What to Keep and Donate When Moving

Moving is a perfect time to get rid of all the unwanted and unused goods at your home. Decluttering doesn’t only help in reducing your moving cost but also brings in a lot of positive energy. It becomes all the more important if you are moving to a smaller place and start a life of a minimalist. Many people just throw everything into storage boxes and move to their new destination and no need to say that we take all our stagnant energy to our new house while paying extra for all that unwanted stuff. But some others take this as an opportunity to getting rid of all the clutter lying at their place. So, it is highly advisable to remove all the unwanted items from your inventory list while keeping the important ones.

If you too are not willing to take everything with you during your next move, the first thing that you have to do is to identify what to keep and what to leave, advise the best moving companies. You can visit here to get details of these companies. Now, once you are done with a list of removable, the next big decision is to know what to sell and what to donate.

Decide What to Keep and Leave

There are two kinds of people; one who cannot resist the temptation of taking everything along and others who remove more stuff than needed from their inventory list. It is important to understand the value of uses of your belongings while creating a list of inventory.

Also, keep the environment and space at your new house while deciding your inventory. Make sure you keep all the essentials like your daily wear clothes and furniture that you use regularly. Kitchenware is everyone’s weak point and we just don’t want to leave our expensive and beautiful silverware and glassware. If you have many sets of crockery, it is wise to keep one or two sets and sell/donate others. Taking everything with you will not only make your shipment heavy and expensive but will also unnecessarily fill your new house.

You can even make money by selling some of your unwanted and unused stuff and the rest you can donate. It is important to know what stuff you can sell or donate in the beginning to save energy and time.

What to Sell

Making money should be a priority while decluttering your house before moving to offset your moving expenses. You can organize a yard sale or can sell them online or in a local store. Many online reseller sites and apps are available; eBay, Facebook, OfferUp, and Mercari to name a few. Here is a list of items that you can sell:

Furniture

If your furniture items are in a good shape and condition and you have no space to keep them at your new place, selling them is the best option. Needless to say, you can make a hefty amount by selling some of your unwanted furniture items.

Antiques

If you have any antique items that you cannot carry along especially if you are moving long-distance, it is wise to sell them. Antique pieces are often expensive and can be sold at a nearby antique shop or an online store. You can even sell them in your yard sale.

Electronics

Electronics are next in the list of saleable items as they hold good value and they are on the top of the list of second-hand goods. While Apple products can be sold to score credit, other items can be sold online or in yard sales. Don’t forget to inspect all your electronics before selling them and if anything is not in working condition, consider recycling them.

Jewelry

We do not generally sell our family heirlooms but then there are some jewelry pieces that we just don’t use and don’t like. Taking a lot of jewelry to a new place is otherwise also not advisable. But it is important to go to a reliable and trustworthy appraiser when it comes to selling your valuable jewelry.

Designers Bags, Accessories, and Clothing

If you possess designer goods including clothing, bags, and other accessories, and want to get rid of them, you can make money. We know well that designer things often have high resale value. Clothing pieces from brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci possess high resale value and are considered investments. It is wise to sell them and make some money instead of donating them.

What to Donate

You just cannot sell everything that you want to leave. There are some items that you should consider donating as donating is the best way to give back something to your people and society. And the list of items that you can donate is as follows:

Clothes/Textile

Donating your old clothes is a very ancient practice but make sure your clothes are in good condition. We all have clothes lying in our wardrobes and waiting for us to wear them and we never wear them, it is wise to get rid of all the clothes that you haven’t worn in the past year.

Books

Books are keepsakes but if you do not read them and store them for nothing, it makes sense to donate them to someone who would read them. You can even donate your old books to a nearby library.

Linens, Towels, and Kitchenware

Consider donating any mismatched dishes and linens and towels that you do not use anymore but are in good condition.

Canned Food

Donate all your canned food and perishable items. Make sure all food items are not expired and can be eaten. You can donate all your food items to your local kitchen or food bank.

House Plants

It is wise to donate your house plants before moving as most states have rules related to houseplants and you cannot take them along. Otherwise, it is right to leave them in the same climate that they have grown into for their proper growth and life. Moving your plants with you can be a bit expensive affair.

Though you can sell and donate many items and can make money, some items should be thrown away. So, make a wise and conscious choice of things that you want to keep, sell, donate, and even throw.