Furniture/Belongings: To Take/Ship or Sell (packing, truck, mattress)

[motifone]

We are prepping for a cross country move (California to Massachusetts) and could use any insight/advice on plan. We are selling our California home and have an average amount of furniture/belongings. In Massachusetts, we will be staying with family for perhaps several months until we get an interim apartment or future home. Family can store some of the smaller items at their residence, but larger furniture (couches, bedroom set, sitting chairs, mattress, etc) would need to go into storage. I’m already looking into PODS, U-Pack and movers. We’ll probably drive our Crosstrek (bought last year) across country, mostly as a trip, but would not want to Uhal anything.

I’ve created a list of the furniture/belongings we are considering taking and what we paid for it / cost to buy again. I need to see what estimates come in for shipping & storage, but it really comes down to what Total Is Less:

Cost of Items + Shipping & Storage = Total A

Cost of Items - Money earned from selling Items + Cost to Buy New Items & Not Ship Anything = Total B

Does this thinking sound reasonable? Given I’m not sure how long items will need to be in storage AND it’s an unknown what our future house or interim apartment will be like , Total B may be the wiser approach.

For others out there who did a similar move, did you take or offload most of your items? Or maybe sold off your bigger furniture and just shipped smaller items (lamps, clothes, art, kitchenware etc.)?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences / advice.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by motifone

I’ve created a list of the furniture/belongings we are considering taking ...and cost to buy again.
Does this thinking sound reasonable?

Yes. Well, so long as the cost to buy again is for similar LKQ.

eg: Dispose of a known quantity 10yo bedroom set in CA for $500
then buy some other similar 10yo bedroom set for up to $500 in MA... and you're ahead.
You're ahead because you saved the cross country shipping & then storage costs.

MOST things (short of real antiques or family heirlooms) will work out like that.

[meo92953]

The spreadsheet is a good idea. It really depends on how old your items are, will the decor fit with the new lifestyle, etc.

I brought my furniture with me because it was fairly new. Things I could replace easily I gave away. There are things I wish I would have packed because I haven't found them here. That's another thing to think about.

I'm trying to be specific but can't think offhand. It's when you go to use something & realize it's not there. One is a peppermill. It was so tall & bulky I left it & still have found nothing like it. Another is an extravagant coffee pot I'd found on sale, left it because it was so bulky. Guess what? They don't make that type/brand anymore. Sure hope my neighbor appreciates the one I left her. I sure do miss it.

Furniture is replaceable but, if there are things that are hard to replace - take them with. Memories of where you got the item are not replaceable.

[Izzie1213]

I've moved a few times. Getting rid of the large bulky items that don't have any sentimental value is a good thing the cost of shipping it usually far outweighs it's value, like sofas, frig, things like that. If you're concerned about replacement cost, I've gotten a few items at consignment shops that replaced what I left behind and was actually happier with the replacement things.

[littlelou]

Appropriate thread. I'm considering a move and really don't want to move all that I have. Downsizing sounds so good right now... I have 2 bedrooms full of furniture and don't need the 2nd at all... after my mom passed - the only thing I demanded was her bedroom suite.... loved the dresser and headboard (really nothing special - not sure why I had to have) - now - nope ready to move on. dresser is HUGE and it's nice having the drawers - but they've become junk drawers.

Spreadsheet is a great idea - know I'll get rid of the washer & dryer - can always get new at the new location and actually I have found I don't mind the laundromat. I can get 2-3 machines and 1 dryer and be done in like 1-1/2 hours - reading and listening to my ipod the whole time. No more wasting an entire afternoon dealing with load after load. I like to wash my blankets and comforter every month or so - they fit in the larger machine and along with the other loads - DONE>>>

I think this is a good idea for me! thanks

[yellowsnow]

Veteran of multiple XC moves here and vote to get rid of all the furniture. It won't fit in the new place and used furniture is not worth much and it's cheaper to buy used stuff at your destination than ship it. Next, there will be some damage if you ship. It just happens. Donate and sell! Plus it is a golden opportunity to get rid of all the clutter!

[meo92953]

A thought. When I moved here the lease contained a section on bed bugs. I'd never seen anything like that in any lease I've had. I asked if it was a problem here in Arizona & the manager said it was.

This made me glad I moved my mattresses & couch as I wouldn't have felt comfortable buying used here & would have bought new. Well, I wouldn't buy used mattresses anyway but would have a couch.

So many things to consider when moving!

[motifone]

Thanks for the great feedback. As it may be helpful to others, on my spreadsheet, I had three categories:

1. Furniture & Personal Belongings we would prefer to take. Furniture, for me, are the larger items (couches, seats, kitchen sets, bedroom sets). Personal Belongings would the smaller stuff lamps, art, smaller appliances, etc. I've kept a log of most purchases over the years, so I entered the price we paid for each item. This yields a "total price paid" for the Furniture and another "total price paid" for the Personal Belongings. So let's say "total price paid" for furniture is 10K, I can use that as a reference to see if shipping/storage are worth it or better to rebuy items once in new location.
2. Furniture & personal belongings we won't take: stuff that is old, items we don't want anymore regardless. Either donate or sell. This is the "de-cluttering" category really and can start getting rid of right away.
3. Fixtures we won't take - basically, items affixed to ceiling or wall that will be included in the sale.

Thought most of our furniture is 5+ years old, it was bought new and still in good condition, that's the only reason considering bringing it. But it will come down the cost comparison above. Good points have been made though that the furniture doesn't always fit the size and style of new location.

[RoseinBloom1972]

Hi, Motifone,
The spreadsheet is a great idea - it helps you keep focused on the real costs vs. benefits. I've moved cross-country several times, and here's my take:

Don't move furniture unless it's either high-end quality or family heirlooms. If you have a truck and two strong helpers at your destination, you can replace any department store sofa with a comparable used one for much less than the cost of moving it 3000 miles.

My experience with moving sales is that you get about $0.10 on the dollar at best for furniture and general household goods. However, electronics in good condition sell well, as do tools and hardware. Moving is expensive. Save your moving dollars for things that can't be easily replaced. A hand-painted side table you bought at the local craft fair might be worth it; the lamp table you bought at Sears not so much. Doesn't really matter what the original purchase price was. I know it's hard to beat the sunk cost fallacy, but here's where your spreadsheet will help you.

I'm facing the same thing - a long-distance move soon, and it's hard to stay logical about what's worth packing and what isn't, so I totally understand your situation. I keep telling myself "they sell furniture there, they really do..."

[viridianforest]

I remember when my husband and I were moving from one coast to the other like that. We were going to drive a truck that had a fair amount of enclosed space in the back so we wanted to go on one truckload for everything. We left behind tables, desks, chairs, and anything that wouldn't reasonably fit. There were smaller things that we didn't use or didn't need and ended up selling, giving to friends, or donating. It wasn't a difficult decision for us to make as we already were okay dumping the items. Then again, throughout our marriage we've rarely ever bought brand new furniture, or ever had high quality furniture so it wasn't exactly a difficult decision because we could easily replace it without spending a whole lot.

Storage may be worth the cost depending on the value of the items, how long they will be in there, etc. Although, if it will cost more to ship and store or ship and then use than it will be to get rid of then hang onto the money to buy a new one then leave it behind.