It is common to do a thorough spring cleaning right before a move to get rid of things you do not want to bring to your new place.
Whether it’s a sectional that no longer fits in a living room or a dining table that is now too small for the kitchen, you may end up needing new household items to accommodate the new room sizes and styles.
So, how do you decide what to keep and what to dispose of before your move?
Here are some tips to help you decide:
1) Consider the layout of your new place
It is better to do a complete walkthrough of your new place before your move so you understand how certain items and belongings can fit in your new space.
However, if you are unable to do a walkthrough, (if you are doing a long-distance move) you can always obtain an updated floor plan that accurately reflects the home’s layout and room measurements.
A floor plan is a 2-dimensional diagram of a home’s interior, drawn to scale, that provides homeowners with a bird’s-eye view of a property’s walls, doors, stairs, and other features.
Room sizes and wall measurements should be included in the floor plan.
Use the home’s floor plan as a starting place for deciding what furniture and household items go where.
2) Measure your furniture
Once you’ve reviewed your floor plan, the next step is to measure all the furniture you plan to take to the new home.
This will help you utilize all your valuable space in your new home as you compare dimensions.
This way, you can decide which pieces can fit and what new items to purchase.
Items to consider for purchase in your new home may include:
- bathroom cabinet
- medicine cabinet
- appliances
- bulky items (new sofa, dining table, coffee table, etc)
It is good to consider purchasing new furniture as it may not work in the new space.
For instance, your current couch might be too small or too large for your new living room.
If this is the case, then you’ll need to think about:
- what size couch do you need for your new living room?
- Will the current couch work in another space in your new home?
- Is the current couch worth keeping at all?
3) What style will your new home have?
The interior of the home is so important to make you feel comfortable.
Your home is a reflection of your personality, therefore it is important to determine a style prior to your big move.
The style will help you narrow down which items to keep and which items to toss when moving.
Items to consider tossing may include:
- old clothes
- leftover food and expired food
- unused sporting equipment
- old shampoo bottles
- old magazines
- old aerosol cans
- old gardening tools
- old cleaning supplies
- expired medications
- used electronics
- instruction manuals
- other perishable items
The style of your home will also be heavily influenced by its location.
Decor in a landed property will differ from an HDB as furniture that works in one type of home may not work in the other.
4) Consider reupholstering your furniture
If you are keen on reducing waste and saving money, you can consider reupholstering your sofa or other furniture to make them look new again.
You can do a DIY project on your own or send it to a professional to do the job.
There are plenty of tutorials available online on how you can reupholster your own furniture.
5) Which furniture can still be used while you look for new ones?
It may take some time for you to look for new furniture for your new place.
Therefore, you can try making your current furniture work in your new home whilst you look for the right items.
If you’re in a hurry, you could end up making a costly mistake or buying something that you don’t really love.
Avoid this mistake by first trying out your current furniture in the new home before purchasing additional furnishings.
Working with what you have first will allow you to assess what you really need for the new home.
6) Consider your budget
In addition to trying out your old stuff in the new home, we recommend figuring out your budget for new household furniture, goods, and accessories.
If purchasing new household items is simply not in the budget, then you’ll need to make your older items work or search for new, budget-friendly pieces.
On other hand, if you have a flexible budget, then you have the luxury of finding and replacing old items more quickly.
A great place to look for furniture items is at a garage sale or a yard sale as you can find authentic pieces for a cheap price.
You can also look for new items online for a much cheaper price.
How to dispose of old stuff that doesn’t work in the new home?
Now that you’ve figured out what to dispose of after studying your floor plan, taking measurements, and assessing all your belongings, it’s time to get rid of unwanted items.
From selling items to storing them, there are four categories of how items can be removed from your new house:
1) Sell items
You can easily sell any items that are still in good shape online.
There are so many online marketplaces and mobile apps you can sell these days.
Facebook marketplace and carousel are great options to try.
All you need to do is just snap a photo and start posting.
As long as the price is right, someone will buy it.
If you have the time for it, you can even organize your very own yard sale.
2) Donate
For other items that can’t be sold but are still in good condition, you can opt to donate them to a donation centre, community centre, and your local charity drive.
Items such as clothing, shoes, and accessories can be donated as long as they are still in good condition.
3) Store it
For items you are not ready to part with yet but have no space for in your new place, you can rent a storage unit in your area.
This is good for people who are moving long distances for a while and looking to return after their period abroad is over.
4) Trash it
Sometimes furniture disposal is necessary as the piece is too damaged to be donated or reupholstered.
To make the process easier, you can hire a furniture mover in Singapore that specializes in furniture disposal as well.
They will be able to arrange for a moving truck and throw your unwanted belongings at the correct place.