9 Items You Should Throw Away Before You Move

Posted on 18/04/2016

When planning on moving house, you should think hard about downsizing. This is both the perfect way to save money on the moving company costs, and to have a start in a more spacey place, with lots of room for everything and for you to frolic about in. Downsizing will be the difference between you hiring a whole team of movers for a house removals job, or a single man and van service which will cost you much, much less – or even just hire a removal van, if you cut the number down enough so that you can load them up yourself. Here are the items you should consider throwing or gifting away before the relocation starts.

Consumables
The only products you need to take with you are probably just soap and toothpaste. All the cleaning products and paint cans, and all the rest are just added burden to the move and you can acquire them as soon as you move.

Perishables
Don’t take food and drinks with you. Food and drinks are for eating and drinking, not for moving. You will get your food and drinks when you are done moving, so don’t add to the load.

Packing Leftovers
If you have some cardboard boxes or tape left, just throw them away or take them for recycling – they will have no use beyond the move.

Old Clothes
This is also the perfect opportunity to deal with the wardrobe organisation. You surely have plenty of clothes you no longer wear or which just don’t fit you. Gift them or donate them away, otherwise they will only become more boxes and create the need for more space.

Attic or Cellar Clutter
If you haven’t done any clearance for a while, this is a great chance to do it. You most probably have quite a lot of rubbish you will never again use and so you stored it in the cellar and attic – well, it’s time to get rid of it. Donate, sell, recycle – it’s all up to you, just don’t put it in the removal van.

Old Tools
Any owner of tools will have old items he or she never uses. Instead of adding them again to the pile of items you won’t need, just sell them in a flea market, or give them to your old neighbour. If you have newer tools, you’ll probably just use them anyway.

Magazines
Be honest, when is the last time you read, or even used an old magazine? Yes, exactly – even old newspapers have more use than magazines, so feel free to show all those old issues to the rubbish bin. Take pages of favourite photos with you, if that’s the only reason you’re keeping them around.

Make-Up
Old make-up also takes space and nothing else. Any woman has at least one drawer full of old make-up which she never uses – come on, ladies, one or two boxes of powder won’t be that big of a deal.

Old Pads or Notebooks
Every family has a bunch of old notepads and notebooks scattered around the house for whatever purpose. Old notes, your child’s drawings, phone numbers you never use – whatever the reason, surely they are something you won’t miss once you get rid of. Computers have replaced them anyway.

And there you have it – nine things that you will definitely not need during the removals. Save yourself the money and time it takes to pack them and simply introduce them to the nearest rubbish bin, or donate them to a home or charity, or sell them to willing buyer. Let somebody else have a go at them, if they will only be a burden to you.