What to Keep and What to Throw Away When Moving

Moving is one of many things — a stressful undertaking, an exciting adventure, and most importantly, a new beginning. It gives you a chance to start anew and surround yourself with things that you truly love. Some people choose to leave it all behind while others keep everything and bring it to the next chapter. Ultimately, it’s up to you on how you will reshape your life and take advantage of the opportunity that’s presented to you.

Thankfully though, things are much simpler when it comes to sorting out your belongings. Knowing what to keep and what to throw away can make the moving process a bit easier so in this article, we’ll be discussing how you can organise your stuff for a smooth and stress-free move.

Consider the value of the item

Whether an item is worth keeping depends not on its financial value, but its practical use and/or sentimental meaning. To determine this, ask yourself the following questions:

• How often is the item used?
• Do you find yourself using this item for the foreseeable future?
• Is the item still in usable condition?
• Will the item fit into your new home? (in terms of functionality and lifestyle)

If the item is rarely used or has seen better days, it’s safe to say that item is headed to the rubbish bin. However, items like family heirlooms, keepsakes, and other personal favourites have their sentimental value and are worth including in your packing list.

Make sure you’re keeping items that are important to you as not every single item from your past should be brought into your new home.

Think of the type of moving you’ll do

If you’re moving locally, you’ll probably decide to bring most of your stuff with you. Moving them to your new address is quite easy with the help of a professional removalist in Perth since the climate conditions are the same and your new surroundings won’t be that much different from your previous home. 

If you plan on moving interstate, you may want to leave most of your large, heavy, and rarely used furniture behind (i.e. old TVs, sofas, and dressers). Moving bulky items cross-country can be quite costly and chances are your environment and lifestyle will be different when you move interstate.

Moving abroad is a different beast as transporting large items overseas is difficult, expensive, and risky. We suggest bringing only your most valuable possessions and a couple of your items to avoid major inconveniences along the way.

How much it costs to move the item

The moving cost is an important factor to consider when deciding whether to keep an item or discard of it. Typically, the moving cost depends on the complexity of the job and the type of moving you’ll do.

For local moves, the moving cost is based on a couple of things; how long they’ll pack and unpack the item, how long it takes to move the item, and how heavy the item is.

For interstate moves, the moving cost is based on the distance to your new home and the weight of the item to be transported.
The more specialized the service is (furniture disassembly, hoisting, etc.), the more costly it is to move the item. Delicate pieces of furniture and appliances require higher quality packing materials which in turn will drive up the cost.

To figure out how much it will cost you to move your belongings to your new home, we recommend you fill in a moving quote and request binding on-site estimates from reputable removals companies such as Adlam Transport.

One thing to keep in mind is the complexity of the moving job. If the item is very difficult to transport or if the risk of damage during relocation is very high, it’s best to not bring the item with you.

The only exception is if it’s an irreplaceable item that you can’t live without. In this instance, you may want to hire an expert removals company that can accommodate your special requests to ensure the item arrives safely to its intended destination.