The weeks leading up to a move can be stressful and mentally draining. From figuring out logistics to finding trustworthy movers, gearing up for a residential move is certainly no picnic. Of course, many would agree that the most challenging aspect of moving is none other than packing. And nothing complicates the act of packing more than having way too much stuff for your own good.
The problem with having unwanted belongings on hand for a move is twofold. First, the more unneeded stuff you take along with you to your new home, the more difficult the unpacking process is going to be. Additionally, the more items you have, the longer it’s going to take your movers to load up their truck and transport everything over to your new place of residence – which can end up costing you, as most residential and office movers charge by the hour.
Interestingly enough, you may not be aware of just how much excess junk you have until you get set to move. After all, it’s easy to box up rarely-used items, stick them in a basement, and forget that they ever existed. Only once you start your own form of internal inventory are you likely to realize that many of your possessions do not fall under the category of “stuff I actually need.”
When faced with the situation of having unwanted items around for a move, you basically have four choices:
- pay to transport them
- sell them
- donate them
- throw them away
The question is: Which option makes the most sense? Bobby Hughes is the marketing coordinator at Hughes Relocation Services, Inc., an Ocala, Florida moving and storage company equipped to handle residential and office moves, and according to him, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to dealing with unwanted items before a move. Still, for the most part, Hughes likes to encourage his customers to donate as many useful items as possible to charity.
Donating your unwanted items to charity is a good option for many reasons. On a karmic level, giving the things you don’t want to those who are less fortunate is clearly a good way to go. Furthermore, by dropping your belongings off at a local charity rather than the nearby junk yard, you’ll be saving yourself money in two ways. First, you won’t have to pay for the time it will take your movers to haul those unwanted items out of your house and onto their truck, and second, you’ll probably receive a receipt for your donation that can be used as a deduction on your income taxes. Incidentally, the idea of donating unwanted items to charity applies to office moves as well as those that are residential. If you’re in charge of your company’s move, then consider giving superfluous items away in exchange for a tax write-off. You’ll be helping your numbers while building some local goodwill.
Of course, as nice as it would be to simply box up all of your unwanted belongings and offer them up to charity, it’s natural to want to try to sell some of your possessions in exchange for a modest profit. After all, moving isn’t cheap, and one of the best ways to defray the cost of your move is to make a little money on the side by unloading your unwanted belongings onto those who are willing to buy them. If you’re going to attempt to go the sales route, then try to get started on the process right away. Selling your possessions can take time, even if you are familiar with how to do so over the Internet. Remember, you’ll probably need to take pictures, post item descriptions, and manage the bidding and shipping processes. Under normal circumstances, this may seem perfectly doable, but don’t forget that you still have the rest of your house to tend to and pack. If you’re going to attempt to sell some of your stuff before you move, then don’t make the mistake of neglecting those items that do need to be packed up with care. The money you’ll earn by selling a few stray items here and there is not going to be enough to cover the cost of having to bring in a professional packing team at the last minute to make up for the fact that you ran out of time to pack up the stuff that actually matters.
Whether you decide to transport, sell, donate, or toss out your unwanted items in time for your move, just try to make a decision about them as quickly as possible. The sooner you get rid of your unneeded belongings before your moving date, the easier the rest of the packing process will be.
