Are you contemplating a move to or from Kansas City? Are you rethinking your plans to bring all your existing furniture with you after determining just how much of it you have? This is a common dilemma for many home owners who are looking to relocate. You may wonder if it’s better to move all your furniture or buy new furniture after you move to Kansas City, the largest community in the state home to 485,000 and counting.
Having a moving professional you can rely on will help big time, but you will still have to run into considerations for the type and amount of furniture you have. After all, you’re paying to move it all, so the more stuff you move, the more money you’re shelling out. Some of the inconsequential or cheap furniture may be best left behind while you buy new quality stuff at your destination.
But there are many factors to consider. Let’s go over those considerations here.
First, Ask Yourself…
- Do I plan to take some or all of my furniture with me?
- Should I leave the cumbersome items behind and just buy new ones in the new place?
- If so, what will I do with the stuff I’m not moving? Give it away? Sell it online? Just leave it there for the next owners to deal with? Put it out by the curb and hope the trash guys take it?
Your answers to these questions will vary, but one thing’s for sure: you have to plan ahead for these decisions in advance – well before packing up your house.
Should You Even Move Your Furniture in the First Place?
Under ideal circumstances, you wouldn’t take any of your furniture because it would save you lots of time, stress and hassle. Deciding against moving any furniture at all will allow you to save:
- Cash. Moving furniture from one residence to another costs money thanks to all the packing and transportation expenses involved. Plus, you may have to pay moving experts to disassemble some of your furniture first (think: sectionals and pool tables) prior to the move and assemble them again after the move. However, on the other end, you will have to pay to replace all the furniture you left behind, so this factor could be a wash depending on the cost of the items you buy.
- Time. Without having to worry about disassembly, lifting, carrying, and loading of furniture, your time will be freed up so you can concentrate on more important things.
- Headache and stress. When you realize you don’t have to worry about cumbersome, heavy furniture pieces, you will be less stressed and encounter fewer headaches along the way.
Should I Move My Furniture or Buy New?
Sometimes it’s just not feasible to leave your furniture behind, either because the new homeowners don’t want it or you can’t afford to buy more stuff later. To figure out what is best for you, you’ll have to look at each item at a time to determine whether it is better to move that piece or buy a similar one after the move. Use this criteria to decide:
- Practical value. Consider how practical each piece is in reality. While aesthetic qualities are important, you should also look at them from a practicality and functionality standpoint, as there may be features that could be beneficial to you in the new place, points out The Moving Blog.
- Monetary value. Think about how much money you shelled out for the piece in the beginning. Was it new or used? Is it a costly piece, crafted from nice materials and skilled labor? Was it from a reputable manufacturer? Or is it from an inexpensive RTA furniture place such as IKEA or the local discount store?
- Sentimental value. You will want to consider if the piece is a family collectible or antique, which makes it priceless to you. In this case, it’s probably wise to keep it.
- Aesthetics. How beautiful is the piece? Is it still in style? Will it go with the rest of your décor in the new Kansas City home?
- Dimensions. How awkward and large is the piece? It may not even fit the layout, doorways and hallways of your new place.
- Current condition. Is the piece still in excellent condition? Do you expect to keep getting more years of use out of it?
Cost Factors
When looking at the financial aspect of the decision, there are some factors that could alter your decision.
Move Distance
The distance between your two homes matters. When moving within a 100-mile radius, it makes sense to bring your favorite furniture items because local moves tend to be cheaper overall. And due to the shorter time to travel, the risk of damage to your furniture pieces is less, as they will be traveling for less time.
When moving over a long distance, the cost to move your furniture will be based on the weight of your items as well as how far apart the two homes are. In the end, moving a particular piece may be too expensive to justify bringing it.
Job Difficulty
Bringing a truckload of furniture to your new home may not be worth it when you consider the labor costs involved by your movers. Transporting furniture that’s fragile will call for professional packing in order to get through the move sans damage. This will increase shipping costs.
In addition, larger, heavier furniture pieces must be disassembled first for an easier, safer move, especially when your new place has smaller doorways, narrower corridors, sharper turns, and lots of stairs. If you do not have the experience or patience to do all that, then you have to hire your movers to do it, which adds to the overall expense of moving.
Here are two more things that will help you make the decision to bring your furniture or not:
- Ask some moving companies to come to your home to perform a visual inspection, then ask for a cost estimate for any furniture you plan on moving.
- Visit the websites of furniture stores in the new city to compare and contrast the prices of new furniture you will have to buy after the move.
Contact Moving Proz in Kansas City
If you’re prepping for a move to or from Kansas City, call your local experts in the area: Moving Proz. To get a free quote on your residential move, contact us today at our KC office at 816-295-2228.
