Deciding what to keep when moving and what to get rid of can be more difficult than you might think. Since most people connect possessions to some specific memory, the whole process can be pretty emotional. On the other hand, taking all the stuff you have with you is arduous, unnecessary, and expensive to do – since the total cost of cross-country moving is based on the size of your move. Here is how to easily sort things out and make decisions faster!
Making decisions about what to keep and what to throw away can be really difficult to deal with and can be the major cause of feeling anxiety about relocating. At some point, for all of us, going through the whole process of saying goodbye to some stuff is emotionally draining. And all this happens because we get attached to our belongings, giving them the power to direct our emotions to some extent. Just for the record, in a study led by Lan Chaplin and her colleagues, where they’ve interviewed children aged from 8 to 18 years old, the most common answer to the question on What makes me happy, was related to some material possession.
The first connection we build with our stuff is in childhood. Just imagine how disappointed a kid would be to lose their favorite teddy bear or some other toy. Since we live in a world that praises consumerism, buying new things all the time is considered a normal habit that leads to thousands of items stored in our houses without having a real purpose.
Unfortunately, some people get attached to their possessions so tightly that they soon become hostages of their own household items. Although the idea of owning something is alluring, if this feeling overtakes someone’s lifestyle, it can lead to a hoarding disorder, which is a problem for 2-6% of the population in the US.
Being practical and rational when organizing your move is the most effective way to deal with it. And the same should apply when deciding what to get rid of, especially if you’re relocating from a house to an apartment where you’ll have significantly less space at your disposal. In case that some item is broken, or you simply know you won’t use it in your new house or apartment, you should definitely exclude it from the home inventory list.
Keep in mind that the total cost of long-distance moving is based on the size of the move and the number of items on the inventory list. To avoid one of the crucial relocation mistakes and increase the costs unnecessarily, make sure to plan to declutter and put it high on the relocation to-do list. Downsizing will provide you with the opportunity to go through all your possessions before relocating to a new state and consider if it is worth boxing it up and paying for its relocation.
If you’re looking for the cheapest way to move out of state, then skipping the boxing up of all the things you have in your home is the solution. To effectively end the decluttering process and decide what to keep and what to sell when moving, go room-by-room, take all the stuff from the storage areas and start sorting them out in four different piles – throw away, donate unwanted items, sell in a successful garage sale, or keep. This is the most certain way to move efficiently and avoid extra costs, like renting a self-storage. Here are some possessions you should definitely exclude from the packing list!
If you’re wondering where to start with the purging, we’d highly recommend beginning with clothes. Clothes are the most numerous pieces we have, and going through all of them is necessary to do before deciding to pack or toss them. All the pieces that don’t fit you anymore or are uncomfortable should go. To find out what to do with the surplus clothes and how to purge your closets, take a look at the video below.
Although it’s hard to find a thing movers can’t ship, there are still some exceptions. The transport of hazardous and flammable products, shipping live plants, as well as the relocation of pets is out of the question with movers, since it is restricted by law. So if you want to take your plants or pets, you should consider alternatives and schedule everything in advance.
The next category to go through is the medicine kit, makeup, and cosmetic products. Checking those products out is one of the most common things you forget to do when you move, and if any of those have expired, it is not worth packing them. Still, be cautious when it comes to throwing away medicines since there is a disposal procedure in place, so refer to an authorized institution.
No matter if you’re relocating with kids or they don’t live with you anymore, don’t forget to go through their toys and toss out everything they have outgrown. You can always check if some local charity accepts toy donations and get a double win – help children in need and cut the inventory list.
There is no way you won’t feel a little bit depressed after relocating, and the things that can help you overcome these feelings are definitely your memories and other valuables. The greatest worth of these belongings is not how much they cost but how they can turn a house into a home. Here is the definitive list of possessions to keep and incorporate into your new home and lifestyle!
There is nothing more valuable than memories, which is why including family photo albums in the list is non-negotiable. Once you find yourself miles away from your old life, they can help you feel more like home and build a cozy atmosphere.
Of course, photos are only a tiny fraction of all the belongings you may find too worthy to exclude. Transporting fishing rods that once belonged to your father, relocating a grandfather clock, or even packaging the china that your grandmother gave you are some things you will definitely want to do.
Packaging paintings, sculptures, antique furniture pieces are definitely a must if those are family heritage or too valuable to sell. That’s why you should come up with packing strategies for relocating them and explore if the long-distance moving company offers specially designed cross-country moving services for this kind of possessions.
No matter if you want to move a piano or pack a guitar for shipping, scheduling their relocation with a cross-country moving company will be the safest way of transporting them to the next address. Although this can increase the total of your expenses, still, it will be more affordable than risking some of them getting damaged during the transport.
Every piece of jewelry you have should be packed exclusively by you and stored within an essential box you’ll always have nearby. Ensure to buy cushioned boxes to pack necklaces, earrings, rings, and if this box has a lock system, it will definitely be worth buying it!
Mobile phones, chargers, laptops, PCs, TVs, sound systems, cameras, drones, and similar gadgets should be packed as carefully as possible. If you find it too stressful to do it on your own, consider booking packing services. Since long-distance movers have all the necessary equipment and materials to transport stuff safely to your next address and protect items in storage units, don’t hesitate to book those long-distance moving services and provide complete safety to your possessions.
Believe it or not, documents, passports, and other important papers are the most commonly forgotten things to pack. This is the reason why you should organize important documents at home before relocation and have a folder to store them and keep with other relocation essentials.
Appliances like coffee makers, blenders, mixers, microwave ovens, and similar are worth relocating to the next living place. Since those appliances don’t take too much space and are not too bulky, relocating them won’t be expensive, and it will provide you with the possibility to equip the kitchen more quickly and start preparing meals for the whole family.
The thing a majority of people are concerned about when deciding whether to move their vehicle or not is whether it will be too pricey to do it. For that reason, finding a reliable long-distance company that offers auto transport and is ready to explain in detail how car shipping works is of tremendous importance.
Once you find out that shipping your vehicle doesn’t have to break the bank, the only thing left is to prepare your car for shipping and wait until it is delivered to your doorstep. In many cases, car shipping is a better option than selling the vehicle, not to mention that you’ll be able to organize your time the moment you get to the next city. So start searching for reliable long-distance moving companies, check their online reviews, and if they are legitimate movers, contact them and book all the services on time!
Now that you’re familiar with all the possessions that should be packed or excluded from the packaging list, we are sure you’ll be able to deal with the whole process much more quickly and easily. Just make sure to plan everything in advance, follow our tips, don’t procrastinate, and everything will go smoothly!
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