7 things you'll wish you hadn't packed before moving

We’ve all been guilty of #6.

Key Takeaways

• Unopened boxes, old paperwork, and forgotten “someday” projects usually carry more clutter than value—let them go to lighten both your load and your mind.
• Books you haven’t read, oversized furniture, and stuffed-away sentimental items often just take up space without adding joy or function in your new home.
• Pantry leftovers and bathroom extras are rarely worth the trouble—if you wouldn’t buy it again today, it doesn’t need to make the move with you.

Moving is consistently considered one of the most stressful life events, and a lot of this has to do with the sheer amount of stuff involved. Not only does it all have to be packed, but it also has to be transported, unpacked, and organized. The least you can do for yourself is cut down on the number of your belongings. Not sure how to start decluttering? Take it from two pros who have helped countless clients with their moves—this is what people always regret taking with them.

Meet the Experts

• Katy Wells is a decluttering expert and the host of The Maximized Minimalist in Asheville, North Carolina.
• Sarah Robinson is the founder and CEO of HUM Concierge in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama.

Boxes You Still Haven’t Opened

The logic is simple: If you didn’t need it in your last home, odds are you won’t need it in the next. “These boxes tend to contain delayed decisions and forgotten items, and even if they’re tucked into a garage or basement, they still take up space in your brain,” explains Katy Wells, decluttering expert and host of The Maximized Minimalist in Asheville, North Carolina. Moving is the perfect opportunity to let go.

Old Paperwork and Files

“We’ve had clients move entire filing cabinets full of old appliance manuals, insurance information on cars they no longer own, and stacks of miscellaneous paper they just didn’t know what to do with,” says Sarah Robinson, founder and CEO of HUM Concierge in Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama. Chances are, you can throw away most of it. But if you do feel the need to keep certain files, consider digitizing them so they’re both easier to find and don't take up precious space in your new home.

“Someday” Projects

Half-done scrapbooks, bins of yarn—more often than not, people hang on to things like this, thinking they’ll eventually finish the projects they once started. Wells recommends asking yourself one question: “If I had the time tomorrow, would I actually want to work on this?” If the answer is no, you know what to do. The good news is that decluttering frees up space in your home and mind for the projects that actually matter to you.

Books You Still Haven’t Read

Books are some of the heaviest things to move, especially if you have a lot of them. “And yet, many of us hang onto shelves full of titles we think we should read someday,” points out Wells. “If you’ve carried the same unread stack through multiple moves, it’s not a reading list anymore, it’s a guilt pile.” Your bookshelf should reflect what you enjoy and return to, not what makes you feel behind.

Unnecessary Furniture

When one of her clients is getting ready to move, Robinson’s team always measures their furniture and rugs, as well as the new space, to make sure everything fits. More often than not, at least one piece doesn’t—and because they are measured in advance, it doesn’t end up collecting dust in the garage.

Size is just one part of the equation. “If it doesn’t fit your style, your space, or your daily life, it’s not serving you,” Wells adds. “Oversized or awkward furniture usually causes more frustration than joy in a new home.” Start fresh with pieces that reflect how you live now, not who you used to be or what someone else loved.

(Some) Sentimental Items

“Often, clients don’t want to decide whether or not to keep items they are emotionally attached to, and they wind up stuffed in a box that never gets opened,” Robinson explains. This makes it more difficult to actually honor the memories attached to them. When you make the tough decision to only keep the things that really matter, you’re able to treat them like the treasures they are.

Pantry and Bathroom Extras

“That half-used spice rack, the six expired cans of soup, or the basket of sample-sized toiletries you’ve been saving ‘just in case’, most of it ends up collecting dust in the back of cabinets,” says Wells. “A move is the perfect excuse to toss what’s expired or unused.” Think of it like this: Don’t pack what you wouldn’t buy again today.

Read the original article on Southern Living