Selling things you won’t need when you move

Some people have an emotional attachment to their possessions and might be stubbornly clinging onto them up till now or have even dragged them during past moves. If you are moving far away, you might consider that it isn’t feasible to take along every single item you own with you. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should get rid of everything before the moving day and instead of packing everything into boxes, you should sell everything and start from scratch. It may be sensible that you make a priority list of things you will need, and consider what you really want in your new home, or you might come to the conclusion that you would be happier with buying new things.

All of this may sound like a step backwards, but in reality, you can actually make decent money from selling your old things; more importantly, it will give you a chance to make some improvements, as you’re not sure if every piece of furniture will fit or match your new home interior. Furthermore, some household items can be the most expensive household items to move, so you need to assess the cost of moving them vs. getting selling and getting money for them.

Choose what to sell and determine its value

When you begin to consider selling some or all of your things, you should start by making a list of the things you would not miss first. You’ll be amazed how many items you have managed to build up over the years, some of which have never been used – you need to consider whether you still want to own them. Basic household items and furniture, like a couch, a bed, or electronic equipment such as TVs are easy to substitute – you just need to make inquiries where you will be able to buy what is essential.

If you have nice furniture that’s still in good shape, it’s not really necessary to sell it all and buy it again. If you think of this as selling all your stuff and then buying the exact same duplicates of everything, it won’t make financial sense. You should view this as a purge that gives you one big pot of money that you can replace the most important things that will fit your new surroundings. But, if you have a chair that doesn’t match the sofa, you can maybe consider selling the chair. Keep the sofa, and just get another chair that matches it at your new place of residence. The same applies to couches, dinner tables, coffee tables, multiple computers, old stereos, clothes you’ve never used, all your DVD collection, generally stuff you won’t need or will never use. However, chances are once you sell all of these, you’re probably not going to buy the same again just to keep in your closet at your new place. By making yourself sell most of your things or even everything you can put that money towards a new couch or a set of new clothes.

If you have old furniture or appliances the chances are that they will need to be replaced soon.  So by having the money from selling that old couch and a bunch of other items, you can put the money towards buying a new couch. If you are on a tight budget, it is wise to buy only essential items that you need, and don’t hold on to unnecessary items that can easily be replaced, if they are just going to be laying around.

You should have options to sell any or all of your excess items for the most possible money. You can do this online or plan to sell certain items at a garage, yard, or community sale, which is particularly good if you plan moving in the summer, the culture may play a role in how much you can get—not just the value of the item.  Remember, the best way to sell furniture isn’t necessarily the best way to sell electronics, and that’s not the best way to sell books or clothing. Regardless of what you are selling and where you sell it, the following is a list of possible items you could consider selling before the move:

Clothes you rarely wear or have never worn

Clothing can be difficult to sell. You have to hope that someone needs the size you have available and that someone is willing to pay what you’re willing to sell. That doesn’t mean you can’t get some decent money for them.

Keep in mind that you are targeting at a specific markets (women’s clothing, baby clothing, designer clothing, vintage clothing, etc.), and thus have relatively small communities which you can offer your unwanted clothes to. Still, if you have a closet full of what those communities may want you should try to sell them.

Toys and Children’s Items

We’ve mentioned children’s clothing, but toys and games also tend to sell fairly well.  You should do some research especially if you want to sell off toys—before putting them up online or selling them through somewhere else check for the asking price of that or similar item would sell for. As long as the items you have to sell are in good condition and not collectibles, you should be able to get a decent amount for them.

DVD and CD cases

Unless you are a collector and if you’re not willing to depart from your collectable items that you want to have them in individual cases which are going to take up room in your new home, you should think about putting them all in one of those books with CD sleeves.

Expensive or rare collectibles are a bit out of scope of this article, but if you have something that’s especially valuable, you’ll hopefully find out when you do the research what it’s worth on the market, as we’ve suggested earlier.

Kitchen appliances you barely use

If you haven’t even bothered to open an item up, you should consider selling it and getting something else for your new home that you actually will use. Household Items and small appliances like blenders, microwave ovens, kitchen gear, and even household small electronics like heaters, vacuum cleaners, and other items are all great things to sell online. Selling them in person works too, but they often have specific model numbers that can be easily researched. You’re better off putting them in the hands of someone who really wants exactly what you have. Also, selling them online offers you the broadest audience possible.

Books you have read and don’t need

Someone may want them. You will merely resent their weight on the trip, and the space they take up in your new apartment.

Anything item that you forgot was there in the first place

Unless it is something you genuinely thought you lost and mourned for a long time, if you find something while you’re packing and are surprised by its existence, you didn’t miss it enough to justify keeping it in your life.