Despite our best efforts, we tend to collect clutter around the house. It’s not until you’re moving that you wonder how you accumulated so many things in such a short time.
But don’t worry. Moving is an excellent chance to purge belongings you no longer need and reduce the odds of a new house falling victim to the same mess.
Moving can be costly, and unsurprisingly the more stuff you have, the higher your moving bill skyrockets.
You don’t want to pay absorbent amounts of money for packing, storing, and moving items you won’t even need.
And although it’s difficult to get rid of stuff you’ve owned for a long time, you’ll only be thankful once you start setting up the new place.
There are several ways of getting rid of items you won’t need. Garage sales are popular in urban and suburban areas, especially in Madison, Wisconsin, where residents live in urban and suburban areas.
These close-knit and culturally diverse communities offer a great opportunity to attract customers. You can even sell your stuff online by designing posts on social media platforms.
To help you decide which of your stuff you should keep, we have suggested eight items you should leave behind when moving.
1. Books
Books take a lot of space, and they are also cumbersome to move and transport. You can start by getting rid of the easy ones such as phone books, textbooks, user manuals, and books you’ve already read.
If there are books you might need soon, consider renting space from a variety of storage units Madison WI has to offer. Set aside some free time to separate the ones you’ll need from those just sitting around, collecting dust.
If there is a book you have saved purely out of sentimental value, think about gifting it to a close friend or someone who you think will enjoy it.
Reading material becomes outdated fast. Ask yourself if you’re ever going to reread it and if it’s something you can find in the library—do you need to keep it? Maybe it’s time to free up space for new books and magazines on your bookshelf.
2. Old clothing
Clothes are easily the most accumulated piece of belongings in every closet. Take a look in the corner of your wardrobe, and you’re likely to find jeans that are too tight or worn-out T-shirts.
Other clothing like a sock with a missing pair or a torn dress you never got around to fixing can also clutter up the space.
You may even still have shoes that no longer fit you, but you still haven’t gotten around to throwing them out.
Instead of bringing along these items you don’t need or haven’t worn in ages, consider bundling them up and donating them to a shelter.
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3. Houseplants
Unless you’re moving only a short distance away, moving your houseplants from one area to another doesn’t seem wise.
A moving truck’s less-than-ideal conditions, such as lack of water, poor lighting, and constant bumps and movement, will likely harm or kill your plants.
It’s also possible that a difference in the environment of your new residence doesn’t suit your old houseplants, which will eventually start to wither.
It, therefore, seems pointless to lug around heavy pots to a new place. Instead, you could give them to your neighbor before moving or compost them to make organic fertilizer.
4. Broken or old furniture
Before you move, get rid of all the broken pieces of furniture cluttering the house, basement, or garage. You likely planned on fixing it but never got around to it, and chances are you never will.
Anything that is either a missing piece, too rusty or something that requires mending before using—is better to leave behind.
Moving is all about fresh starts, and maybe it’s a good idea to start your new life with new furniture around the house. Besides broken items, this might also be the perfect time to get rid of furniture that has become too old.
Antique pieces are usually too bulky and hard to move. They may even get damaged in a moving truck and take up plenty of space that could house several of your other essential belongings.
You can make extra cash by selling old furniture on eBay or Craiglist.
5. Bathroom items
Most of the stuff in your bathroom is likely expired, near-expiry, easily replaceable, or almost empty. Go through the cabinets and toss any item that falls in either of these categories.
For most cosmetics, a rule of thumb is eighteen months expiration for dry makeup and six months for liquids.
It would be best to discard things like makeup brushes, razors, toothbrushes, and loofahs each month anyway and buy more when you arrive at your new place.
All medicines have expiration dates—check them and safely dispose of the expired ones before moving.
7. Curtains
Another bulky and unnecessary item you should consider leaving behind is curtains or blinds. When moving out, it’s best to leave them on the windows since they likely won’t fit in your new home anyway.
It will be nice to leave behind for the next homeowners, who will be grateful to have coverings for at least until they can get their curtains.
7. Garage items
When packing up the house, go through your garage to declutter items like outdoor equipment, tools, or old toys. You may even find old cans of paint, fertilizer, or insecticide.
A garage is a popular place for most people to collect junk that they will probably never need again. And so, moving is the perfect time to get rid of all these things and only take what is essential.
8. Home décor
Since every house has its outlook and ambiance, there is a chance your current home décor won’t suit your new one. Before packing the decoration items, determine whether it’s worth bringing with you.
Will it go with the fresh paint? Do you love it enough to take it with you? Imagine its place in the new home, and if it seems out of order, maybe it’s time to get rid of it.
Conclusion
Moving is an emotional and taxing time for every individual. It’s even more challenging when you must declutter and get rid of items holding sentimental value.
However, you also don’t want your new house to become a mess as soon as you move in.
So, take what is necessary, irreplaceable, or evokes happiness inside you instead of something that takes up valuable space.
