5 signs your furniture is not worth moving

You’re getting ready to move out and the biggest question on your mind is what to do with your furniture.

On one hand, most of your furniture pieces are big and heavy, and you just know that moving them all the way to the new home will cost you a lot of money. So, will it be a good idea to pack and move your furniture from a financial point of view? Probably not.

On the other hand, you do love some of your furniture pieces and you won’t want to part with them that easily. After all, you’re used to using them and you feel comfortable and cozy when you’re around them. So, will it be a good idea to pack and move your furniture from a sentimental point of view? Probably yes.

When unsure whether you should take your furniture with you or not, then all you have to do is… look for the SIGNS. That’s right, there are a number of signs that should give you a clue about what to do with your furniture when moving house.

So, to help you make the best decision under your specific set of house moving circumstances, here are the top 5 signs that your furniture is NOT worth moving to a new home.

1. Your furniture is just too big

The most obvious sign that your furniture won’t be worth moving is when you measure up your pieces and find out that they just won’t fit into the new place.

Even when you resort to disassembling the largest furniture units, you can still come to the conclusion that the new home is just not big enough for them. In most cases, the problematic areas of the destination place can be the doorways (too small) and/or the hallways (too narrow).

When you’re downsizing to a smaller home, then you will face a different set of problems with the furniture you own right now – the units may go just fine through the doors and hallways, but the living space inside the rooms can be too limited for them.

So, the best thing you can do is create a floor plan of the new place, then measure up the furniture pieces you wish to take with you, and do the math. There’s really no point in paying to move your furniture only to find out that there’s just not enough room for it in the new home.

BONUS TIP: Bear in mind that sometimes some of your furniture pieces may fit perfectly inside the new home but they won’t match the décor of the destination room – it can be their overall design, shape, or color that just won’t work well inside the new place.  

See also: Is it better to move furniture or buy new?

2. Your furniture is in bad shape

Another sure sign that you should not bother moving your furniture is when you realize that some of the pieces are in really bad shape. When trying to figure out what to do with your furniture items, inspect them closely, and note their current condition.

• Too worn out to continue to be used?
• Faded or stained upholstery?
• Half-broken pieces or completely busted?
• Scratched out severely or chewed out by pets?
• Too squeaky or too wobbly?  
• Infested with woodworms?
• Moldy areas?

Think about it – it doesn’t make any sense at all to be paying to have your old and broken furniture transported to the new home only to replace it with new one shortly after the move.

Instead, think a few moves ahead and see that you’d be better off leaving behind the furniture items that have seen too many winters (or summers) and purchasing brand-new ones after the move – furniture that will not only last for years and years, but one that will also fit and match the layout and décor of the new apartment or house.

Good advice: What to do with furniture when moving

3. You’re moving IKEA furniture

In most cases, IKEA furniture will probably not survive the move without suffering some damage in the process. It’s mostly because of the production method of such ready-to-assemble furniture – in order to reduce the production costs, such units are made from particleboard.

Also known as chipboard, particleboard is not usually strong, sturdy, and stable enough to endure a house move, especially when partial disassembly of the furniture is part of the moving process.

Flatpack furniture rarely has any sentimental value – something that should make your choice to leave it behind even easier to make. Add the fact that IKEA furniture is reasonably affordable and you’ll reach the conclusion that your chipboard furniture is not worth the money and effort to be transported to a new home.

Do a risk assessment ahead of time and do the right thing for your budget. Unless you own expensive antique furniture with high sentimental value, you should seriously consider just leaving behind those IKEA furniture items. Don’t regret your decision to move without most of your furniture – remember that money and time should be the major factors that should affect your call.

Related: How to pack IKEA furniture for moving

4. You’re moving long distance

Are you moving across the country? If yes, then it’s another sign that your furniture will not be worth moving, at least not in the majority of relocation cases.

When moving long distance, the moving cost will be calculated on the basis of the total weight of your shipment and the distance between the two locations. And since the move distance remains a constant value no matter what you do, then it’s fair to say that the cost of moving to another state will depend primarily on how much your items weigh.

As you know, furniture pieces are heavy (some of them are SUPER-HEAVY), so it’ll cost plenty of money to transport a heavyweight furniture unit to a new place that’s hundreds or thousands of miles away. Oftentimes, basic calculations show that it’ll most likely cost you more to move your furniture long distance than to purchase brand-new one after the move is complete.

Factor in the hassle of partially disassembling, lifting and carrying those heavy items out of the house, and loading them into the moving vehicle, and you’ll see why furniture is seldom with the moving over great distances.

Good to know: Will movers disassemble furniture?

5. You’re moving by yourself

Taking your furniture with you when you’ve already made up your mind to move house without the assistance of professional movers can be riskier than you think.

First of all, you’re going to have to be the one to disassemble partially the biggest furniture pieces prior to taking them out of your home. Such a task can be plain dangerous for one person, so you’ll need to ask some of your friends to give you a hand.

Secondly, the job of lifting and carrying those large and heavy furniture units is also full of dangers for non-professionals, even when the right moving equipment is used – a moving dolly and furniture sliders. One wrong step can lead to property damage or worse – personal injuries.

Finally, you won’t be able to move your furniture without asking your good friends to help you out. Basically, what this means is that if you fail to gather up your posse of loyal pals, then that’s a telltale sign that you shouldn’t move your furniture at all.

Must-read: Why should you hire furniture movers?