New expats, the soon-to-be-relocated — congrats on your upcoming adventure! Whether you have a relocation package, or you’re headed for a new adventure all on your own, your first task is to decide what to do with your furniture. You spent hard earned money on that couch, after all. And it would be nice to have something familiar in your new home, right? Maybe, maybe not.

Moving Out Checklist

It’s tricky, we get it. You don’t want to regret anything, but you also need to make fast decisions that save you time and money. It can be even more complicated if you have a partner or family joining you, too. If you and your plus-one need help to agree on a style, check out these great tips from design expert Elsie Larson.

So, here are Furnishr’s three key criteria for making furniture relocation decisions prior to your move. Once you know how you feel about these, it should be easy to make a decision. Remember: there’s no right answer, only the right answer for you.

1. PRICE & ENERGY FROM MOVING FURNITURE

Let’s face it, price is a major factor in decision-making here. Do you have fairly new, unique, and high-cost furniture? You may be imagining it in your new space already. Perhaps you saved up to buy it or acquired it recently before you knew you’d be relocating. You’re annoyed about dropping more cash on movers, but you really love all your furniture and you know it will fit perfectly in your new life. If this is you, get an estimate from a moving company. 

But on the other hand, maybe your furniture is mostly second-hand, or older. You didn’t spend much, but it’s served you well. You’re planning to shell out for movers because you worry about having to redecorate a new apartment entirely from scratch. You feel happier splashing out on movers and saving yourself the energy of hunting down new lamps and couches in your new city.

TIP: Compare the price of moving your furniture to the original amount you spent on that furniture.

Do you have a large budget for your relocation? If you originally spent $10,000 on new living room furniture, and it will cost $3,000 to move it, it might make sense to take it with you. But if you’re moving on a low budget, and you have a ragtag collection of items that’s worth less than the cost of moving… Well, you might think about selling your old stuff, and research Furnishr’s options for complete rooms.

This move is your chance for a fresh start! Do you really want that old armchair in your new living room? Sure, bring along the items you’d never find at a store — trinkets from your travels, and the banker’s lamp from the flea market. But when it comes to furniture, buying a complete room from Furnishr will actually save you on mover’s fees, in addition to saving you the time and energy of stylishly furnishing a new place from scratch. Seek moving help from Furnishr so you don’t have to worry.

2. THE UNKNOWN & NOSTALGIA OF MOVING OUT

Feelings. Let’s talk about them. You’re half scared, half excited about your upcoming relocation. It’s obvious that moving affects your mental health and with so much uncertainty in your future, it’s understandable you want something to rely on! A comfortable and familiar home environment will work wonders for a newly relocated person. But now, some hard questions.

Do you know exactly where you’ll be living? If you’ve already seen new space in person, great! But are you certain your current furniture will fit in the new space? Consider physical fit as well as cultural fit. Have you seen a floor plan, and can you imagine where your couch and bedside table will go? Will any items look out of place in the architectural style? Do you have enough furniture to fill the new space, or will you need to supplement with new, matching items when you arrive?

Part of moving to a new city means adapting to a new culture, whether you’re moving abroad or just across the country. Furniture can either help or hinder your adjustment process — will your old furniture help or hinder you? Rather than trying to make old furniture work in a new space, it might be easier to get items that work specifically for your new floor plan.

TIP: Take stock of your emotional state. How can you best reduce the uncertainty during your transition?

By all means, keep that statue from your grandmother, and your favorite cooking utensils. But when it comes to bigger items like couches and desks and bed frames, consider that it might be more stressful to wind up with the wrong furniture than to not have any at all. Of course, the best solution would be furniture chosen specifically for your actual space. Furnishr provides moving help by handling interior design and one-day delivery. You get all the input without any of the sweat and tears. How’s that for reducing uncertainty?

3. TIME & DISTANCE OF TRAVELING

TIP: How much energy will your travel take out of you? Let future-you make your furniture decisions. 

The decisions you make today actually have a greater impact on future-you than on today-you. Moving is not just about picking up your life and plopping it down somewhere else. When it comes down to it, moving is really about moving towards a new version of yourself. And you owe the best to your future self on that first night in your new place, sitting alone with a slice of pizza and Skyping with a friend back home. 

It may seem obvious, but we believe that furniture and interior design have a major impact on your state of mind. Your environment can either set you up for success, or get in the way of it. It’s worth taking a moment to think deeply about how your furnishings can support you and your goals.

Take the quiz and see how easy your relocation could be. Your future self wants Furnishr.

>> Comment down below what frustrates you the most during moving, and read our next article on how to handle a cross-country move.