While being practical and thinking about the logistics of your move, you may have the urge to toss everything out. But before you decide to get rid of more than necessary, think if a specific item can be used in your new household. To help you declutter your home before relocation, read our list of 19 items you should toss before moving.
Items you should toss before moving
Old clothes
If it’s torn or if you haven’t worn it in the past year, chances are you won’t be wearing it again, so it’s better not to take it with you.
Overused shoes
Every home has at least a few pairs of those beat-up shoes, but moving home is a perfect time to get rid of them. Treat yourself to some new footwear and leave the overused ones behind.
Old bedding
Check your bedsheets, pillowcases, and especially blankets before you pack them for moving. Purge anything that looks bad or doesn’t fit a new home.
Unused toys
If you’re moving with kids, for sure you have plenty of old toys that are not used anymore. Unless it’s your kid’s favorite toy, do a good thing and donate those toys to kids in need.
Extra hangers
Once you purge your closet and have those excessive hangers, get rid of them. There’s no need to occupy space with unnecessary hangers.
Unused appliance
Think about how many appliances you actually use and get rid of anything that’s just taking space in your kitchen. If it’s just standing there for months, leave it behind.
Old cups and mugs
We’re all guilty of it−having a huge collection of mugs that are not really serving any purpose. Before you pack for your move, think how many of them are actually being used. Get rid of those that serve no purpose and save some money and space for new useful things.
Extra utensils
Perhaps you got it as a gift, maybe it was a great deal that you couldn’t pass, or maybe it seemed like a necessary part of the kitchen at the moment. Whatever the reason is for having those extra utensils that are never being used, go ahead and leave them behind. If you’re not using them at present, chances are you won’t use them in your new home either.
Perishables
Go through your pantry and check the expiring dates for each item. Don’t take precious space when moving for bringing food that’s about to expire.
Old towels
Go through your towels and get rid of those that are clearly overused. A simple thing to do to help you decide if you should throw it away is to think if you’d let your guests use it, and if the answer is “no”, then you should get rid of it.
Medications
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t get rid of all medications, but you should definitely double-check those labels and throw away anything that’s beyond the expiration date.
Cleaning supplies
Chances are that your mop is not at its prime, so just save yourself the trouble and get a new one after you move house.
Toilet plunger
Instead of figuring out a way to move the unsanitary item like a toilet plunger, just throw it away and buy a new one for your new toilet.
Drain stopper
Another thing from your bathroom that can be pretty nasty is a drain stopper. Save time and effort and buy a new one after you move.
Bathmat
The last thing from your bathroom that’s better not to take with you is a bathmat. It’s pretty inexpensive to get a new one, and if you can’t even remember when you purchased the old one, you should definitely leave it behind.
Pieces of furniture
Think of your furniture fitting into a new home and if the answer is negative, get rid of it.
DVDs and CDs
With all the online options nowadays, there’s no reason to keep old CDs or DVDs in your new home and take space for keeping something that will probably never be used again.
Old carpets and rugs
Carpets and rugs can be heavy and expensive to move, so check those out before moving them. If they’re overused or simply don’t match your new home décor, just let them go and get new ones when you move in.
Old books and magazines
If you have a book that you never plan on reading again, recycle it and update your new library. Old magazines also shouldn’t make the trip, rather make space for some fresh content.
How to get rid of purged items
Sell
The first thing you can do to get rid of this you’re not taking with you is to sell them and make some extra money for your move. There are different ways to sell your things. You can always make a garage sale and it can also be a fun way to make some cash. If you don’t have time or you don’t want to bother hosting a yard sale, you can also sell them online. There are various platforms that let you post your items for sale, such as Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Market Place, etc. Online selling is the most convenient way to sell your things without putting effort into organizing an actual sale.
Donate
If you don’t like the idea of selling or you don’t have enough time to do so, you can always donate stuff to charity. Reach out to Goodwill or other local charity to see which things can be beneficial to their organization, and to check if it’s possible to arrange donation pick-up. Another great way to get rid of some items you’re not taking with you is to ask your friends if they would use any of them. Perhaps your friend could really benefit from unused appliances or any other item in your home, so check with them before you throw those items away.