Moving into a new home is exciting, from picking out decor to painting and even choosing who takes the best rooms. It's a fresh start and offers a new perspective on life. But finding a new home to move into is only half the challenge. Knowing what to take with you is where things get tricky and often leads to crises over clutter. Understanding what you will and won't need to take with you makes all the difference and the transition much easier.
Figuring out where to begin when leaving things behind is important, and it helps run a system of sorts. We find it best to start from the most intimate spaces, such as your bedroom and bathroom, then move on to the more common areas of your home like your kitchen and living room. Finally, then tackle the attic/basement near the end.
But before you begin rummaging through your home's nooks and crannies, you need to ask yourself these questions.
Try to visualize your new home and the size and quantity of the items in question. Then consider whether or not you have enough room for them once you move. This assessment should make things a lot easier when you get down to arranging things in your new home.
It would also be helpful to imagine where you'd be putting the items you decide to take with you. Knowing where to keep these things in your new space will help eliminate any last-minute stress when it comes time to start arranging things.
Take a look back at all the times an item has been used. If you haven’t used it in about a year or so, you may want to consider leaving it behind. If you haven’t used it in quite a while, you probably won’t have a use for it either once you move into your new home.
Having more than one of a particular thing maybe a bit much. Gather all the stuff you may have a duplicate of and take a good look at everything. Chances are, you probably don’t need two or three of certain items. If just one of those is all you need, feel free to discard the other.
Another thing to consider is the ease of moving certain items and how much it will cost to do so. If you feel the task is too difficult or costs way more than you can afford, it's probably best to cut them out of the move.
We can all agree some things are just indispensable. Take a good look at items you may have around your old home. These could be furniture, gadgets, or appliances. If you feel you can't go without them, try to see if they can be repaired. If they are beyond repair, however, or if the cost to repair them is too much, you might also want to consider leaving them out.
Once you’ve asked yourself these simple yet crucial questions, you can move on to sorting out your essentials to leave behind.
Here you'll find the easiest things to sort out, starting with your closet. You might find old clothes that no longer fit you or are too worn out. Bedsheets that have lost their shape, blankets that have gotten raggedy, and pillows that have just lost their fluff are also up for tossing. Any old, damaged toys you or your child may not want to keep can easily be donated or thrown away.
If you've got your computer set up inside your bedroom, it might be worth looking at what you can leave out. Pay attention to your mouse, keyboard, monitor, and PC. The mouse, keyboard, and monitor can safely be discarded or replaced. As for the PC, you may want to check if it's still up and running or if you may be due for a repair or an upgrade.
Luckily the bathroom will have a lot of easily disposable things. Old shampoo, lotion bottles, ratty towels, old bath mats, and shower curtains can likely be thrown out. Things that have been used up or are too old and unusable do not need to make the move with you. A closer look into your vanity unit may also reveal expired medications that must be disposed of immediately. Your disposable inventory may include old toothbrushes, old mouthwash, unused moisturizers, and the like.
Another thing to consider ditching would be old cleaning supplies. Empty bottles of bleach, old toilet brushes, worn-out sponges, and dry rags can all be thrown out.
Next, we move on to the kitchen, where you can expect a bit more to be left out of your big move. First, we look to the heart of the kitchen—the fridge. This one's a no-brainer. Any leftovers, empty containers and bottles, and of course, expired food must go. This means rotten meat and vegetables must be disposed of immediately.
On that note, check the status of your refrigerator. Does it still keep food cold and fresh? Does the freezer still keep meat, fish, and poultry nice and frozen? Depending on how it fares, consider if it might be time to buy a new one. Now we move to the pantry. Like the fridge, check for expired food, old containers, and other kitchenware that may need to be thrown out.
Speaking of kitchenware, you should probably check your silverware. Do your forks, spoons, and dinner knives still have their sheen? Have they rusted, or are they bent out of shape? Additionally, you may want to have a look at your kitchen knives. Are they still sharp enough, and are they free from rust? Any cooking and dining utensils that look worse for wear can be easily left out of the move and replaced.
