Determining what to keep and what to get rid of when you decide to move can be just as stressful as the move itself. It’s amazing what you can accumulate in your living space as the years go by — things with sentimental value, pure materialistic items, random newspaper clippings and more. But oftentimes, we keep things just to keep them in our home, and it’s natural as humans to want to keep things we don’t necessarily need, or even really want.
Luckily, when you do finally decide on what you should throw away during your move, you can get residential moving assistance from Helping Hands Moving Service in Columbus, Georgia. We can provide a plethora of residential moving services, ranging from sorting and packing your belongings to donating and disposing of your unwanted items. Contact us today to get a free moving estimate.
If you find yourself struggling when determining what items you should keep and throw away during your move, check out the tips in this blog post listed below to help you narrow down your decision. You can also get commercial and residential moving help from our Moving Guide and Checklist here.
1. Determine the items you absolutely need to keep.
The first thing you need to do when you are moving homes is go through every room in your current home and select the items you know you’ll want or need to keep in your new home. You can break these items down into three different categories: items that are indispensable, items that are of substantial value and items that are just flat-out enjoyable.
Items that are indispensable are the things that you’ll need every day or simply have a lot of sentimental value — the things you won’t get rid of ever, no matter what. Examples: your high school yearbook, any wedding or family photos, your bed, etc.
Items that are substantial value could be your family heirlooms, expensive possessions, or simply your favorite belongings that you’ve had for years. Examples: any televisions or premiere electronics you might own, any high-quality furniture, expensive jewelry, etc.
Lastly, your enjoyable items are the things you own that bring you pleasure and that you use often, whether they’re really practical or not. Examples: a vinyl record collection, your favorite pair of running shoes and clothes, books and keepsakes, etc.
By determining the items in your home that belong to these categories, you’ll at least narrow down your moving list to the items you absolutely need to transport to your new abode.
2. Get rid of the things you probably won’t need or ever use again.
Secondly, you’ll need to go through each of the rooms in your current home and decipher the items you won’t use or need in the future. This can be a little more challenging than determining what you will need, as a lot of these items walk a fine line of sentimental value and plain-out uselessness.
The best way to go about this process is to put these items into two categories like we did in the tip above. Those two categories are items you no longer need and items that are ultimately useless.
Items you no longer need are the items in your home that you’ve outgrown or items that are simply outdated. Examples: any outdated appliances (think toasters or stereos), posters, toys, sports equipment or musical instruments, clothes that no longer fit, gifts and souvenirs you stashed away instead of displaying, etc.
Items that are useless are the items in your home that are damaged, broken, or so outdated that they simply cannot be used anymore. Examples: ripped clothing, broken silverware, furniture with holes, etc.
Once you determine the items you need to get rid of, you have a few options when it comes to actually getting rid of them. You can sell these items at a garage sale, throw them away or recycle them, or you can donate them to charity or your local thrift store.
3. Learn to let go.
This tip sounds a lot easier than it actually is. Sometimes we keep movie stubs and concert tickets because we want to remember the events and the people we were with rather than the actual concert or movie itself. And it’s OK to keep those items — as long as they’re not just sitting in a random desk drawer you hardly ever use or open.
If there are items in your home you haven’t used in months or things you know you won’t use in your new home, take a deep breath and either throw them out, recycle them, or donate them to charity. It’ll feel overwhelming in the moment, but you’ll forget about those items in no time. It’ll also make packing and moving your things a whole lot easier!
Choose Helping Hands Moving Service For Your Residential Moving Needs
Our team of professional movers at Helping Hands Moving Service can’t help you decide what you should throw away when you decide to move homes, but we can help you with the move itself. We are an experienced and well-known professional moving company in the Columbus community, and whether you’re moving just down the street or to an entirely new city, we’re here to make the process as simple and stress-free as possible.
For any additional questions you might have or for a free moving estimate, please feel free to reach out to our commercial and residential moving team, and we’ll be more than happy to help. You can contact us by calling (706) 955-1030 or by filling out our online form today.
