While it is exciting to move to a new home, it is also worrisome. Decluttering and dejunking can take up quite some time. It also requires due diligence to identify what to keep and what to not. In the end, there are dozens of things that are not the ones to be moved to a new home.
This situation makes way for another dilemma- what to do with the unwanted stuff. You cannot just leave these things in the old house or at the roadside. You need to plan something either for their proper disposal or convenient storage.
It is always ideal to get rid of unwanted stuff before moving to a new home. It saves space while loading things on a truck. It also saves time that these things would have taken to move.
Moreover, no one would want to pile up a new home with junk or unwanted stuff. Everyone would like to keep the new slate clean of unwanted stains.
According to a survey by Harvard, 40 million Americans moved to new homes in 2020. Now imagine the amount of stuff these 40 million people have shifted over the year. It must have included a plethora of unwanted belongings.
They have dealt with it in several ways. In case you are interested what these ways can be, read this entire article. It mentions three ways to deal with unwanted stuff when moving to a new home.
1. Rent out a private storage unit
Self storage is the best way to keep your belongings safe if you do not intend to part with them. You can use Google to find a couple of options near you quickly. For instance, if you’re moving to Bell County in Texas, look for ‘self storage Killeen ‘ for a few reasonable choices.
Do the same for any state/city you live in. You can rent out a storage unit as per your requirement and store your stuff for as long as you want. You can also opt for climate-controlled storage units that preserve your belongings for longer by protecting them against the weather, dust, and pests.
Moreover, they are cost-efficient as well. You have options ranging from $90 to $300, depending on the size of the storage unit.
2. Plan a garage sale
A couple of extra bucks are always welcome, especially when you are already spending so much on relocating. You can always make better use of the residual value of your unwanted belongings. Once you have sorted out and separated all the unwanted stuff, you can always have a garage sale.
Something useless for you might be of use for someone else. Not to mention, reusing and recycling stuff is a smart way to lower our carbon footprint. A garage sale serves all these purposes for you. You get rid of your unwanted stuff and that too with some extra money at hand.
Once you have planned a garage sale, you can advertise it on various online platforms like Facebook and Craigslist. Target the audience as per the nature of the stuff. If it is more for kids, post it in the local moms’ group. If it’s stuff related to DIY, post it in dads’.
People welcome garage sales since they find helpful things at a discounted price. You would also derive gratification from seeing people cherishing your old things. On the whole, it is a win-win situation for all.
3. A donation is always an option
Are you still left with a few items after your garage sale? There is stuff mainly like clothes that you can always donate. You can collect also collect things that are in useable condition and donate them.
You need to find a local charity that can utilize this stuff. Make a list of everything and donate it. However, you need to ensure that these things are clean and in appropriate condition to be used.
According to the Joint Centre for Housing Studies, cost-burdened households pay more than 50% of their income in house rentals. They are also the ones who move homes more frequently. So there are always people who can make use of your unwanted stuff.
Online avenues like GoodWill, Habitat, and donatestuff.com are easily accessible options for donating stuff. They provide you with pick-up facilities as well so you have one less thing to worry about.
Conclusion
Little planning and a systematic approach can reduce the pressure and nuisance of changing homes. There will always be unwanted stuff when you are moving to a new home. Subsequently, it would automatically pile up unwanted things from the existing ones.
The best option is always to sell these things and support your moving expense. Other than that, you can always donate or store them timely until you decide their fate.
