Moving is always a terribly exciting venture. And yet, it can give even the best of us some trouble, because it poses the inevitable question – what do we do with all our stuff? Moving is a great chance to reevaluate your possessions and ditch the ones that aren’t serving you anymore. As for the rest of them, the ones you don’t want to toss, but can’t really keep, you can always use self-storage.
But how do you decide which things to put in storage, and which throw away? We’re here to help you figure that out!
First up, let’s look at some of the biggest categories of things you currently own in your house.
Furniture: keep or discard?
Obviously, you’ll be moving quite a bit of furniture to your new home. But what about the pieces that just won’t fit? It might be a good idea to keep a piece of furniture if it’s old (passed down from generation to generation) or has some sort of sentimental value. We know, it can be tempting to keep everything, but the truth is… you probably don’t need it.
So, don’t be afraid to discard any chairs, nightstands, and other pieces of furniture you’re no longer using.
Furniture storage tip: Disassembling your furniture can actually end up saving you quite a bit of space. So, when considering furniture storage, always divide your belongings into pieces that can be disassembled, and pieces that can’t.
Electronics: yay or nay?
Another big issue is the tech category. Many people keep old, unusable phones, Walkmans, and all sorts of other “relics”. Our advice? If it’s something that reminds you of a special time in your life (e.g., your very first computer), then you have to keep it.
Similarly, if it’s something you still have a use for, then you should keep it.
But if it’s just something you’re keeping around, “because you might need it someday”, our advice would be to lose it.
Store or toss tip: A good rule of thumb for deciding which items to keep and which to discard is this… ask yourself when’s the last time you used said object. If it was more than 3 years ago, chances are it’s time to say goodbye.
Clothes: don’t tell me you’re still wearing that!
Many people are in the habit of storing clothes they’re no longer wearing, purely because they have them. And trust us, that can be a storage nightmare. So, try to sort through your clothes, and only keep the ones that you’re actually wearing.
And if you’re worried about waste, don’t be – there are so many great causes and foundations accepting donations. Clean up those clothes you’ve decided to toss, and send them on to a new home!
Clothing storage tip: When storing clothing items, it’s best to place them into secure, airtight storage bags, to prevent moss or mildew. Naturally, before you do this, you’ll want to give them a thorough clean, and drying session!
