WHAT TO GET RID OF BEFORE YOU MOVE

When you live in the same place for a long time, it is easy to accumulate loads of things without realizing. Somehow, stuff can just magically pile up! However, when it comes to moving, all of the stuff you have seemingly forgotten about stars coming out of the shadows and the task of assessing what you have accumulated becomes a bit daunting. In fact, when it’s time to estimate your moving job, you may not even know how much stuff you truly have. This is why we at USA Preferred Movers want to help you figure out what to get rid of before you move!

Moving is a perfect opportunity to downsize and declutter your belongings. In fact, doing away with your unneeded belongings can help make a move easier and, even, cheaper. Because moving costs are often calculated by volume, you’ll be able to reduce your volume, and thus get a better moving quote! Moreover, with less stuff to move, you’ll be able to alleviate the headache of additional packing and unpacking.

There is also some fun in rediscovering your old belongings and the activity can be like its own treasure hunt. You can even find items that you thought you lost, or didn’t own in the first place.

SO, WHAT TO GET RID OF BEFORE YOU MOVE?

MAKE IT EASIER. GO ROOM BY ROOM:

To make the task more manageable we recommend going through each room in your house separately and devoting several days to decluttering each one. 

WHAT TO GET RID OF BEFORE YOU MOVE: THE KITCHEN

The kitchen can be one of the easiest places to declutter before a move. Consider going through your appliances, pots, pans, mugs and so forth and putting aside the ones that you don’t need, or simply don’t work. You can donate the working appliances or unneeded dishware to a local thrift store like Goodwill or charity organization. You can also sell them at a yard sale. 

Then, from around two weeks before your move date, you should go through your kitchen and throw away any expired pantry food or fresh food. You can consider donating some non expired pantry food to local shelters and charities, and then repurchase new pantry items once you arrive at your new home. The week before you move, try to use as many perishable items as possible and limit purchasing new groceries. 

BATHROOM:

The bathroom is generally quite an easy space to declutter. If you have cosmetics in cabinets, be sure to go through them and see if anything has expired. Go through your vanity! Makeup, nail polish and skincare products do not last forever, so don’t hold onto anything that has gone bad.

BEDROOM: 

Depending on the type of person, your bedroom may be super neat and minimalistic or full of memorabilia, collectors items, photographs and more. Either way, going through your bedroom will be an important task to complete before the move. Do you need all those books? Do you have old electronics/cables you don’t use? What’s under your bed? What’s in your linen closet? Organize your belongings and consider what you may not need. 

CLOSET: CLOTHING, SHOES, BAGS

It’s time to clean your closet!

Depending on how much you love shopping, you may have a lot of clothes lying around. Clothes, shoes and accessories can pile up when you’re not keeping track. However, because trends go in and out of style, you definitely don’t need to hold onto everything you own, especially during a move. Set a rule for yourself. If you haven’t worn an item of clothing in 2-3 years, perhaps, you don’t need it anymore. Label a few boxes with clothes that you no longer need and set them aside for donations or to sell. 

There are plenty of places who will actually give you money for your clothes like Plato’s Closet, Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads.

STORAGE CLOSETS

Sometimes, we may like to put stuff away in closets to forget about them. However, it’s time to unearth the mystery! If you have any old appliances that don’t function hiding in a closet, consider bringing them to a repair. If you don’t wish to do that, you can always get rid of them.

GARAGE/BASEMENT/ATTIC:

The garage (and basement) can often function like an in-house storage unit. However, when it comes to moving, it may be time to time to figure out exactly what is lying in your garage or basement. 

BOOKS, DVDS, MISC

It’s easy to accumulate games, bric-a-brac and other memorabilia over time. Although some of these items may have sentimental value, there’s a chance that you are holding on to stuff you don’t need. Go through parts of your house that you may not frequent often and see what’s lying in there. You may even make some good money selling some of these items. Surprisingly, lots of old DVDs and video games can be valued at quite high prices. Consider selling some stuff online or at a yard sale, or simply donating to those in need.  

OLD FAMILY VIDEOS & DISCS

If you have some old VHS and cassette tapes lying around it may be useful to digitize them so that you have copies of them, and also to condense the format into something smaller and more portable. 

HOW TO DONATE, GIVE AWAY OR SELL YOUR ITEMS

There are plenty of local organizations that take donations, be sure to research charities in your area and see their restrictions. You can look into donating to women’s prisons, shelters, hospices and hospitals. Otherwise, you can use Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Freecycle, Buy Nothing, Offerup and other online resources to sell (or give away) your belongings. 

REMEMBER: YOU DON’T NEED TO GET RID OF STUFF

Obviously, you don’t need to get rid of anything if you don’t want to! However, decluttering can make moving more cost, labor and time efficient. You’ll have less stuff to organize, pack, transport and, of course, unpack!

MAYBE CONSIDER A STORAGE UNIT

Don’t feel pressured to get rid of stuff if you don’t want to! You can always choose to leave some stuff behind in a storage unit and then tend to it later. There are options for short term storage that can come in handy during a move.

LOOKING FOR MOVERS?

Now that you know what to get rid of before you move, you can start your search for movers! USA Preferred Movers is an expert moving company that operates all throughout the United States. We can move you all across the country with ease. Don’t hesitate to request a free quote for your move.