What to Throw Away Before Moving
The cheapest item to move is the one you do not move. This is the only part of a move where a few hours of decisions reliably takes money off the invoice.
Movers quote on volume and weight. Anything in the house when they survey it is in the estimate, whether or not it ends up on the van — and anything that does travel then has to be dealt with at the other end, which is paying twice for the same object.
So the sequence that saves money is: clear first, then get quoted. Two or three weeks out is about right — early enough that the decisions are unhurried, late enough that you actually know what is coming with you.
Garage and shed
Highest volume, lowest emotional cost. Start here — it makes everything else feel possible.
- Boxes never unpacked from the last move
- Paint, solvents and chemicals (hazardous waste, not the truck)
- Broken tools and rusted garden equipment
- Timber offcuts and building leftovers
- The second refrigerator or chest freezer
- Storage shelving that will not fit the new garage
- Bikes nobody has ridden in three years
- Tyres, car parts and empty containers
Attic and storage rooms
Almost nothing here needs to move house. If it has not been opened since the last move, that is your answer.
- Boxes moved from the previous house unopened
- Old paperwork beyond retention requirements
- Baby and children’s equipment that has been outgrown
- Seasonal decorations you no longer use
- Suitcases with broken wheels or zips
- Textbooks, manuals and obsolete media
- Camping gear that has not been camped with
- Old electronics and cables
Furniture
Measure against the new floorplan before deciding. Most furniture regret is a measurement that never happened.
- Sectionals that will not fit the new living room
- Dining sets sized for a different house
- Mattresses more than a few years old
- Bookcases that were built around a specific wall
- Home office furniture superseded by a new setup
- Patio furniture that will not survive the trip
- Anything showing significant wear you have been tolerating
- Duplicate pieces you kept "for the guest room"
The two decisions people regret
The common regret is moving something and then disposing of it within six months. That is paying transport plus disposal for an object you had already decided against — and it happens most often with furniture nobody measured.
The rarer regret is the opposite: getting rid of something genuinely useful in a purge that got momentum. The defence against that is doing the clear-out over two sessions rather than one, with a few days in between.
Clear it in one visit rather than four tip runs
A pre-move clear-out is one booking. Photograph each space, including the garage and attic, and get a number back.
FAQ
Questions on this
- How far ahead should I do this?
- Two to three weeks before the move, and before the moving company does its estimate. Doing it afterwards means you have already paid to have it quoted.
- Will you take things worth donating?
- Yes, and a pre-move clear-out produces more genuinely usable material than almost any other job. Usable furniture and household goods are separated for donation or resale where there is somewhere taking them.
- What about the paint and chemicals in the garage?
- Those cannot go in the truck. Set them aside for a household hazardous waste drop-off. Fully dried, solid paint tins are usually acceptable.
Ready to act on it
Get a price for your actual load
Send photographs and get a number back before you commit. Or book a window straight away if you already know what is going.
Or call (469) 347-3190
- No obligation to book
- Price before we load
- Residential & commercial
The Plano branch
Junk Koala Plano
4013-4017 14th St, Ste 205
Plano, TX 75074