How to Decide What to Keep and What to Throw Away When Moving

Moving is many things – a stressful experience, an expensive undertaking, a difficult endeavor, a great challenge, an exciting adventure… Yet, above all, it is a chance for a new beginning – a brand new life in a brand new world.

It gives you the opportunity to start afresh and leave behind anything you didn’t like in your old life – from your shabby old home and crappy old job to your boring daily routine and unwanted reputation.

It gives you the opportunity to build the life you’ve always wanted for yourself, do what you’ve always wanted to do, create your dream home, find your dream job, start wonderful new relationships, and surround yourself with things you truly love.

So, should you “leave it all behind and move on”? Or should you keep all that defined your life and your self for so many years? Or just take the things that you love and get rid of everything else?

No one can help you make that choice in regard to values, relationships, habits, and the like.

When it comes to material items, though, things are simpler – you can take the items worth taking and throw away the rest.

But how to decide what to keep when moving? What to get rid of before you move? Which items are worth the money and effort required for their relocation and which ones aren’t?

Here are some guidelines to help you make the right decision:

How to Decide What to Keep and What to Get Rid of When Moving

The fewer items you relocate to your new home, the smaller the moving costs will be, of course. But this is not the only benefit of paring down your belongings before a move – packing and loading will take less time and effort, there will be fewer things to keep track of and worry about, unpacking will be faster and easier, and, most important of all, there will be no junk and useless clutter in your new home.

So, when packing for moving, make sure you take only things you actually want to keep and truly enjoy having around. If in doubt, consider:

1) The value of the item

Whether an item is worth moving depends not so much on its financial value as on its practical use and/or sentimental meaning:

# To determine the practical value of an object, ask yourself:

• How often do you use it? Is it there out of necessity or out of habit?
• How convenient is it? Does it make your life easier or more comfortable?
• Is it in good condition? Does it function well and fulfill its purpose?
• Is it high quality and durable?
• Will it fit into your new home (in terms of space, layout, and style)?
• Will you be able to use in your new surroundings?

If something is used only on rare occasions (if ever!), has already worn out or become outdated, doesn’t function properly, doesn’t fit into your new house or apartment, or won’t be useful in your new lifestyle, it’d be better left behind.

# Items with great sentimental value include family heirlooms, personal favorites, and keepsakes you’re emotionally attached to. These are irreplaceable items you will want to hold onto, no matter what, so they will be definitely on your packing list.

Yet, make sure you keep only the things that really matter to you, not every single object from your past (keep the painting your best friend drew for you at your graduation, for example, but take photos of all the artwork your kids did in pre-school and don’t bring the actual items along).

Collector’s items, vintage items, pieces of art, and other rare or unique objects that are very difficult (or impossible) to replace should go to your new home as well (unless you don’t like them and don’t want them anymore, of course).

2) The type of your move

If you’re moving locally, you will probably decide to take most of your belongings with you -transporting them to your new address won’t be very difficult or very expensive, the climatic conditions will be the same, the lifestyle in your new surroundings is unlikely to be very different from what it was before the move, etc.

Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to throw away furniture, appliances, and other larger and costlier household items that are still in good condition and fit into your new home, or any of the clothes and shoes you wear often, or any home décor, bedding, personal items, hobby materials, etc. that you like and buy similar ones after the relocation.

If you’re moving cross country, it will be best to leave most of your large, heavy, rarely used and not dearly loved belongings behind and bring along only items of great practical or sentimental value.

It will be very difficult and very expensive to move a lot of things such a great distance and, besides, your new area and your new lifestyle will be quite different from before, so you won’t need many of your old items anyway.

If you’re moving abroad, you’re advised to take only some personal items and your most valuable possessions with you.

Moving household goods overseas is extremely difficult, costly, and risky, not to mention that most of your things won’t be appropriate for your new life in your new country.

3) The moving cost

The relocation cost is another important factor to take into account when deciding what to keep when moving.

The moving cost depends on the distance of the move and the complexity of the job:

• In the event of a local move, the moving cost is based on the time it takes the movers to perform the relocation (prepare your items for shipment, load them onto the moving truck, transport them to your new home, and unload your goods);
• In the event of a long-distance move, the moving cost is based on the actual distance to your new home and the weight of your shipment;
• The more specialized extra services (furniture disassembly, hoisting, etc.) are required for your move and the higher quality packing materials are needed for ensuring the safety of your possessions, the higher the moving cost will be.

To find out how much it will cost you to move your old items to your new home, you’re advised to fill in a moving quote and request binding on-site estimates from several reputable moving companies – when you compare the offers, you’ll get a good idea of your final moving cost and will be able to decide what to take and to get rid of before the move.

Good to remember: If an item is very difficult to move and/or the risk of damage to the item during the relocation is very high (because the object is very delicate, highly sensitive, oddly-shaped, too heavy, etc.), it would be better not to take that item with you. If it is an irreplaceable item you can’t bear to live without, you may want to consider using custom crating services (or other specialized moving services, as appropriate) to ensure its safety during the relocation.

What to Take When Moving Out

Having considered all of the above factors, it should be easy to decide what to keep when moving – things you need, things you love, and things that are difficult or impossible to replace (as they are very rare, very expensive, or have special sentimental meaning to you):

• Important documents – personal documents (passports, birth certificates, driving licenses, social security cards, diplomas, marriage certificates, etc.), financial documents (credit cards, bank statements, loan papers, tax returns, property-related documents, etc.), medical records, school records, pets’ documents, etc.;
• Jewelry and other valuables (pieces of art, collectibles, gold and silver items, crystal items, etc.);
• Essential electronics – laptops, phones, tablets, cameras, etc.;
• High quality furniture pieces;
• Household items in good condition you use on a daily basis;
• Good quality, properly fitting clothes and shoes, appropriate for the climatic conditions in your new area;
• Yours and your family members’ favorite items – beloved books, toys, hobby items, and favorite household items (as well as you pets’ favorite items);
• Family heirlooms, keepsakes, and other special items invested with great sentimental value;
• Artwork you like;
• Pictures, decorations, and other cherished items that will make you feel at home in your new house or apartment;
• Everything you love and enjoy having around.

