Moving is one of life’s most stressful experiences. You have to leave a place you’ve called home and make many decisions in a short span of time. Choices range from whether to hire movers, whether to rent a dumpster, what budget to keep to, and what to keep when moving. Relocating because of a life event doesn’t need to be stressful.
Everything and anything or just a few things? Deciding what to keep or leave when moving comes down to many factors. These factors include budget and space constraints, the usefulness of the items in question, and sentimental value. Once you understand this, your feelings of anxiety can be lowered.
So, how do you decide what to let go of and what to keep when moving?
Here’s some valuable information on moving tips and moving supplies in Toronto by Brilho Luxury Cleaning & Services to help you make the right decisions. Leave no room, closet space, or garage untouched where you have your stuff stored away.
But first, let’s look at good examples of items to keep and those to dispose of during your move.
Examples of What To Keep When Moving
When considering what to keep when moving, you should ask yourself three questions about your belongings:
- Do I need them?
- Do I love them?
- Will I find it difficult to replace them?
- Do they have irreplaceable value for my family and me?
If the answer is yes to one or more of these questions, you should probably take the item with you on your move. Excellent examples of such items include:
- Clothes, shoes, and other personal items in good condition
- Essential electronics, e.g., laptops, tablets, and phones, or other hard-to-find items online
- Family heirlooms and keepsakes you cherish
- High-value or antique furniture
- Household appliances in good condition
- Important documents, e.g., birth certificates, identification documents, real estate deeds, bank statements, medical records, and educational certificates
- Valuables, e.g., jewelry, art, precious metals, and collectibles
- Yours and your family members’ favourite items, e.g., children’s toys and books
Examples of Items To Dispose of When Moving
On the flip side, several items automatically fall into the “get rid of” pile when considering what to keep when moving. These items form useless clutter that will only add to the complexity, costs, and stress of your move. Not to mention more boxes
Some examples of items to donate, sell, recycle, or throw away during your move include:
- Bathroom items and cleaning equipment
- Broken, damaged, or expired appliances and foodstuff
- Delicate or fragile items, e.g., flat-screen TVs, plants, or aquariums
- Duplicate items or extra items, e.g., sets of cutlery, crockery, and other household items
- Low to mid-quality bedding and towels
- Low-value furniture, artwork, and decorative items that you can replace at your new location
- Old documents and old mail
- Old media, e.g., CDs, DVDs, magazines, and video games
- Old, improperly fitting or torn clothing and shoes
- Outdated electronic devices and household appliances, e.g., CD players, VCRs, or DVD players
- Outgrown items, e.g., books, magazines, and toys
- Replaceable cosmetics and toiletries
If you do decide to sell, consider using free classifieds like kijiji or craigslist or garage sale or paid service like ebay. There are plenty of individuals who would be willing take your old blankets, unopened gifts, sheets, cups, dishes, decorations, mugs, storage containers, and odds and ends and pay you money for it. It’s also an opportunity to help cover the relocation costs.
If you don’t feel like selling your items, make it even easier on yourself by donating all your items to charity. Your effort will help someone else and avoid all the hassle of dealing with people when selling.
How To Decide What To Get Rid Of and What To Keep When Moving
Consider the Value of the Items
If you are unsure about disposing of or keeping an item during your move, consider whether the item is valuable. By valuable, we mean whether the item has financial or sentimental value.
Value is attributed depending on several factors. Value also means something different to different people. Some good questions to ask yourself to help you determine if an item is a valued item include:
- Are these items in good condition?
- Do these items add to my comfort? Do they make my life easier?
- How often do I use these items out of habit or necessity?
- Are these high-quality and durable items?
- Are these items family heirlooms or keepsakes?
- Are these items vintage or collectible?
- Will these items fit into my new home? Do they fit the space, décor, and layout of my new home and surroundings?
If your items do not fit in with the above criteria, then it’ll probably be prudent and cost-efficient for you to get rid of them during your move.
Consider the Cost of the Move
Another consideration to make when thinking about what to dispose of and what to keep when moving is the cost of the move.
Moving companies can add on costs depending on the complexity, size, weight, and distance of the move. This includes whether or not the move is a short- or long-distance move.
Local moves are cheaper because they take less time for company personnel to load the moving truck and transport these items to your new home. Typically, these moves also have less weight and fewer items.
Therefore, when considering your moving costs, regardless of whether you’re moving across town or the country. Pare down essential and must-have items only to keep costs down.
Bear in mind that specialist services such as hoisting and furniture disassembly may cost you more.
Consider the Type of Move
Short-distance moves are naturally less expensive and complex than long-distance moves.
Therefore, when thinking about what to dispose of and what to keep when moving, you should consider the type of move you’re making.
If you’re moving across town or the country, get rid of most of your items to save on time and costs. Keep only the essentials and get rid of easily replaceable items or those that don’t fit in with the new climate and lifestyle. In addition, it makes sense to keep items that will cost more to replace, sentimental items, or items in good condition.
If you’re moving abroad, take only your most valued possessions to personal items that you can’t do without. Sell or dispose of large items like furniture and vehicles. These will only add to the stress of your move and may not fit in with your new lifestyle.
Deciding what to keep when moving can be overwhelming. However, we hope these tips have helped you learn how to deep clean a house before moving in and what items to keep to make your home clutter-free. Call our experts at 416-923-3300 or email [email protected] to learn more about our service and schedule an appointment with us today. We guarantee exceptional results.
