Moving is never fun. Whether its across town or across the country, moving is stressful, expensive, and a lot of work. Don’t make it harder on yourself. You don’t need to take everything you own with you. Consider this an opportunity to purge and finally throw out the things you never use or don’t really need. If you are hiring a company or doing the work yourself, the more you take the more expensive the move will be. Movers typically charge based on poundage. If you do it yourself, you will pay for a bigger truck, additional boxes, and more gas. You don’t need the extra weight from the 50 Disney VHS tapes that have been sitting on a rack for 30 years. We are going to break down your move by room to make sure you consider every space.
Kitchen & Bathroom
Let’s start with the kitchen and bathroom. Some things to consider parting with are appliances. If you haven’t used the air fryer that was gifted to you in two years, you’re most likely not going to use it at your new residence either. Extra or scratched pots and pans take up a lot of space on your move, and won’t be any less scratched when you arrive. Everyone seems to have a set of backup pans in their kitchen. You don’t need them. Small kitchen items to sort through are mugs, extra utensils, and expired food. The spice rack wedding gift can probably go too, unless you really like to cook.
In the bathroom, go through old bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. Old or unused towels and expired medications are other items that can go. Be sure to dispose of medications properly.
Living Room
Then you have the living room and possibly an office. Damaged furniture or furniture that won’t fit your new space can go. Think of what furniture you really want in your new home. It is often more cost effective to buy new rather than pay for it to be moved. Also, you can start with a new look at your new residence. Books, CDs, and DVDs sitting on shelves can go. You probably don’t even have the device to play them on. Old paperwork, sent bills, and partially used notebooks can all go. Just be sure their isn’t any important personal information on the paperwork. Businesses like FedEx have shredding services, so consider using this.
Closets
Finally are closets. Old linens and bedding needs strong consideration for being parted with. So should old clothes and toys. Keeping sentimental items is fine to an extent, but keeping every pair of shoes or Easter dress your child has ever worn is strange. You can part with them. She moved out three years ago.
Closing Thoughts
You aren’t being told to throw everything away prior to the move, just to consider carefully what you actually need and want to take. When you get to your new home, you are going to want to setup, not go through all of your boxes of old junk. They will just end up in storage until the next time you move. Throw away things that are broken or have no value, but consider a yard sale for items with value that you just don’t want. You might even be able to cover some of your moving expenses with the money you make from your sale, selling things you didn’t want to pack and move anyway. Whatever doesn’t sell or find its way to the dumpster can be donated. Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity are both great places to donate to.