You might want to leave aside any cracked plates, cups, or glasses. Stained or worn-out pots and pans will need to be replaced as well.
Let's move on to the critical parts of the kitchen: your appliances. These are arguably the most important aspects of your household. All food is prepared through these, and if any of them require repair or if they don't work, they may need to be fixed or replaced as soon as possible before the move.
Smaller appliances like the coffee maker, the toaster, and maybe even the microwave can be easily replaced. But bigger appliances like the gas range or the oven may take time to replace before moving so they are in working condition for the home's next occupants.
And now we have the living room. Depending on your setup, you may not have too much to weed out. But here, you have larger pieces of furniture to move. Any tattered books and magazines can be safely discarded. Floor lamps need to be inspected to see if they're still working. Ratty lampshades, however, can be tossed just the same.
Your TV and sound system need to be inspected as well. These should be fine for the most part since they are easy enough to repair and replace, but if you've accumulated CDs and DVDs throughout the years, especially if you don't listen to or watch them anymore, it may be time to let them go. And if you've ever owned a PlayStation or Xbox, you may want to look at any games you no longer play. All this can easily be donated or sold at a garage sale.
For furniture, these items will be the toughest to move. To start easy, toss aside any worn-out or dirtied throw pillows and cushions. Small plants, faux or real, can also be safely discarded or left behind. Ratty curtains and table runners can also be thrown out.
As for your couch and chairs, if any of them are showing age or if their upholstery is bursting at the seams, worry not; these can easily be patched up. Although it will take time to find an upholsterer, this can be done before the move so that your restored furniture can be delivered to your new home.
The attic and basement are areas are where you'll find many things you've tucked away for storage. From old toys to photo albums and family heirlooms, there's a whole treasure trove of things that come with memories and value. But you'll likely find your fair share of things to toss out.
Open up some old trunks or boxes and look for any content that can be set aside. Old magazines, moth-eaten clothes, and fabrics fit the bill. Broken toys and antiques can be easily restored, but you may want to set them aside unless you're willing to spend enough money on their restoration. On that note, those old trunks and boxes? They can also be thrown away if they're just too worn down.
Moving to a new home is an exciting new chapter in anyone’s life. But there are some things you just can’t take with you. Take a good look at the things you have around your current home and assess whether or not you’ll be able to include them in the move.
To begin, ask yourself these crucial questions. Will you have enough room for these things in your new house? Where will you put them? Have they been used in recent years? Do you have duplicates of anything? And will they need repairing? Once you've answered these questions, it should make weeding out things to leave behind much easier.
Start with your bedroom and look for old clothes, blankets, bedsheets, and pillows that you can toss aside. If you've got a PC set up, you may want to check if anything needs an upgrade or repair.
Your bathrooms come next, and you'll want to leave behind any old and ratty towels, throw out empty bottles of shampoo and lotion, and toss any old medications from your vanity unit. Old cleaning supplies like toilet brushes, empty bottles of bleach, worn-out dry rags, and sponges can all be thrown away.
Your kitchen will see a lot of things tossed out as well. Expired food will need to be promptly removed from your fridge. Your kitchenware and appliances will need a good once-over as well. If any of them haven't been used in a while or are just not working, decide if you can throw them out and replace them or have them repaired.
The living room is easier to sort out. Old books and magazines can be safely set aside. If you've got a collection of CDs or DVDs piling up, consider weeding them out and setting aside those you no longer listen to or watch. The same applies to any games you no longer play if you own a game console. Furniture can be easily reupholstered, but it may take some planning beforehand.
And finally, the attic/basement. Take a good look through these areas, and aside from a trip down memory lane, you'll need to set aside anything you're not committed to keeping. Moth-eaten clothes, broken antiques, and keepsakes can all be discarded if you aren't planning on restoring them.
And that sums up the things you can do without when moving into your new home. Hopefully, you’ll have a clear idea of what to do once the time comes to sort things out. But, if there’s one thing you should take with you, it’s all the memories you’ve made in your old home. Hold them close, and bring them with you when moving into the new chapter of your life.
