The Smartest Way to Move Less Stuff

You don’t want to spend a lot of money paying to move items you don’t love. You’re making a fresh start moving into your new home, why not make sure the items you’re moving are going to fit into your fresh beginning. We have found a tried and true approach to making your move cost less money and headache. It’s simple and will likely make you feel more content in your new home. 

The Trick: 

The trick is simple. Ask yourself, “Do I value this item enough to pay for the privilege of moving it?” It works well for any sized item, but it’s especially helpful when it comes to extra-large items that could move you into a higher price bracket with your moving company. 

Since you’re already sorting through each of your items before the move, this is a great time to ask yourself this question as you figure out how to handle all the items in your home. Items you don’t truly love or envision in your new home are not worth the time and money to pack and move. 

The Up-Sizing Approach: 

Many buyers are up-sizing in a move. This will mean you’re possibly struggling to know if each room will look full enough with what you have. This situation tends to make people hold onto items they don’t love. Rest assured, just because you have the space, you don’t need to fill it! We promise. Extra closet space or extra rooms don’t need to feel finished immediately. If you don’t love that old couch, don’t keep it just because you have a bonus room in your new home. 

Your home will come together much more organically if you aren’t wasting energy on items you don’t love. You might find that having the item gone will help you to see the space more clearly. Start with an empty room and build it slowly. Save money on moving costs and put it toward purchasing the perfect piece for that space. You’ll be glad you did! 

The Downsizing Approach: 

If you’re downsizing, you likely have an even better motivation to get rid of the stuff that will fill your moving truck. It’s easy to purge when you know that you’re not losing space. 

For downsizers, there are other things to get rid of that you might not have thought of yet. It has to do with scale and size. Consider the scale of your furniture in the new space. Is your dining room table oversized? Will it dwarf the dining room of your new home? Does your new, smaller home even have a dining room? Consider how you’ll use your new space before allowing something to make it into the moving truck. 

How to Deal With the Stuff:

Experts who have lived through moves going both up in size and down in size say the same thing. It isn’t worth spending the money, effort, and hassle to move something you aren’t excited about. But how do you deal with all the items that you’re going to get rid of? 

There are two great options for getting rid of the items that you don’t love. You could sell them or donate them to a great cause. Both of these options could potentially put money back into your pocket that you will be able to put toward purchases in your new home. 

To Sell Items: 

If you want to sell your good-condition used items, you can go about it in several different approaches. Smaller collectible items could be sold on eBay. Larger items could be sold locally on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Simply provide well-lit photos, a short descriptive caption, then wait for the offers to roll in. This is a great way to get paid to move items out of your home. 

To Donate Items: 

Local charities are great places to donate your items for a possible tax write-off. Although the financial benefits may not be immediate, this is another way to get rid of items you’re no longer using. Plus, you can feel great knowing the items are going to a support a good cause.  Do your research, many local charities will even pick up large items for you! 

We have seen clients go through each type of move and have learned one thing that is universal, moving less stuff has the highest amount of benefit! Consider these tips when you sort through the items in your home before your next move. 

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