Moving to a new place is often seen as an opportunity to start afresh and build a better life for yourself. One good way to do so is to let go of everything that’s weighing you down – groundless anxieties, unhappy memories, painful self-doubts, useless junk, etc. – and start on a clean slate in your new world.
It may be difficult to handle the emotional side of things, but it is really easy to deal with the material stuff that clutters your life without bringing any value to it. All you need to do is sort out your possessions, assess their value (whether practical, financial, or sentimental), decide which of them are worth moving to your new home, and get rid of everything else. And, without a doubt, the best way to get rid of things before moving is to sell them.
So, what to sell before moving? How to lighten your load and get your new life off to a flying start?
Here are some pointers to help you out:
Why selling things before moving is a good idea?
If you want to open a new chapter in your life after the move, you will have to leave your old belongings behind and buy new things for your new home – functional, convenient, and stylish items that fit the space well and suit your personal taste. And even if you don’t like radical changes and prefer to keep your old possessions, you will still have to get rid of some of them – items you won’t be able to use in your new surroundings and items that will be too difficult or too expensive to relocate.
Must-read: How to decide what to keep when moving
You will throw away damaged and badly worn items, of course, but about those things that are still in good condition? You can donate or give away some of them, but your best option is to sell your unneeded items (especially the more expensive ones):
1) You will make some extra money, so you’ll be able to boost your moving budget and to afford buying new items for your new home.
2) You will save a lot of money on your move
- Moving costs are based on the weight of your items (when moving long distance) or the time needed to complete the job (when moving locally). The fewer items you relocate, the smaller the weight of your shipment will be and the faster the movers will finish the job – so your moving costs will be lower;
- You will spend less on packing supplies (as you will need less of them), moving insurance (as you will be insuring fewer items), etc.
3) You will save yourself a lot of time and effort when preparing your belongings for shipment.
4) You will make your move easier as there will be fewer items to take care of.
5) You will be able to furnish your new home with items that perfectly fit its design and layout and surround yourself with things you truly like – you won’t be burdened by your old belongings (which are unlikely to be right for your new place and your new lifestyle) and will have enough money to afford buying what you like.
6) Your new home will be clutter-free as you will have got rid of rarely used (and completely useless) items that would have otherwise taken up needed space in your new house or apartment.
So, when moving to a new place, you’re advised to bring along only what you need and love – items of high practical or sentimental value – and sell as many of your unwanted possessions as possible.
Things to sell before moving
There are many things that it doesn’t make sense to take with you when moving – and that you can sell to make some extra cash for your move:
- Things that don’t fit your new home – furniture, appliances, and other larger household items that won’t fit in the available space in your new house or apartment or won’t fit your new home design. It is a good idea to make a floor plan of your new place and choose your design style before the move, so you don’t end up moving bulky pieces that won’t fit through the doors and hallways of your new home, won’t suit the layout of the space, or won’t match the rest of the home décor;
- Things that are not appropriate for your new lifestyle – furnishings, clothes and shoes, weather-related items, and other items you won’t be able to use in your new surroundings because of the different climate in the area, the different type of residence you’ll be living in, the different job you’ll have, etc. (You won’t need your fur-lined coats and boots if you’re moving to a place with a year-round warm climate; you’ll have no use for your gardening tools if you’re moving into a high-rise apartment, etc.);
- Things you hardly ever use – specialized kitchen items (like a food torch or a pasta maker), specialized equipment (anything from fishing rods through a treadmill to a sewing machine), etc. It is not worth moving things that are used only on rare occasions, if ever at all – better sell them to someone who will put them to good use;
- Things you don’t like anymore – artwork, decorations, books, clothes and shoes, household items, etc. Whether it was a gift or you bought it because you couldn’t find (or couldn’t afford) a better one, if you don’t like something, you shouldn’t keep it – someone else may actually need it or enjoy having it;
- Things no one is interested in anymore – books, sports gear, musical instruments, painting supplies, electronic gadgets, collectibles, etc. Anything you or a member of your family used to enjoy but don’t care about anymore should go to a new owner;
- Outgrown items – clothes and shoes that have become too small for your kids (as well as any garments that no longer fit you or you just don’t wear anymore), toys and games, books and magazines, game consoles and CDs, etc. Unless they’re really expensive though, instead of selling outgrown items, you may want to donate them to children’s charities or give them to friends who have younger kids;
- Items you want to replace with newer models – old appliances, outdated electronics, etc. There is no point in moving something only to replace it in a couple of years – sell your old appliances and electronics to people who need them now and recoup some money that you can put toward buying modern replacements;
- Duplicate items – extra bedding (linens, blankets, towels, etc.), extra kitchen items, and all kinds of things you have more than one (or one set) of. You won’t need two coffee makers, five sets of dessert plates, or three dozen bath towels in your new home – sell what you can and donate the rest before you move;
- Difficult to move items that have no special value and can be easily replaced after the move:
- Heavy items – large furniture, bulky appliances, exercise equipment, etc. As already discussed above, moving costs are based on the weight of the shipment, so it may be cheaper to sell your heavy items before the move and buy new pieces later than to pay for packing and shipping your weighty belongings to your new home – not to mention how much easier your move will be without the need to haul bulky objects around. As an added bonus, you will get brand new things for your new home for about the same price as you would pay for moving your old, weighty belongings;
- Fragile items – glassware, chinaware, etc. The risk of damage to fragile items during a house move is very high, so you may be better off selling your breakables and buying new ones after the relocation – you will save yourself plenty of time and effort (needed for preparing fragile items for shipping) and a lot of nerves (upon finding your plates and glasses in pieces when unpacking after the move);
- Sensitive items – pieces of art, antiques, electronics, specialty items (pianos, grandfather clocks, etc.) Such delicate items don’t stand much of a chance to survive the relocation intact – better sell them to someone who will appreciate them and take care of them than risk damaging them during the move (unless they have high sentimental value, of course – in such a case, consider using custom crating services to ensure the safety of your treasured possessions).
Keep in mind that everything you intend to sell must be in a good overall condition. Also, remember that it makes sense to sell items of higher monetary value and to donate useful things that don’t cost much – you won’t make a lot of profit out of your spare towels, for example, but a local shelter will put them to good use.
Related useful reads: How to sell stuff online when moving; How to organize a moving sale
One final piece of advice – make sure you don’t sell your stuff while you still need it. You may want to sell as much as possible (so it makes sense to put up your items for sale the day you decide that you’re not moving them to your new home, as you can’t know how long it will take for them to sell), but you can’t live in an empty home for a couple of months before the move. So, be strategic about your timing – things you can do without (like home décor, for example) should be listed for sale as early as possible, but more essential items (like furniture and appliances) should be kept until a week or two before the move.
