Are you gearing up for a long distance move? If so, read on to learn about the items you should leave behind when moving long distance.
Moving is tough work. Especially if you’re moving long distance.
You’ve got possessions to pack, new living arrangements to make, and, most importantly, you’ve got to figure out how to get there. Leaving a few things behind can often make the moving process a whole lot easier.
If you’re planning a big move, keep reading for a closer look at some items that are better off left behind.
What to Leave Behind When Moving Long Distance
Before you decide what you’ll keep and what you’ll leave behind, it’s important to asses your situation.
For a long distance move, it’s especially important to try and pare down your possessions to the bare minimum. Shipping costs, especially when crossing international borders, can add up quickly. So, if you don’t need it or can easily replace it, it’s best to leave it behind.
The one exception to this rule is the planned length of stay for your move. If it’s a long-term decision, do what you can to reduce the amount of stuff you’ll need to take.
But if you’re only moving temporarily, you might consider storing some of your larger items until you move back.
1. Clothing
One item that many of us could stand to reduce is clothing.
Many of us tend to buy clothes at a pretty consistent rate, picking up new styles when they’re released or good deals when we can find them.
The problem is, we never get rid of the old stuff.
Before you pack up everything in your closet, try going through your wardrobe. Donate anything you don’t really need or don’t wear anymore.
If you could use some extra funds for your move, gently used clothing can sold through sites like eBay or other local marketplaces.
2. Old Paper Items
Another thing that people tend to accumulate is old paper items.
Whether it’s old bank statements or documents that were once important and needed to be kept, it’s easy to let paper accumulate.
Moving presents a great opportunity to go through your old paper stuff and figure what you do and don’t need. Odds are, you’ll find that much of what you’ve allowed to build up is no longer needed.
If you don’t need it, throw it out or shred it if necessary.
3. Bathroom Clutter
Clutter tends to build up quickly in the bathroom, but it doesn’t seem to go away easily.
From cosmetic products to small items like combs and brushes, it’s easy to quickly fill drawers and cabinets with small items.
Before moving, go through your bathroom items with a fine tooth comb, no pun intended, and make sure you truly need all the items in your cabinets.
4. CDs and DVDs
Movies and music are great. Being able to take them with you is even better.
What’s not so great, is a huge collection of CDs and DVDs that are tough to transport.
As attached to your music or movie collection as you may be, there’s probably very little reason to take it all with you on a long distance move.
Before you pack your bags, narrow your CDs or DVDs down to the essentials and try selling the rest. Better yet, go digital and use services like Netflix or Spotify to get your entertainment fix.
5. Furniture
Odds are, the furniture in your home is some of your largest possessions.
Chairs, couches, tables, and more are big, bulky, and tough to move around. More often than not, you need two or more people to move a piece of furniture.
So why take these big items with you?
Instead of paying the often high costs to move bulky furniture items, try offloading some of it before you move.
Many furniture items hold their value very well if they’ve been cared for, making them great items to resell before moving.
6. Old Household Items
We all have those items sitting around the house that we got as gifts or thought one day might be useful. The toaster that can also fry an egg or the coffee maker that will also make you a cappuccino at the press of a button.
But as useful as some of these items might look in the store, if you’re not using it regularly you probably don’t need it.
Get rid of any small appliances or other household items you’re not using before you move and spare yourself from wondering why you thought it was a good idea to bring it along.
7. Bedding
Much like paper items and bathroom clutter, we tend to accumulate bedding items like sheets and pillows, never getting rid of the old when we pick up newer versions.
Since sheets and pillows tend to take up a sizable amount of room, consider donating items that you’re no longer using or throwing away those that are in poor condition.
Mattresses are another bedding item that often needs to be replaced sooner rather than later and can be particularly difficult to move.
8. Vehicles
Moving long distance with a vehicle is tough. Especially if you’re moving from one country to another.
It’s often easier to sell a vehicle before moving and find new transportation once you’ve moved.
9. Your Book Collection
Books can add up quickly in a move. They’re heavy and often fragile.
While you may be attached to your collection, it may be time to pare it down to the essentials or consider a transition to ebooks.
10. Appliances
Large appliances like refrigerators or washing machines are a real pain to move, even if you’re just moving across town.
For a long distance move, it’s almost always better to leave your old appliances with the property or sell them locally before moving.
Putting It All Together
Moving long distance is hard work. Don’t make it more difficult by trying to move large or bulky items that can be more easily replaced once you’ve moved.
Considering a move to Spain? Check out our recent blog post on how to make the transition.