The most critical part of a house move for you will be the safe transportation of your possessions between Point A (your current home) and Point B (the destination place).
Think about this: almost every single step during the relocation process is directly linked to all the household items you wish to move between the two homes – from inventorying and sorting out your stuff to finding the best mover near you and packing up your things for moving.
And imagine for a moment that you didn’t have anything to move to the new place – nothing but a few essential items that can fit comfortably in your own car. Is such a relocation scenario just a classic case of wishful thinking that could never be pulled off in reality?
Selling everything you own and moving away is possible but it’s not the best choice for everyone. There are many reasons why most people will hold on to their prized possessions and will be willing to go through the necessary steps to see their things delivered safely to the new address.
And yet, moving away without any household items can be an excellent option for you, especially when you understand the clear benefits of selling everything and driving away with nothing but a few absolute essentials.
Here are the top 7 reasons why selling everything you own and moving away can work out great in your particular case:
1. You will earn money from the sale of your things
The idea of selling everything you own and moving away may initially seem pretty shocking. Why would you ever want to do it? It doesn’t make any sense at all to let go of all the things you’ve acquired over years and years.
And yet, the more you think about it, you may start to see the logic behind the seemingly absurd idea. Above all else, you will earn money by selling your stuff and will be able to buy new things after you arrive in the new home.
Unfortunately, you’ll rarely be able to sell your possessions at a profit simply because all of them will be used. Nevertheless, it should still be OK to get enough money for each one, mainly regarding furniture pieces.
Remember that moving furniture across the country can often cost more than the actual worth of the pieces, so your large and heavy furniture units should be the first ones to go.
It’s time to organize a big moving sale where you can try to sell almost everything you own. Posting some of your things online is also a good option, especially when you have ample time until the Moving day.
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2. You will save time by not looking for packing supplies.
Not having to worry about packing materials at all is a huge bonus.
Your brave decision not to take any items with you to the new home means that the arduous task of packing for a move will not only be postponed until further notice but will also be canceled altogether.
Another significant advantage of selling everything and moving across the country is that you won’t need to worry about where to buy the necessary packing materials for the job. Considering that the average number of moving boxes needed to pack up an entire home is 60, the fact that you won’t have to prepare any cardboard containers for the upcoming move must feel largely satisfying.
Make sure you use all that freed-up time wisely. For example, meet up you’re your best friends before moving away, spend quality time with the people you do care about, and even consider organizing a farewell party for your buddies.
But beware: it’s usually a mistake to attempt to sell anything to your best friends. If any of them wants something you have, then it’s best to give it away to them as a token of your friendship.
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3. You will save time and energy by not packing up your stuff
Oftentimes, packing is the most dreaded job when moving house because it is the most time-consuming task on anyone’s packing checklist. Under ideal conditions, packing is an entire process that starts right after the house move is confirmed and ends the day before Moving day itself.
Packing for a move is also the most energy-draining thing you’ll have to do when getting ready to move out because of the many days spent inventorying, sorting out, wrapping up, and boxing up all the things you own.
And that’s exactly why it can be extremely beneficial to sell everything in the house and move away with just a few must-take possessions. In reality, not having to deal with packing and all the little tasks associated with packing should feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
Not having to pack up your things will also mean that you won’t need to ask your friends for packing assistance. Be mindful that asking your friends for a big favor, such as helping you pack and move your belongings is never easy.
Once again, not having any items to protect for the upcoming move will free up a lot of time for you. Have you already said goodbye to your favorite places in the town or city you’re about to leave?
4. You will save money by not hiring professional packers and movers.
Moving away with a few items is as close to a perfect move as it can get.
Hiring the services of a professional moving company has a couple of significant advantages:
- The pros know how to pack efficiently, meaning that not only will they box up your things quickly, but they will also do so in the safest way possible so that your items cannot get damaged during the move itself;
- The professionals arriving at your home to protect your possessions will bring all the necessary packing supplies so that you won’t have to worry about where to get quality packing materials such as cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper.
Needless to say, professional packing and moving services are not offered for free. For example, how much does it cost to hire packers? The national average cost to hire packers for a local move is roughly $60 per hour per packer. And when you’re moving across the country, the add-on packing service will be included in your flat-rate price by the interstate moving company.
Once you sell everything before moving away, you won’t need to hire packers and movers simply because you’ve got nothing to pack and move. As a result, you’ll save a bunch of money you would otherwise have to use to pay for professional packing and moving services.
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5. You will experience less stress by not having to worry about your stuff
It won’t be easy to sell everything and move away with only a few possessions you can’t part with, no matter what. In addition to the time and effort, you’ll have to invest to sell all those items, letting them go may be harder than you think due to having become too attached to most of them.
But once you decide just to sell everything and move out with almost nothing, you should experience a sense of liberation, and any stress you must have felt should disappear soon enough.
Don’t forget that one of the most stressful things when moving house is the constant worry that your belongings may not reach the new place in one piece. Finding some of your things damaged after the move is over is always possible, especially when they have traveled thousands of miles across the country, have been protected inadequately, or have been entrusted to bad movers.
The great news for you is that your relocation experience should be as stress-free as possible simply because you won’t have anything to move between the two homes. Therefore you won’t need to worry whether your items will reach the new place the way they left the old one – that is, perfectly intact.
10 Ways to Reduce Stress During a Move
6. You won’t have any boxes to unpack after the move.
That’s it – those are all the boxes you’ve got to unpack. Lucky you!
If you manage to sell all your things (or give away some of them), you won’t have any boxes to transport to the destination place apart from possibly a few essential boxes. This means that when you arrive in the new home, you just won’t have any boxes to unpack. It sounds too good to be true, right?
Unlike packing for a move, the task of unpacking can be stretched out in time because there isn’t a deadline looming. Nevertheless, the unpacking job is also known to take quite a lot of time and effort because it’s never only about unboxing your stuff, is it? You’ll have to arrange your things, remove all the packing materials, and clean the whole place after unpacking.
Not having to unpack for days on end after selling everything and moving away will give you the unique opportunity to tackle other critical post-relocation tasks without delay – finding a new job, getting a new family physician, enrolling your children at another school, registering your car and transferring your driver’s license, and so on.
Of course, not moving any stuff with you will also mean you’ll have to find time to buy new things for the new house or apartment. Luckily, furnishing the new place the way you like it is a step-by-step process that can be completed at your own comfortable pace.
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7. You will enjoy a fresh start in the new place
The decision to sell everything you own and move is often the result of your desire to get a fresh start in another far-away place.
All the material items that surround you at the moment may evoke bad memories, and that’s precisely what you may be trying to get rid of. A bad relationship breakup, for example, can lead to your firm’s wish to change everything around you.
Sometimes, selling everything before moving away will be an excellent opportunity to attempt to run from the past and have a fresh start in another place. By not hauling any possessions with you, you will be able to buy brand-new furniture after the move and decorate the new home in an entirely different way. A new beginning often requires you to be brave enough to let go of your old stuff, and what better way to do it than to sell everything and start over in a new place?
It’s important to note that selling everything and moving away is not a good option for everyone. If you decide to do it, you must be sure you’re doing the right thing to avoid bitter regrets after the move.
If you happen to be too attached to your possessions the way most people are, then you shouldn’t be looking for the best way to sell everything and move away – instead, you should be looking for the best movers near you.
This article is inspired and originally appeared in Moving Blog!