When you’re getting ready to move to a new home, one of the most difficult things you may have to do is decide which items to take with you and which items to leave behind. Depending on the specific relocation circumstances, the task of determining what to do with your belongings can prove to be either a relative no-brainer or a challenging test for your decision-making skills.
One household item that you may have a hard time figuring out what to do with is the mattress. Whether you realize it or not, the mattress is believed to be one of the most important pieces of furniture in a home. Why? It’s simple: you spend one-third of your day sleeping on it, which basically means that you spend one-third of your entire life on a mattress.
Moving house is the perfect time to ask yourself if you should move your mattress at all – whether packing and transporting your mattress to the new place is worth it, or whether it’s better to just buy a new mattress after the move.
Remember that that is a critical question and making the right choice in your house moving case will enable you to save time, money, and effort.
So, is it worth moving a mattress? Read on to find the correct answer.
Advantages of moving your mattress
Knowing the pros and cons of moving a mattress to a new home can help you make up your mind one way or the other, even before you get to the point of having to assess the current condition of your own mattress.
Here are the pros of moving a mattress to a new house:
- You’ll keep the same mattress, the one you’re used to sleeping on. This is especially important when you’re happy with the one you have at the moment.
- You’ll be able to set up the bedroom quickly after arriving in the new place so that you can get a good night’s sleep after an exhausting Moving day. Even if you don’t have the time to assemble the bed frame, placing your mattress directly onto the floor will surely get you through the first night in your new home.
- You won’t have to lose precious time in searching for a new mattress right after the move. This is a big bonus considering the great deal of post-move tasks that you’re going to have to tackle, one by one.
- You won’t need to spend money on a new mattress after the relocation. This is critically important since you’ll have spent enough money to cover the moving expenses. After all, if your mattress is good to go for a few more years, you really don’t need to waste your hard-earned money to buy another one.
See also: How to pack a mattress for moving
Disadvantages of moving your mattress
Your decision to transport the mattress to the new place can also have a number of drawbacks depending on the exact circumstances surrounding your house move.
Here are the cons of moving a mattress to a new home:
- You may go through all the trouble of moving a mattress across the country only to buy a new one a few months later. You just have to be sure that the bed accessory you’re taking with you will last you at least some years down the road before you have to replace it.
- You will have to figure out the best way to move a mattress so that it remains perfectly intact during the haul. Bear in mind that there’s always a chance of getting your prized possession damaged while it’s being transported between the two homes.
- You will lose plenty of time packing your mattress in a special mattress cover, taking it out of the home, and loading it onto a moving truck (during a DIY move).
- You will have a hard time moving your mattress due to its great dimensions and its considerable weight – again during a self-move.
- You will have to pay good money to transport your mattress with a moving company. Of course, you’ll be shipping it with a lot of other stuff, including other furniture pieces, but the extra weight and size of the mattress will definitely increase your final moving bill, sometimes by a lot.
More info: DO’S and DON’TS when packing furniture for moving
Should you move your mattress?
So, is it a good idea to move your mattress? It depends.
It’s no secret that a high-quality mattress is an excellent long-term investment – the things you’ll get in return are much better sleep, lack of back pains, lower stress levels, and feeling fresh and rested in the morning.
But when moving house, the question is not whether you should invest in a high-quality mattress, the real question is whether or not you should take your mattress with you. Will you move your mattress to the new home, or will you dispose of it properly and purchase a new one after the house move is complete?
Here are a few questions that will help you make the right choice:
How old is your mattress?
The very first question you should ask yourself is about the age of your mattress. How many years have passed since you bought it? One? Three? Five? More than five?
You’re recommended that you evaluate your mattress every 5 years or so for any signs of structural damage or an overall decrease in quality. According to expert advice, you should consider replacing a mattress every 6 to 8 years under normal conditions.
Of course, that’s not a set rule, it’s only a guideline that you can disregard completely as long as you’re happy with your mattress.
Thus said, you should still check your mattress regularly to make sure it’s not lost the comfort you need when you sleep at night.
The thing is that if you have absolutely no idea how old your mattress is, then that can be a sign that you’d be better off leaving the mattress behind and purchasing a brand-new one after the move.
What’s the current condition of your mattress?
Despite the long years of constant use, your mattress may still be in excellent condition – usually the case when you have invested in a quality mattress in the first place.
Unfortunately, the opposite can also be true – ending up with a bad mattress only after a short period of usage – a common occurrence when you made the mistake of purchasing a cheap mattress from a non-reputable manufacturer.
So, before you decide what to do with your mattress, you just have to take a closer look at it and assess its present condition.
- Can you spot any torn or worn-out areas?
- Can you see any permanent stains or soiled-up zones that cannot be cleaned in any way?
- Do you notice any saggy, caved-in, or damaged areas on the mattress?
- Can you hear any strange noises coming out of the mattress when you sit on it, when you lie on it, or when you turn in bed? Noisy springs in innerspring mattresses are a sign that your mattress is probably not worth moving to a new house.
Do you wake up with backaches, muscle or joint stiffness?
Your mattress may look OK on the outside, but it may still require replacement if it’s no longer helping you get the restful sleep you used to get in the past.
- Have you been complaining of any hard-to-explain backaches lately?
- Do you often wake up with muscle or joint stiffness?
- Have you noticed an increase in allergies in your home?
The thing is that any of the above conditions may be directly linked to the bad condition of your bed mattress. This basically means that if you suspect your old mattress to be affecting negatively your health, then the upcoming move is the perfect excuse to replace it.
Is your mattress special in any way?
Should you move your mattress when moving house? If your mattress is special in some way, then yes, you should definitely move it with you.
- Is your mattress custom-made specifically for you?
- Is your mattress custom-made and possibly even custom-sized to fit a non-standard bed like an antique bed?
Basically, if you happen to possess a type of mattress that you can’t just purchase of any furniture store or even from specialized mattress stores, then the bed accessory is definitely worth moving.
How much will a new mattress cost in the new location?
The cost of a new mattress should definitely be factored in in your decision whether to move your mattress or not.
- Can you buy the same mattress in the new location? And if yes, then
- How much will the same mattress cost in the new place?
Of course, it’ll be best to upgrade the mattress with a better model (if you can afford it). If upgrading your mattress is out of the question due to the higher price, then at least you should do some research to find out how much you will have to pay for a new bed mattress of the same type, and possibly brand too, in the new town or city.
How much will it cost to ship the mattress?
Once you know the approximate cost of a new mattress, it’s time to compare the price with the cost of moving your old mattress all the way to the new house.
If you’ve rented a moving van and plan to move without the assistance of movers, then it can be almost impossible to calculate how much it’ll cost to move your mattress simply because you’ll load it onto the truck together with the rest of your household items.
Read also: How to move a mattress by yourself
However, if you’ve hired professional movers to help you out, then they should be able to give you an approximate cost for moving the mattress only so that you can make some kind of calculations whether it’s really worth moving your mattress.
Remember that a high-quality mattress is an investment for a healthier and happier life. Therefore, if your current bed mattress is not too old, is still in great shape, and has no visible signs of any serious damage, then you should probably move it with you. Just ask yourself the above questions to know for sure.
Must-read: Should you hire furniture movers?
