Things you should definitely throw away before moving

Moving into a new home is a fresh start in many ways. New address, new furniture, the new vibe – everything is ready for your new life chapter. However, almost every home has clutter that piled up over the years, as well as some items you won’t need in the new home. Removing them will make moving easier for you, and make your new home more spacious. Since many people forget about these, we made a list of things you should definitely throw away before moving. Let’s start decluttering!

Why is decluttering so important?

When the time comes to relocate and pack everything you have, you’re faced with too many items and more stress. This results in more time necessary to pack, more mess, increased moving costs, and finally – more energy. So, decluttering your home and removing things you don’t need should be part of the regular cleaning routine. Always throw away items that are broken or simply not necessary, so you can keep your home clean and more spacious. And when you’re about to move house, you’ll know exactly how many moving boxes you need, and spend less time packing.

Things you should throw away before moving

Electronics you don’t need

Somehow, no matter if we don’t use a piece of electronics or a cable, we won’t throw it away. The most common part of clutter in family homes is outdated electronics, which really can take up a lot of space. Therefore, you should go through your items, look into boxes and drawers, and get rid of everything you don’t use. However, even though these items may be useless to you, don’t just throw them away. You can recycle them or give them to a local thrift shop. Some shops take old electronics and use them for different purposes.

Seasonal clothes

If you’re moving to a place with a completely different climate, you should revise your wardrobe, especially seasonal items like coats, jackets, sweaters, etc. Sort out the clothes and check if there are things you won’t need in the new city or country. For example, if you’re moving to a city that almost doesn’t have any winter days – why do you need so many jackets and numbers. The best way to get rid of them is to donate the clothes to those who will actually use them. Keep only a couple of items you’ll need in case you travel to some colder areas.

Kitchen items you should throw away before moving

Maybe it doesn’t feel that way, but the kitchen is the place that often has a lot of clutter. So, when relocating, you should go through your cabinets and see what are the items you should throw away before moving. Here are some ideas to help you out declutter your kitchen:

• dish spares and mismatches – go through your plates, glasses, bowls, and utensils. There are probably dozens of items that don’t go together with any of the sets, and that you probably never use.
• damaged items – no matter how much you love that cup, you never use it because it’s damaged, but you also don’t throw it away. A new home is a time for the new start and you don’t need any broken or scratched cups and plates. Throw them away and maybe get a new set.
• food – when it comes to food, you can’t simply throw everything from your kitchen. However, you can sort it out and plan your meals until the moving day and use up the leftover food. In case the moving day is too soon, give the food to your friends and family or donate it to the local charity.
• unused gadgets – sometimes we buy small kitchen gadgets because they look cool and useful. Very often it turns out we don’t use them at all and forget about them. See what are the things you really need, and what are gadgets and appliances you should throw away before moving, or sell online.

Bathroom clutter

The bathroom is also one of the rooms you should focus on before you start packing for the move. Here are some bathroom items you should throw away before moving:

• old towels – towels are one of those things you can easily replace with a new set, and they take a lot of space in the moving boxes. Throw away all old towels, or use them to protect the fragile items when packing them for the move.
• cleaning supplies and half-used cosmetics – try to use up all the cleaning supplies, shampoos, and shower gels before the moving day. Don’t buy new things until you use up the items you already have. And if you can’t use them up, we don’t recommend packing them for the move. These can easily open and spill, and damage the moving boxes and other items in the moving truck. Throw away everything half-used or expired, and start fresh in your new house.

Item’s that are too expensive too move

One of the ways to save money when moving is sorting out what are the items that are too expensive to move. Consult with your moving company about some items like cheap, yet heavy furniture, air conditioning units, etc. If these can be replaced for a cheaper price than it would cost to relocate it – it’s time to throw these away or donate.

Alcohol

Alcohol bottles that you keep forever in your home are heavy and very risky to relocate. These can easily break and soak everything else. So, unless you have some very valuable or old pieces, give the drinks to your friends, or organize a goodbye party to help you use them up.

Old documents and papers

Things that are taking a lot of space, and can be pretty heavy when pile up are old papers, books, and documents. One of the great ways to downsize your new home is to digitize everything you need, and of course, recycle all the papers you no longer use. The same goes for books – if there are books you’ll never reread, give them out to your friends and family, a charity or a local library.

Downsizing your home might seem like too much work, but the results will amaze you. Even though it doesn’t look like that, every home has many things to throw away before moving. So, once you sort out your entire home you will reduce your moving costs, have fewer things to pack, and also create more space in your new home. And if you make decluttering a regular house chore – you can always have an organized and clean home.