Move it or sell it?

Unless you’re looking for a completely fresh start, chances are you’ll be keeping a lot of belongings. There are the essentials, like your computer, the kitchen appliances you use every day, and your favorite clothes. Then there are your really valuable items, like fine art and jewelry and your items with sentimental value, which all justify their own place in the moving truck.

Decisions get tougher when you move on to other categories, like things that are old or worn. A pro tip we have, if you’re debating selling an item before you move is that you’ll need to replace the item soon anyway, it’s often best to get rid of it now and buy the replacement after you move. There may also be things that don’t have enough monetary value to justify spending money and effort to take them with you. And there will inevitably be a load of inexpensive everyday items like office supplies, cleaning supplies, food — pretty much anything you can get at the grocery store.

Here are a few things that savvy movers usually host a move-out sale for rather than transport:

• Large furniture: If the furniture is very fine quality or has great monetary value, like an antique armoire, you can make the case for moving it. But even if you love your broken-in sofa, you could end up paying a whole lot to move it a long distance. If you choose to sell pieces of furniture, get the best possible price for it in a moving sale and buy a new one that you can have delivered to your new front door.
• Kitchen clutter: Packing up a kitchen can be challenging, because you don’t want to sell your cheese grater only to buy an identical one in your new city. But almost every kitchen has a few never-used gadgets or appliances that won’t be missed. And if you have inexpensive dishes and glassware which are heavy and fragile, you can save yourself a huge headache by spending your moving sale revenues on a new set.
• Books: You read it once; are you really going to read it again? Or maybe you never read it and probably never will. Books are heavy, bulky, and usually only valuable to people who will read and enjoy them. Moving is the perfect time to pare down on your collection.
• Old clothing: If you’re not the type to audit your closet every year, you might have some old duds that are either out of style or no longer fit. If you haven’t worn the item in a year, it should probably go in the sale bin.

Move-out sale tips

There are several ways to sell your belongings before you move — online classifieds like Facebook Marketplace, consignment shops, and even e-commerce giants like Amazon — but there’s nothing like a pre-move garage sale. To make sure yours is a success, there are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Look for pricing references. Search online resellers like eBay and Craigslist for items like the ones you’re selling to get an idea of the prices they’ll command. Another way to price your used items is to look up the cost of a brand-new equivalent and discount it by 50 percent.
  
• Set a minimum selling price for everything, but keep that information in your head. This will help you make better decisions when customers haggle, which is part of the moving sale tradition.
• Secure a moving sale permit, if applicable. If you’re unsure of your local policy, check your municipality’s website or call your city hall to inquire.
• Schedule your move-out sale on a Saturday or Sunday, and be prepared to change plans if the forecast shows inclement weather. Not only will that deter crowds, but it will also expose your belongings to the elements.
• Use multiple means of advertising. Post signs along the major roads and busy public places nearest your house, place free ads in online classifieds like Craigslist, and spread the word through neighborhood social media groups. Depending on where you live, it may also be cheap to post a small ad in your local paper.
• Make sure you have lots of change and one- and five-dollar bills on hand the day of the sale so that you can make change.

When the sale is over, there may be a few things left over. And since you’ve already committed to getting rid of them, consider donating them to charity rather than taking them with you.

If you have a few favorite local charities, check their websites first to see if they accept the types of donations you have. If you need more options, use an online directory like DonationTown to find out which charities accept donated goods in your area. Some charities will come to you and pick up your donation, which can really come in handy if you plan to donate furniture or other large items.

It’s hard to say goodbye to the places you’ve lived and the things you’ve lived with, but selling or donating your old belongings can make your move so much easier. If you do choose to host a moving sale, Direct Energy wishes you good weather and big crowds!