Moving Tip: how to figure out what to donate

It’s your lucky day! We’re here to help you move… or actually figure out what to move. Moving from one place to another is a great opportunity to see exactly what you have hiding in boxes in the basement or deep inside your cabinets. Whether you struggle with deciding what to keep or simply getting started, we’ve got some tips that will ease the process. 

First, it’s all about adopting a positive perspective. Moving into a new space can be an adventure and it’s even more exciting thinking about exactly how you’ll create an environment perfect for you. Your overall goal is to declutter your space and not take unwanted items into your new home. If you prefer the stick over the carrot, we’ll add that everything you pack is also everything you have to unpack and find space for– pick your battles. 

Starting is often the hardest part of the process. Try not to jump right in by deciding if you should keep an antique gifted from a relative. Begin by cleaning your space and throwing out any garbage lying around and also chucking any expired food or broken items. During this process, you may start finding other things to keep or get rid of; grab two boxes for designated ‘keep’ and ‘donate’ sections so you can easily keep everything organized as you clean. This is also a great way to analyze each room and write to-do lists. To make it a bit more manageable, tape a piece of paper to the wall of each room to eliminate the need of having to keep track of one paper. Getting started may not be the only hurdle; many people also struggle with keeping the momentum to complete a task. Consistency is the key to maintaining efficiency. You can set aside 20 minutes a day to complete a task or commit to making a decision on 5-10 items a day. Creating a reward system can also inspire progress and the positive perspective you need. Need a little extra push? Ask a family member or friend to help you; their unbiased perspective can ease the decision-making process. They may also see things that you don’t! Figure out what works for you and stick to it. Remember: the process takes longer the more times you pause. 

There is an inherent difficulty for most people to part with items in their home, even when said items are not in use. There’s a few ways to handle this, the first being to pick up an item and ask yourself if it brings you joy (thanks, Marie Kondo). Here’s a more direct methodology: if it hasn’t been used in a year, donate. Stop yourself from saying the words “just in case,” and understand that if it can be replaced in 20 minutes for less than $20, you can take the risk of getting rid of it. Don’t think about sunk costs; if you spent the money on the item and you’re not using it, you’ve already sunk the money. If you forgot you had it and believe you’ll use it, give it another 3 months. Especially during the pandemic, we all start hobbies enthusiastically and after a few weeks, the hobby loses its sparkle and then we have a giant box of knitting needles & yarn or yo-yos that’s taking up space. Books are another example of items many people hoard. You may want to consider donating all your unread books and purchasing a digital reading tablet, like a Kindle. Don’t forget to keep a positive outlook! Just because you didn’t get super attached to a hobby or finish a book you bought, doesn’t make you any less valuable. Keeping unwanted items in your house is only a stressor for you and you may be able to donate an item to someone who will appreciate its value. Similarly to purchasing a Kindle, you can also digitize any DVDs and CDs. Scan any documents you don’t need physical copies of and file them into your computer (Dropbox is a great, cost-friendly storage tool); then make sure you shred the documents to eliminate any risk of fraud. Duplicate items are amongst the simplest to make a decision on, and in most cases you don’t need two of the same thing (even if it’s “just in case”). If you’re also having trouble getting rid of clothing, you can think about the 80/20 rule for clothes: people spend 80% of their time only wearing 20% of what’s in their closet. If it doesn’t fit, donate. If you genuinely hate it, donate. We’ll repeat: don’t let the idea of sunk costs haunt you. If you give yourself enough time to make these decisions, you can even tuck items away for a few weeks or months to see if you actually use them. Now for the dreaded discussion on unwanted items that were… *hold for dramatic pause*… gifted to you. These can be the most difficult things in your home to part with even when we don’t want them! If this item brings you so little joy that it bothers you just being in the house, yet you don’t want to upset any family members, put on your best acting face and say “it was lost in the move.”

Considering the space you’re moving into is useful especially for larger items. Appliances like washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, and microwaves are not guaranteed to be in your next home. If you need to take them with you, make sure to measure the space well before your move. The size of your new residence should also be considered with furniture. Can you afford a storage unit or do you have enough time to sell or donate items that won’t fit? Also think about the style of your new home and if matching your furniture is important to you. Another item to break out the measuring tape for is your window treatments, which can be the wrong shape and size for your new home. 

Now that we’ve helped you decide to get rid of, it’s time to figure out where you’re going to put it. Facebook Marketplace is a user-friendly resource for both buying and selling furniture, electronics, and unwanted (but still valuable) items. You can also join donation groups on Facebook for your neighborhood, like the Buy Nothing groups, where neighbors communicate and exchange items for no cost. If you’re selling your house, you can offer to leave anything behind for the buyer– as long as the buyer agrees to it. You can also get rid of items through use of a consignment store or thrift store. Philly Thrift for Aids is one of the best and accepts a broad array of items; here is a list of what they don’t accept.

We hope you feel more confident about starting and (most importantly) completing this process. Don’t forget this is your chance to sort everything you own and create a new space perfect for you after the move.