Contents
How to Plan Ahead for Your Move
How to Prepare for Moving
Do-It-Yourself Moving vs.
Hiring Movers
How to Pack
Transportation for a Do-It-Yourself Move
What to Do on Moving Day
How to Move Abroad
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How to Prepare for Moving
Once you have the initial planning out of the way, it’s time to get down to actual preparations for your move. This stage involves sorting through your possessions, getting a few of them packed, and taking care of some logistics.
Get Rid of Belongings You Don’t Need
Moving has a silver lining: it gives you a reason to get rid of possessions that you don’t need, which helps you eliminate perennial clutter. Consider the following when deciding which items to keep:
- What’s cheaper to replace than to move? Choosing to move certain heavy or bulky appliances and pieces of furniture can make a big difference in your total cost. If you’re not particularly attached to your couch or refrigerator, consider selling them and buying new ones when you get to your destination.
- What haven’t you used lately? A good rule of thumb is to throw away any boxes that never got unpacked after your last move—if you didn’t need the things in your current home, you won’t need them in your future home. Treat your wardrobe the same way: leave behind anything that you haven’t worn during the past year.
- What won’t be useful in your new home? If your new place has lots of built-in shelves, your old bookcases will only be in the way. If there’s plenty of kitchen counter space, you might not need your old island. If you’re moving from rural Maine to suburban Florida, is it worth it to take your snowshoes?
How to Sell Belongings
Moving is expensive, but selling some of your household goods can make a dent in the costs. You have a few options for selling belongings you don’t need:
- Moving sale: Thetime-tested moving sale is a great way to make a little money from your old stuff—but it requires a good bit of preparation, an appropriate location, and decent weather. The most successful moving sales tend to be multifamily ones, so if possible, team up with friends or neighbors.
- Online: You might make some money by auctioning your big-ticket items on eBay (www.ebay.com) or another site, but take the cost and inconvenience of shipping into consideration (for tips on using eBay, see the Quamut guide to Buying & Selling on eBay). A local classifieds site such as Craigslist (www.craigslist.org) can be a good alternative, since you can arrange local pickup and avoid shipping hassles.
- Newspaper classifieds: It still pays to take out classified ads in your local newspapers in addition to posting online classifieds on sites such as Craigslist.
- Postings: Write up lists of items you’d like to sell and post them on local bulletin boards at libraries, grocery stores, schools, and universities. Eye-catching layouts and photographs will help immensely.
How to Donate Items to Charity
Giving your unwanted possessions to charity not only is compassionate but also counts as a tax write-off—be sure to get (and save) receipts. Consider donating to local thrift stores, clothing drives, shelters, and organizations such as:
- Goodwill (www.goodwill.org)
- The Salvation Army (www.salvationarmyusa.org)
- The Purple Heart (www.purpleheart.org)
- Vietnam Veterans of America (www.clothingdonations.org)
Make sure to find out ahead of time where and when you can drop off your items. If you can’t transport your goods yourself, you can often arrange a pickup (though you often must schedule pickups well in advance).
Keep in mind that charities have different guidelines about what items they do and do not accept, and whether or not they offer pickups—so always check first. For example, Goodwill does not accept large appliances or bedding and does not make pickups.
How to Dispose of Belongings
Possessions that you can’t sell or donate may create a surprising amount of hassle. Be sure to check with your local dump to find out what you’re allowed to drop off there, in what quantities, and whether you’ll need a permit or have to pay a fee to do so. Search online at your local government’s website or look in the phone book under “department of sanitation” or “department of public works” in the local government section.
If you don’t have a car or if your car is small, you might need to factor a dump trip into the schedule for your rental vehicle. Also note that some municipalities designate specific days for their garbage trucks to pick up large items.
Prepack
If you know well ahead of time about your move, you can get a good amount of packing out of the way by boxing up items that you won’t need in the interim. Designate a specific area for packed boxes and label each box clearly so that you know what it contains. Some good places to start when prepacking include:
- Rarely used rooms: Attic, garage, guest room
- Rarely used items: Camping equipment, extra sets of sheets/towels
- Off-season clothing: Winter jackets, swimsuits
- Off-season items: Holiday ornaments, beach chairs
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