Furniture You Should Sell Before Moving To Save A Ton Of Money

Your furniture is an important part of the home you've created for yourself. From simple corner pieces to primary staples like your couch or dining room table, the furniture that sits in your home supports the daily lifestyle that you lead. This makes it an incredibly important asset in any home, large or small. While the furniture you own is probably a cornerstone of the style and functionality of your home, not all of it is particularly useful during transitional phases in life – especially as you prepare to retire.

When you move, for example, it may be tempting to keep all of your old furniture. The conventional line of thinking might be to keep these elements of home décor because buying new pieces is more expensive. However, the reality can actually be quite different. While some special furniture shouldn't be tossed aside, there can be a definite benefit to throwing away or selling a great deal of your home furnishings before a move, rather than dealing with the hassle of packing and moving them. Especially when you consider that the time it takes to break down and pack up heavy furniture items can be grueling. Generally, during a move, time is of the essence, so adding additional labor intensive tasks to the daunting list of packing can make your move even more challenging.

Another consideration is how there can be a financial benefit to buying new home goods. For starters, the cost to ship bulky items of furniture can easily rise well into the same arena as simply purchasing new things — making some consider the tradeoff of hiring a moving company or doing it all themselves. A cross-country move, for example, can lead to as much as $15,000 in shipping costs if you're packing up a whole home, including bulky furniture pieces. This means that dumping your old furniture and buying new things when you arrive at your new home may ultimately be a more cost-effective option. However, furniture owners have an added bow in their string. Instead of giving away furniture or tossing it in a nearby dumpster, selling it can deliver a two-for-one swing in your favor.

Old furniture can be repurposed by new buyers, and plenty of people are in the business of upcycling older pieces — with some even approaching it as a hobby. There are also plenty of old pieces of furniture that can be worth a lot, which could offer a financial boost during this expensive time in your life. Plus, many buyers are looking for a bargain on essentials for their own homes and will happily take old pieces off your hands. Getting rid of difficult-to-move furniture while simultaneously making some extra money can electrify your relocation finances — offsetting the expense of buying new furniture for your home.

Another consideration is how your old furniture might fit — or not — in your new home. For example, an old chest of drawers might not fit well in your new room, making the whole space feel awkward and compressed. Buying new furniture can avoid these constraints by allowing you the space to select new furnishings with the specific property you call home in mind.

Your old wardrobe or side table might even be a holdover from many years ago. These are furnishings that frequently don't encounter the same level of attention that big ticket items attract (like a creaky or sagging bed frame that makes itself known in a big way). As long as the drawers continue to hold your belongings without issue, there usually isn't much need to replace these kinds of stalwarts. However, a move can give you the perfect opportunity to revamp your style.

Bringing old furniture along with you to your new home saddles the property with the same atmosphere of your old stomping grounds. You may have only fond memories of the home you're leaving behind, but you still aren't likely to want the new space you call home to be overwhelmed by the ambiance of old rather than new. Replacing these kinds of furnishings can go a long way to giving your living space a much needed update, especially if you've already moved these sorts of furniture pieces before.