Before your upcoming move, there will surely be a large number of items that you’ve accumulated over the years that you decide to part ways with. We decided to write this post on items you should throw out before moving because many of our customers will often ask us about downsizing and the best way to do so. We also frequently get asked by customers what they can do to save money on their upcoming move. Well, these two things go hand in hand. By throwing items away, selling them, or donating them, you will be downsizing and ultimately shortening the length of your moving day. This will save you time and money once the move comes.
You should also consider the new home that you will be moving into when you make these decisions. Will all of your items fit? Is there a particular piece of furniture that is the complete wrong size or shape for your new space? Asking yourself some of these questions prior to moving day will help you decide what items you should throw out before moving.
Clothes & Shoes You Don’t Wear
Taking a hard look at your closet before moving can lead to a harsh realization of what items you actually need to keep. Old clothes and shoes you don’t wear are the top items you should throw out before moving. If something doesn’t fit you anymore, you never wear it, or its not in the best shape, get rid of it.
Now with some items, it may not be best to throw them out. If you have clothing and shoes in good shape, you should consider donating them. For example, Goodwill has locations all over and they make it very easy to drop off items in their local boxes.
Books You’ve Already Read
Unless you plan on building a library over time, you’ll likely never need the books you’ve already read again. Books are very heavy when boxed up and whether you’re DIY moving or hiring a company, you can lighten the load by adding these to your removal list. You can also donate books in good condition to most local libraries and charities.
Furniture
When moving to a new place, you need to look closely at the current furniture that you have and figure out if it will work in your new location. Nothing lightens the load more on moving day than not bringing too much furniture with you. Get the layout of your new space and understand the dimensions of your current furniture and new location. Will your couch fit well in the living room? Are your dressers from IKEA and unlikely to survive a move to another location?
You have many options when getting rid of furniture as long as its in good condition. There are a number of popular apps for selling household goods or you can post them on Craigslist. Donating furniture is also a great option and a tax write-off. For example, we work with an amazing organization called the MIT Student Furniture Exchange in the Boston area who take in used furniture in good condition and resell to local College/University students at a heavily discounted price.
Towels/Linens
These are often overlooked when considering what items you should throw out before moving. Linens and towels are meant to be replaced every few years anyway, so if their time is up when you’re moving, don’t bother bringing them along. They take up more room in boxes than you’d expect. The same goes for pillows. If they’re getting older or if you plan on getting new ones, don’t bring them with you to your new home.
Unmatched Dishes, Cups & Plastic Containers
Many of us are guilty of slowly accumulating a small army of unmatched kitchen items over time. Moving is the best time to take a look at your cabinets and decide what you truly want to keep. If you have 7 mugs of all different colors, do you really need and use them all? What about the 6 different sized plates you have? For me personally, plastic containers are my kryptonite. They’re useful so it makes them difficult to throw away. They’re also very affordable and you’ll probably want a new matching set in your new home.
Food
I’m not saying that when you move you should completely dump everything in your pantry into a trash bag. But, moving really gives you a chance to evaluate what food you want to bring with you and which food items you should throw out before moving. Unless you plan on bringing some type of cooler with you on moving day, most of the items in your refrigerator will need to go.
If when packing up the pantry you find that you have a bunch on non-perishable items that you don’t want to bring to your new home, you can look to your local food pantry and make a donation. For example, if one of our moving customers want to donate non-perishables, we bring them to a great local food pantry in Somerville called Project Soup, free of charge to the customer.
Holiday Decorations
Last but certainly not least, is holiday decorations. Many people accumulate old decorations in their basements for decades. I’m sure many basements still have the old multicolored Christmas bulbs stuffed in a box somewhere. Moving is not only a great time to clear out your basement, but to go through Holiday decorations and choose what you want to keep.
We hope this post is beneficial as you embark on figuring out which items you should throw out before moving.
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