Anybody who has gone through a move will tell you it’s a good idea to sift through your belongings before you start to pack. After all, there’s no reason to waste boxes, energy, and truck space on items you’re just going to turn around and donate to the Goodwill.
But before you go on an all-out purge, it’s important to think things through.
Chances are, you’ve heard of impulse buys. The opposite of that is an impulse purge. The overwhelming urge to dispose of items you don’t want to bother packing and transporting to your new house, even though, truth is, you still may have a use for them.
People in the midst of an impulse purge are usually exhausted by the physical and emotional rigors of moving. They’re understandably overwhelmed by the prospect of packing one more box. They justify their decisions by telling themselves they’ll purchase replacement items later or that they’ll never, ever need to use them again.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always turn out to be true. Many times people lighten their load by disposing of items only to find that they do need them at their new house. And worse yet, they aren’t always in a position to replace them after recovering from a costly move.
Don’t be the victim of an impulse urge! Oola is here with a list of items you may want to think twice about cutting loose. Let’s proceed.
1. Used Up Cleaning Products
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If you only have a squirt or two of carpet cleaner left in the bottle it may be tempting to toss it into your recycling bin. Not so fast. Oola advises you not to pack your cleaning products anyway. And if you have a few that are almost empty, even better. You can use up the last bit for your move and dispose of it when you’re through. This will also save room in your boxes and make them far lighter to carry.
2. Paperwork
It may be tempting to throw out the stack of paperwork that’s been weighing down your desk for several years, but don’t do it unless you’re prepared to go through it piece by piece. Yes, boxes or paper are heavy. Yes, they take up space in the truck. But, remember, you saved those papers for a reason. There could be something important in there.
3. Reusable Grocery/Wine Bags
If you fished a large stack of fabric grocery or wine bags out of your pantry, you might feel inclined to throw them away. Don’t. Use these bags to carry your canned goods. The wine bags are also useful for far more than wine. Glass dressing bottles, sauces, and jars of jam fit perfectly inside.
4. Items You Plan To Upgrade
Maybe your bamboo cutting board is past its prime. So you throw it away and tell yourself you’ve been wanting to get a new one anyways. This may be true, but the truth is, moving is expensive. You may regret forcing yourself to make unnecessary purchases until you’ve had a chance to recover. And seemingly small purchases add up if you suddenly find you need to purchase a cutting board, bath towels, and measuring cups all at once.
Even if you’re fortunate enough to be in a position where finances aren’t a concern, moving is a busy time. You may be too busy unpacking to shop for cutting boards.
5. Extra Blankets
Don’t donate those extra blankets just yet! Use them for your move. Blankets are ideal for wrapping up your flat screen television, artwork, and lamps. Use them as packing material and find a good home for them after you settle into your new location.
6. Paper Plates And Utensils
You may think you won’t have any need for the handful of paper plates and leftover utensils you shoved in a drawer after your last take-out delivery but trust us. You’re going to be exhausted when you move into your new home. The last thing you’re going to want to do is to comb through your boxes to find plates and silverware so you can eat breakfast in the morning. Hold on to your paper goods. You can thank us later.
7. Accent Pieces
You may have decided to get new living room furniture, but it’s a good idea to hang on to accent chairs and side tables till you get to know the layout of your new house. There may be an alcove above the stairs, a cut out in a bedroom or an odd corner you didn’t realize was there. Hang on to small furniture pieces until you’ve settled into your home and feel certain you don’t have room for them.
8. Curtains
If you have custom blinds or shutters you’ll want to leave them at your old house since they won’t fit your new one. Curtains, however, fit everywhere. And they’ll come in handy if you discover the window treatments at your new home are broken or missing. Even if you don’t plan to use them forever, you’ll be happy to have them on a temporary basis.
9. Dressers And Bookshelves
If you’ve decided to upgrade your dressers and shelves when you move to your new home, there still may be ways to use the old ones. If you have a garage or a large closet you can put them to use storing linens, tools, hardware, or office supplies. If not, you can always donate them later.
10. Old Clothes
Nearly everybody ends up downsizing their wardrobe and donating clothing as part of a move. It’s an excellent idea. It’s also, however, an excellent idea to save at least a few items of old clothing so you can use them as work shirts at your new house should you end up repainting a few rooms. There also handy to keep around after that for DIY craft projects involving spray paint.
We hope these suggestions will help make your move easier. Because friends don’t let friends fall victim to an impulse purge. Happy moving!
