What to Sell Before Moving: Keep, Sell, Donate or Toss

The three-number test for every item

Before you decide on anything bigger than a shoebox, put a rough number on three things.

1. Cost to move it. What your mover will charge to carry it to the new place.
2. Net cost to replace it. What a similar one costs after you arrive, minus what yours sells for now.
3. What it's worth to you. Sentimental value, whether it fits the new space, and how hard it would be to find again.

If moving it costs more than replacing it and you're not attached, sell it. If it's close, keep what's hard to find and sell what you could rebuy next week. The sell-or-move calculator runs this math one item at a time.

Long-distance moves: find your cost per pound

Interstate moves are usually priced by weight. Under federal rules, the final bill on a non-binding estimate is based on the actual weight of your shipment, weighed on a certified scale, plus the services you get and the mover's tariff (49 CFR Part 375, Appendix A). A binding estimate guarantees the total for the items and services it lists, and it's based on the mover's survey of your things, done on-site or virtually unless you waive it in writing. Sell big items before the survey, not after.

A rough rule of thumb: divide your quote by the estimated weight. Say your quote is $5,000 for 7,000 pounds. That's about 71 cents a pound, so a piece that adds 300 pounds costs roughly $215 to bring. It's a ballpark, since quotes also cover packing and other services.

Don't know what something weighs? Federal relocation rules convert space to weight at 7 pounds per cubic foot of properly loaded van space when a shipment can't be weighed (41 CFR 302-7.13).

Local moves: think in minutes

In California, moves under 100 miles can be charged by the hour, while moves over 100 miles must be charged by weight and mileage (California BHGS). In Washington, moves of 55 miles or less are priced by crew size and time, and longer ones by weight and distance (Washington UTC).

On an hourly move, one more dresser adds only the minutes it takes to wrap, carry and load it. So locally, sell for space and effort: things that won't fit, things stuck on a third floor, things you planned to replace anyway.

Schedule your mover's estimate after the biggest sale items are gone, or tell the estimator exactly which pieces are leaving. The quote is built from what they count.

Usually worth selling

• Bulky, low-value furniture. Particleboard bookcases, futons, basic bed frames, worn sofas, cheap patio sets. Heavy to move, easy to buy again.
• Duplicates. The second TV, extra dining chairs, the spare bed when the new place has no guest room.
• Appliances the new place already has. ENERGY STAR says an old refrigerator uses about 20% more energy than a new certified one, and keeping a second fridge in the basement or garage could waste $90 a year (ENERGY STAR). If yours is too old to sell, recycle it so the refrigerant and foam are handled properly.
• Exercise equipment. Treadmills, ellipticals and weight sets are heavy and awkward to move.
• Anything that won't fit. Measure rooms, doorways and stairwells at the new place. A sectional that doesn't fit costs you twice: once to move it, once to get rid of it.
• Gear for the wrong climate or home. A snowblower headed to Arizona, a mower headed to an apartment.

Not sure what to ask? See our guide to pricing used furniture, or get a quick number from the price estimator.

Usually worth keeping

• High-value, hard-to-replace pieces. Solid wood furniture, antiques, a good mattress you bought recently, quality tools.
• Small, light, expensive things. Laptops, cameras, good knives. They add little weight and cost a lot to rebuy.
• Sentimental items. Photos, letters, family pieces, kids' art. If space is tight, keep the best and photograph the rest.
• Things you'd rebuy on day one. Your bed, your desk chair, your work gear.
• Important documents. Deeds, wills, birth certificates, checkbooks and medical records should ride with you, not on the truck (North American Van Lines).

Carry valuables yourself. On an interstate move, if you waive Full Value Protection, the mover's liability drops to 60 cents per pound, per article. That's $2.40 for a 4-pound laptop. Under Full Value Protection, items worth more than $100 per pound, such as jewelry, silverware and furs, count as extraordinary value. List them on your shipping documents, or the mover can limit what it pays (49 CFR Part 375, Appendix A). California's regulator agrees: move irreplaceable items yourself (BHGS).

