When moving to a new house, many experts recommend getting rid of stuff you don’t need in order to save space and money. But when it comes to certain things, that decision may not be so easy. If you’re on the fence about something, how can you decide whether to purge it or move it to the new house? Here are four questions to help you find the right balance.
1. Will the Movers Move It?
Every moving service has a list of items they aren’t allowed to transport — usually for safety reasons. Start planning by asking for this list of prohibited items. It may include things like perishable items, plants, live animals, potentially explosive or flammable materials, and hazardous chemicals. And specific regions, such as Hawaii, have additional rules that cover things like seed transportation.
Another category that movers may not transport are valuable or sensitive personal items. Most of these things — like identity documents, heirloom jewelry, or medicines — aren’t something you should purge, of course. But you might need a strategy if your own space is limited during the move (such as those flying to their new home). You could scan documents, for instance, instead of keeping originals.
2. What Is the Sentimental Value?
How attached are you to the item? Moving houses is already a stressful experience for most people — especially kids — and so you may not want to add more stress by getting rid of things in which you’re emotionally invested.
Even if you should purge some items for practical reasons, it’s okay to choose to keep them for impractical, personal reasons. Remember that this isn’t your only chance to purge. You can always change your mind later and get rid of things once you settle in.
3. Does It Fit In Your New Home?
You probably don’t want to pay movers to take something to your new home that won’t actually fit. So if you can take real measurements of the new house or yard and determine if larger furniture or equipment just won’t fit, this is a good time to get rid of it. You’ll save space and money on the moving truck. However, if you’re not sure, don’t go overboard by purging items that may end up working out.
4. What’s the Return on Investment?
Apply the idea of calculating a return on your investment during move planning. If the item would cost more to replace than to move, keeping it is often a good return on your financial investment of moving it.
Replacement value isn’t the only investment, of course. Some household objects are very heavy or bulky and will take up more space in the truck or add cost to weight-based transportation. For these things, you may need to do an individual cost analysis to decide if the investment of resources is worth the return you get by keeping them.
For instance, if you don’t really read your heavy book collection, for example, is it worth paying the additional costs to move it? And if you can cheaply replace an old treadmill, it may not be a good investment of space within the truck. However, if you do really read all those books, you might be better off investing the space (or weight) to move them instead of the old treadmill.
The easiest place to start when deciding what to get rid of is by talking with an experienced moving company. Along with their prohibited items, they can also help you benefit from their years of real-world experience helping people move.
Dixie Moving & Storage Inc. is here for you. Call today to speak with our team of seasoned professional movers. We will answer your questions and help you address any specific items in your home about which you may be on the fence.