Once you’ve made the decision to move, there’s both a lot to do and, at the same time, long periods of time when nothing seems to be happening at all. It can be frustrating, especially if you’ve never dealt with the homebuying process before. Even if you have bought a home, you may have never sold one, so there’s still a learning curve. Dealing with real estate can be a headache, but since so much money is involved, it’s one you want to carefully handle. 

If you’re selling your home to purchase a new one, you may have to have a contingency clause in your contract that states the purchase of your new home can only occur once your old home sells. While the seller may be fine with this for a few months, they’re likely to become concerned if your house sits on the market for too long. They’re going to want to close the deal, and that means your home has to sell. If it doesn’t, the seller may be able to cancel the contract, causing you to lose your dream home.

Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. Getting a house ready for market can take time, especially if you have a lot of stuff. Dealing with all of your possessions is something you’ll have to do. Here are a few tips for moving out, determining what to keep, and how junk removal services in Houston North can help.

Don’t Move Junk

First, before we even look at tips for moving and sorting items, there’s one rule you need to commit to: don’t move junk. Many people get frustrated with sorting through items or realize they don’t have a lot of time left to move out and start throwing everything into bags and boxes. This includes junk. They decide that they would rather move everything now and then sort it out later at their new house.

The problem is that this rarely happens. Instead, the boxes full of junk end up stacked in the garage, basement, attic, or other space and never touched again. This trash just takes up space. If you’re paying movers to move your possessions, you’ve just paid them to take this junk from one home to another. 

If at all possible, avoid doing this. Give yourself enough time to fully sort through everything. Start as soon as you can—in fact, start right after you’ve decided to move. Even if you don’t have a house under contract yet, it’s never a bad idea to sort through things and get rid of stuff you don’t need or that isn’t usable any longer. Even if you don’t end up moving, you’ve given your home a good cleaning. If you do move, you know everything you have needs to be packed and moved.

Sort Items into Piles

Once you start sorting through your stuff, you’ll typically want to put things into three different piles. First, there’s the stuff you want to keep. All of this will get packed up and taken to your new home. The second pile is for stuff you want to give to others or donate. These items are still in good condition, but they may not be something you’ve used in quite some time. If you’re downsizing, this may include furniture that you can’t fit in your new home or furniture that you simply don’t like or that isn’t your current style. 

Finally, your third category will be trash. This will include things that are damaged or no longer function like they should in addition to old items that can’t be used any longer. This stuff will go in the trash if you don’t have a lot of it and it’s small enough. However, most people do find that they have a good amount of junk to get rid of and have far more than their city garbage bin can handle. That’s when calling Junk King is the way to go.

Tips for Sorting

Some people have a hard time deciding what to keep, what to donate, and what to trash. Here are some tips that will help you with this task.

Is it broken or significantly damaged?

Why keep things that are broken? Anything that you cannot easily fix or that can no longer function as it should likely needs to be trashed. There are some exceptions, such as family heirlooms that have been damaged over time. However, if it’s something you can easily replace, don’t keep it if it’s damaged. 

You may have broken things you’ve held on to because you’re going to get them repaired “at some point.” Ask yourself two questions when you find one of these items. First, do you actually need it? If it’s been broken for years and you haven’t needed it, you can probably throw it away. Second, would it cost more to repair the item than to buy a new one? Often, it would, so toss the broken stuff and replace it if you really need it.

Have you used it within a year?

When trying to decide if you still need something that is functional, ask yourself if you’ve used it within the last year. If the answer is no, consider if you really need it. This is a great way of cutting down your wardrobe. If you haven’t worn something within a year, will you ever wear it again? Of course, there will be some exceptions to this. You may want to hold on to a heavy coat if you had an unseasonably warm winter or hold on to that tailored suit even if you haven’t had a chance to wear it recently. Other clothing, especially if it’s out of style, should go to the donate bin or the trash.

Is it your style?

People’s style can change over time. You may have really liked having a lot of décor around your home years ago, but over time, you’ve become more minimalist. Maybe you want to include more splashes of color, or you’re no longer interested in that rustic look. Maybe you just want to try something different in your new home. Whatever the reason, if something doesn’t fit your style, consider donating it. 

Does it “Spark Joy”?

Marie Kondo is a famous Japanese expert on decluttering, and her rule for keeping something is that it has to “spark joy.” By that, she means to ask yourself if you like the item and are happy to own it. Obviously, this doesn’t necessarily apply to functional items. Your pots, pans, dresser, and toilet plunger aren’t likely going to spark joy, but you do need them. However, with decorative items, clothing, and other non-essentials, if you don’t have any type of emotional reaction to it, you may not need to keep it any longer. 

Getting Rid of Junk in North Houston

Once you’ve created your three piles, it’s time to address each. The stuff you’re keeping gets packed up and moved to your new house. What about the donate and junk piles? You may want to see if any family members or friends want some items, especially if they’re heirlooms or other sentimental items. If no one does, you can donate them. However, this typically means taking them to the donation center. That takes time, plus you may not have a vehicle large enough to get old furniture or appliances to these donation centers.

Junk King can actually provide a solution to both your donate and your trash piles. That’s because in addition to hauling away trash, we also sort out donatable items. If you have old furniture that can still be used, we won’t toss it in the landfill. Instead, we will pass it on to one of the local organizations that serves those in need. An old sofa could end up in a shelter or in the living room of a domestic violence survivor. 

In addition to donating items, we also recycle whatever we can. We will take apart furniture and other items in order to remove their recyclable components. In the end, only about a third of what we pick up goes to the landfill.

Reach Out to Junk King Today

Moving can be a major task, especially if you have a lot of stuff you have to sort through. Junk King Houston North can help make this project easier by hauling away all of the junk you don’t want to take with you to your new home. We can also haul away old flooring, demolished decks, and any other debris that comes from making repairs or renovations to your home before you sell it. We can take old furniture, appliances, yard debris, DIY construction debris, old mattresses, broken hot tubs, and much more. As long as it isn’t classified as hazardous waste, Junk King can haul it away for you.

We provide free, no-obligation quotes on every job we do. All you have to do is call us at 1-888-888-JUNK or send us a text to 1-737-888-5865 to get a quote. You can also use our online cost calculator and book online if you prefer.