What movers won't carry

Federal law forbids you to pack hazardous materials in your household goods without telling your mover, and doing it can limit what the mover owes you for damage (49 CFR Part 375, Appendix A). Most movers refuse them outright, and lists vary, so ask yours. Common exclusions at major van lines (North American, Berger Allied):

EPA says leftover paint, cleaners, oils, batteries and pesticides don't belong down the drain, and sometimes not in the regular trash. Find drop-offs on Earth911 by ZIP code, or ask your local solid waste agency about collection days (EPA). PaintCare runs paint drop-off programs in 12 states and D.C. (PaintCare).

Plants, firewood and outdoor gear

Movers generally won't take houseplants, partly because plants can carry insects and disease (North American). If you drive them yourself, check state rules first:

• California runs 16 border protection stations on major highways that inspect vehicles for plants, produce and other items that could carry invasive pests (CDFA).
• Leaving Massachusetts? UMass Extension says to have houseplants inspected by the state agriculture department, and to call about a week ahead (UMass Extension).
• Elsewhere, start with the National Plant Board's state summaries. They're written for nurseries, so confirm with your destination state's agriculture department.

Moving from a spongy moth quarantine area to a non-quarantine one? Federal rules require you to inspect outdoor items like patio furniture, grills, toys, lawn equipment and trailers, remove and destroy any egg masses, and keep the completed checklist in the moving vehicle. Skipping it can bring penalties (USDA APHIS flyer). The moth is found in 20 states plus D.C., so check the quarantine map (USDA APHIS).

Leave firewood behind. Minnesota's agriculture department says pests travel easily on it and to buy and burn only local wood (MDA). If you must move it, APHIS says to move only USDA- or state-certified, treated and labeled firewood (USDA APHIS flyer).

What to donate, and where

Donate what's in good shape but unlikely to sell before move-out day.

• Furniture and appliances. Habitat for Humanity ReStores take new or gently used furniture, appliances, housewares and building materials, and many offer free pickup of large items. Call ahead; policies vary by store (Habitat for Humanity).
• Food. Move For Hunger's participating movers pack up unopened, non-perishable food on moving day and deliver it to a local food pantry for free (Move For Hunger).
• Electronics. Delete your personal data and remove batteries first. Many manufacturers and retailers take devices back for donation or recycling (EPA).
• Clothes, linens and housewares. Thrift stores, Buy Nothing groups, shelters. Ask what they need before you drop off.

Want a tax deduction? Clothing and household items must be in good used condition or better, and you have to itemize (IRS Publication 526). The non-itemizer deduction that starts with 2026 returns, up to $1,000 ($2,000 for joint filers), covers cash gifts only (IRS Topic 506). You need the charity's written acknowledgment for any gift of $250 or more, and Form 8283 if you deduct more than $500 for a noncash gift or group of similar items (Form 8283 instructions). Photograph items and keep the receipt.

Don't sell or give away these

• Recalled products. CPSC says it's illegal to sell any recalled product, and its rules cover individuals holding yard sales and people giving things away free (CPSC, CPSC Resellers Guide). Search cpsc.gov/recalls before you list baby gear or big furniture.
• Drop-side cribs and older cribs. No drop-side crib in the used market can meet the standard, even with new hardware. Cribs made before June 28, 2011 should be destroyed unless you have written proof they comply (CPSC Resellers Guide).
• Expired or recalled infant carriers. Check with NHTSA for the expiration date. CPSC says to destroy recalled carriers the manufacturer can't repair.
• Tippy dressers. CPSC tells resellers not to sell dressers and chests that fail the tip-over safety standard. Check for recalls, and include the anti-tip kit if you have it.

Toss or recycle what nobody could use: broken items, stained upholstery, things missing key parts. In California, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island, the Mattress Recycling Council runs Bye Bye Mattress recycling programs (Bye Bye Mattress).

Room-by-room quick list

Put it in order

1. Know your estimate type. Long-distance? Sell bulky items before the mover's survey so the quote reflects what's really going.
2. Walk every room with the three-number test. Tag each item sell, keep, donate or toss.
3. List the biggest items first. They take longest to sell. Our guide on how to have a moving sale covers timing and pricing.
4. Plan your price drops. On PieceOut, you snap a photo, set a starting price and a lowest price, and the price drops daily until move-out day. Buyers claim an item, pick a pickup time and pay you in person. The price drop planner maps out a schedule.
5. Book donation pickups for the last week, and drop off hazardous leftovers last.

For the full timeline, the moving checklist lays it out week by week.