What Should You Leave Behind When Moving Across the Country?

When you are moving across the country, not everything you own needs to make the trip with you. 

Long-distance moves can get expensive, and bringing furniture, clothes and household items you no longer use can mean paying to move things you eventually get rid of anyway. Before packing, decide what is actually worth the space, effort and moving cost. 

Here are a few things to reconsider before loading the truck. 

Should You Move Cheap or Worn-Out Furniture?

Some furniture costs more to move than it does to replace. 

Before packing a bulky dresser, old desk or inexpensive bookcase, consider: 

• Its current condition 
• How difficult it will be to move 
• Whether it can be disassembled 
• Whether it will fit in your new home 
• How much it would cost to replace 
• Whether you actually still like it 

This does not mean you should replace your entire home after moving. A sturdy piece you use every day may be worth bringing, while an inexpensive shelf you were already planning to replace probably is not. 

Should You Bring Everything in Your Closet?

A cross-country move is a good opportunity to go through clothes you rarely wear. 

Start with pieces that: 

• No longer fit 
• Are damaged beyond repair 
• Have not been worn in a long time 
• No longer match your style 
• Are duplicates of things you already own 
• Do not make sense for your new climate 

Climate is especially important when you are moving somewhere significantly warmer or colder. You may still want some clothing for travel or seasonal weather, but you probably do not need every item from your old climate taking up prime closet space. 

What Household Items Aren’t Worth Moving?

Look closely at inexpensive household basics before packing them. 

That could include: 

• Old shower curtains and liners 
• Worn bath mats 
• Nearly empty cleaning supplies 
• Chipped or mismatched dishes 
• Broken laundry baskets 
• Old pillows 
• Damaged storage containers 
• Random kitchen utensils you never use 

Moving is a good time to finally deal with the miscellaneous items that have followed you from apartment to apartment without much thought. 

Should You Move Duplicate Items?

If you somehow own three can openers, six reusable water bottles and enough coffee mugs for a small café, you probably do not need to pack all of them. 

Look for duplicates throughout your: 

• Kitchen 
• Bathroom 
• Linen closet 
• Cleaning supplies 
• Tool kit 
• Office supplies 

Keep the versions you use most and donate, recycle or responsibly dispose of the extras when possible. 

What Should You Do with Things You’re Not Ready to Decide About?

Not every belonging has an easy yes-or-no answer. 

You may have furniture that will not fit in your first apartment, seasonal equipment you will not immediately need or belongings you want to keep while figuring out your new living situation. 

In those cases, storage can give you more time to decide without bringing everything across the country at once. Public Storage offers a range of unit sizes with month-to-month rentals, so you can create some breathing room while you settle into your new home and determine what you actually have space for. 

What Should You Definitely Bring on a Cross-Country Move?

Decluttering before a move is helpful, but the goal is not to get rid of as much as possible. 

Prioritize the things you regularly use, genuinely like and would rather not replace. Important documents, everyday clothing, necessary electronics, basic household essentials and the items that make your new place feel like home should make the cut. 

Before packing anything else, ask yourself one simple question: Would I pay to move this across the country today? 

If the answer is no, it may be time to leave it behind.