My Biggest Moving-Day Regret Stressed Me Out Daily (Don’t Make My Mistake!)

My fiancé and I both listed our homes around the same time as we prepared to buy a new one together. This meant we had a lot of downsizing to do — we had two sets of bedroom furniture, too many televisions, and doubles of small kitchen appliances and servingware. Besides the fact that we had to downsize, there’s something about moving that inspires my inner minimalist — packing, loading, hauling boxes up and down stairs is exhausting! 

So, early in our moving process when we were decluttering our homes and getting them ready to stage, I thought: “I’ll start selling some of our stuff.” I figured whatever money we made would help cover paying for movers, and we’d be reducing the number of boxes we needed, too. 

Well, I was wrong. It was not easy, and it was definitely not a no-brainer. Selling a home is a lot of work. You have to touch up paint, make fixes before you list, and you always need to have your home (and your pets) ready for showings and open houses, and be ready to leave your house whenever showing requests come through. Schedules just get complicated, and adding another layer of complication to sell a few things was a huge hassle.

It felt like I was juggling too much. Trying to sell items online for $20 or $30 was just another ball that was getting tossed in the mix, and that made it feel like I was going to drop them all. 

I only had a few items listed for sale and I was getting messages at all hours of the day, and, if I didn’t reply quickly enough, I would look down to messages like: “???” or “hello?!!!” (By the way, here’s how to seriously sell items on Facebook Marketplace, according to a top seller.)

None of my interactions were as comical as the Facebook Marketplace conversations that TikToker @chriswguerra has re-enacted, but a lot of people would flake on their pickup times or be running late to our pickup spots. I started to realize that I didn’t have the patience for selling on online marketplaces while simultaneously getting ready to sell a house.

My big takeaway: If you’re going to sell online, think about how much your time is worth. There’s a good chance you’re better off donating items to your local thrift shops. 

Or, start your selling off process much sooner. If I had to do it over again, I would have started getting rid of items six months ahead of my move — way before the constant home showings, complicated appointments, and general home-selling chaos. 

Experts agree. One professional organizer I spoke to said that if you are trying to downsize before you move, begin decluttering early, tackling one room at a time, suggests Meaghan Kessman, the founder of Meaghan Kessman Home Organization, a full-service organizing firm based in Los Angeles.

She also recommends labeling boxes and bags in four categories: keep, donate, recycle, and trash. 

“This efficient system helps you make quick decisions while sorting through belongings,” she says. 

You can also schedule donation pickups with local charities that will collect your donations.

My favorite tip from Kessman? Host a pre-move giveaway. Invite friends, family, or neighbors over and let them choose any items you no longer need. 

Are you buying a home or hoping to learn more about the current market? RSVP here for Apartment Therapy's free real estate webinar on Sept. 17, with insights from Egypt Sherrod, HGTV Host & CEO of Indigo Road Realty; Jose Prats, Director of Character Homes at Christie’s International; and Jason Saft, Founder of Staged To Sell Home.