Once you’ve decided what to take when moving, make a detailed inventory of the items you’re going to relocate and find a safe and affordable way to transport them to your new home. You can rent a moving truck and move your belongings yourself or hire professional movers to do the job for you and save you plenty of time, effort, and trouble (the experienced moving specialists will ensure the best possible protection to your items and will deliver them to your new home intact and unscathed).

See also: Move yourself or hire a mover – how to solve the ultimate dilemma

What to Get Rid of When Moving

Deciding what to throw away when moving can be a difficult task, as most people find it hard to let go of items they have owned for a long time and become accustomed to (and even harder to part with sentimental items and memorabilia). Yet, bringing useless clutter to your new home is not only pointless, but will also add to the cost, complexity, and stress of your move.

So, you need to be firm and resolute in your decision to pare down your possessions and simplify your move and your new life. (It will be easier if you keep in mind that discarding a certain item does not mean discarding your feelings towards the loved or respected person who gave it to you or your cherished memories of the past event it is associated with.)

Here are some suggestions on what to get rid of before you move:

• Broken, damaged, expired, or worn out items that can’t be used ever again;
• Furniture and equipment you won’t be able to use in your new surroundings (like your gardening tools if you’re moving into an apartment or your king size bed if you’re moving into a tiny space);
• Outdated items – old electronic devices, appliances, and other items that are no longer useful (or you’d like to replace with newer, fancier, and more functional models);
• Low-quality furniture – typically made of particle board, low quality furniture is very susceptible to damage and unlikely to survive the move in one piece. Besides, furniture is heavy and bulky, so it will cost a lot to relocate. You will be able to buy a new similar piece for the same price it will cost you to move the old one – or even cheaper (See also: Move it or sell it);
• Outgrown items – clothes, shoes, toys, games, books, collectibles, etc. that are inappropriate for your kids’ age;
• Clothes and shoes that are not suitable for the weather in your new area (like fur-lined boots and coats if you’re moving to Florida);
• Clothes and shoes that are out of fashion or don’t  fit properly;
• Towels, sheets, blankets, and other bedding – these items are quite bulky and will take a lot of space, so it’s a good idea to use some of them as cushioning materials and leave the rest behind – they’re cheap and should be replaced every few years anyway. Plus, it will feel really nice to have fresh sheets and towels in your new home;
• Duplicate items and extra items – you don’t need three different sets of cutlery, do you?
• Kitchen items (appliances, cookware, dishware) you barely use as well as mismatched mugs, plates, cups, bowls, etc.;
• Hobby items and specialty equipment (sports equipment, musical instruments, etc.) no one is interested in anymore;
• Hoses, planters, gardening tools, and other garden items – moving gardening items is not only difficult, but also poses the risk of moving a potentially invasive weed or insect species to your new area;
• Old media you no longer enjoy (old CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, Video Games, magazines, catalogs, posters, notebooks, etc.);
• Old documents and old mail – make sure you shred the papers or burn them to avoid identity theft;
• Cheap artwork – unless you really like it;
• Books you don’t really love – books are very heavy and will quickly add up to the moving cost, so you should bring along only your favorite reads;
• Bathroom items and cleaning equipment – even old superstitions require you to bring a new broom to your new home, you know;
• Cosmetics and toiletries that are easily replaceable (or nearly used up) – these products are messy and take up a lot of space, so you’re advised to take only a small supply with you and throw away anything inexpensive that can be easily replaced after the move;
• Hobby materials that are easily replaceable – there’s no reason to pay for their relocation if you can get new ones for cheap in your new area;

• Gifts, souvenirs, and decorations you don’t like;
• Knick-knacks that have no special meaning;
• Projects you never got around to doing – such as the guitar you never learned to play, the books you never had the time to read, the old furniture you intended to refinish but never did, the broken gadgets you never fixed, etc.;
• Anything too risky to move – plasma TVs, aquariums, plants, and other fragile, delicate, or sensitive items that have little chance to survive the move;
• Anything that would make someone else happier than it makes you;
• Anything you forgot you owned – if you forgot about it, you definitely don’t need it or care about it;
• Anything still unpacked from your last move – those are things you had to get rid of before your last move. It’s high time to do so now.

In one word – when moving, it’s a good idea to get rid of your no longer needed, no longer loved, or easy to replace items and start afresh in your new home. This way, you will be able to fill your new place with things that fit in really well and things you really love and create the home of your dreams.

Bonus tip: Once you’ve decided what to throw away when moving, you need to find a way to get rid of your unwanted items as well:

• Recycle broken electronics, old magazines, newspapers, and other useless paper materials, plastic containers, metal items, glassware, and everything else that can be recycled;
• Ask family and friends if they like or need any of your unwanted items;
• Donate useful items in good condition to local charities, orphanages, shelters, community centers, etc. to help people in need;
• Sell costlier items online or at a garage sale to pocket some extra money for your move. (taking them to a consignment store is also a good option, if you don’t have the time to sell them yourself).

Have a safe and successful move and a happy new life free of clutter and past burdens!