Donating Household Items During A Move

The best part about moving to a new home is the opportunity to go through your stuff and declutter. For those of us who have a hard time letting go, the added motivation of moving less stuff will make it a little easier. Our South Florida long-distance movers agree that you'll save a lot of money on moving costs if you purge before you pack. But what do you do with it?

Anything that is broken, damaged, or no longer in working order including clothing with stains should be recycled or disposed of. Certain chemicals, extra gallons of paint, fuel, and motor oil, and special disposal requirements. Surprisingly, there are a lot of things you can’t put out with your trash—including consumer electronics.

If there is still life left in it, you can take your time trying to sell your stuff in local classified or virtual marketplaces. But most likely you’ll end up with a fair amount of stuff that just isn’t worth that hassle. Your good condition but no longer needed items including furniture, housewares, clothing, toys, and appliances can be donated to a charitable cause. There are several organizations that operate community thrift stores to fund their services.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is a global service organization with a long history. Founded in 1865, the organization is committed to a variety of human service interests like ending poverty, supporting at-risk populations, providing rehabilitation and spiritual healing, helping veterans, the elderly, and children. They fight against human trafficking and domestic abuse; they provide job training and life skills education. And they step in and provide disaster relief where it is needed.

The Salvation Army assists approximately 30 million Americans annually and many more in 131 countries around the world. The Salvation Army in Miami is a thrift shop location that accepts clothing, furniture, cars, household goods, and appliances. The proceeds from thrift shop sales support adult rehabilitation and education programs targeted at the root causes of poverty.

Habitat for Humanity

If you’re looking for something different than a jack-of-all-trades type charity, Habitat for Humanity is a service organization that provides housing for needy families. Through a network of community thrift stores and volunteers, they raise money, take donations, and build homes. The truly special part about their service projects is that the homes are built by ordinary community volunteers like students, church groups, and more. The Broward ReStore in Fort Lauderdale accepts furniture, housewares, and building materials for reselling to the public.

When you’re ready to start planning your move, Bekins of South Florida is your top choice for local and long-distance moving services. Our A+ BBB-rated moving company has more than 50 years of industry experience. We’re a certified ProMover with the AMSA and a trusted member of Bekins Van Lines. And our residential movers in South Florida can give you many more great tips just like these! Call today to get a custom moving estimate from the best residential movers in South Florida.