20 €/h per mover: 2 hours with one mover (the driver) comes to about 130 €, with two movers (one is the driver) about 170 €. we confirm the price in the quote before starting. You pay once the job is done, in cash or by bank transfer.
To get a price, send us both addresses, the floor and whether there is a lift, plus a list or a few photos of what needs moving. If you have something from the list above and aren’t sure what to do with it, mention it in the same message.
