Moving to a new city
Is it worth moving my furniture to a new city?
Updated By the Housing Rocket moderators
Short answer
Move what is expensive to replace, hard to find or sentimental, and sell or give away the rest. Get a real moving quote and compare it with what it would cost to replace your furniture secondhand in the new city. For long moves, bulky, cheap pieces are often not worth shipping.
Most long-distance moves are priced by weight or volume and distance, so a heavy, cheap bookcase can cost more to move than to replace.
- List your big items with a rough replacement cost for each, used or new.
- Get two or three moving quotes, for everything and for a trimmed-down load.
- Keep what costs more to replace than to move, plus anything you would miss.
- Sell the rest in local buy-and-sell groups a few weeks before you go, when buyers have time to pick up.
Measure before you commit. Old apartments in big cities can have narrow stairs, tight doorways and no elevator, and some buildings require you to book a freight elevator or moving time. Ask the landlord for room measurements and building moving rules.
If you are starting in a furnished place, you have time to buy what fits your new home. Housing groups in most cities are full of move-out sales at the end of each lease cycle. Check used upholstered furniture and mattresses carefully for bedbugs before bringing them home.
Want the whole picture? Read How to Find Housing Before You Move to a New City.