Moving

Selling your stuff before a move: a simple plan

Updated 9 October 2026 · 4 min read

Taped cardboard moving boxes, one labelled Kitchen, in a sunlit room with a covered armchair — Photo: Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

The short answer

Start selling your things four to six weeks before moving day. Go room by room and sort everything into piles to keep, sell, give away or bin. List big furniture first, because it takes longest to sell and collect, then list smaller items in batches. Set pickups to finish a few days before the move, and donate whatever is left.

Start a month or more ahead. Big items need time to find a buyer.
Sort a room at a time into keep, sell, give away and bin.
List furniture first and small things later.
Decide in advance what happens to anything unsold in the final week.

Why sell things before moving?

Everything you take costs money and effort to pack, carry and unpack. Selling what you no longer use makes the move cheaper and lighter, and puts some money towards the new place. A move is also the one time you handle everything you own, which makes it the easiest time to decide what to keep.

When should I start selling?

Start selling earlier than feels necessary, ideally four to six weeks before moving day. Large items can take weeks to find the right buyer, and you want pickups finished before the removalists arrive.

When	What to do
6 weeks before	Sort each room. List large furniture you are not taking.
4 weeks before	List appliances, electronics, bikes and outdoor things.
2 weeks before	List smaller items in batches. Bundle the little things.
Final week	Lower prices on what is left. Offer the rest for free.
2 days before	Donate or dispose of anything unsold. Stop arranging pickups.

How do I decide what to sell and what to take?

For each item, ask yourself three questions:

Have I used it in the last year? If not, it is unlikely to earn its place in the new home.
Will it fit and suit the new place? Measure large furniture against the new rooms before you pay to move it.
Would it cost more to move than to replace? Bulky, inexpensive items often cost more to move than to replace.

Anything that fails all three questions goes in the sell pile, or in the give-away pile if the item is not worth a listing.

How do I list a whole house of things quickly?

Work a room at a time. Clear a spot by a window and photograph everything from that room in one go.
Write listings in a batch. Do the photos first and the writing after, rather than one item start to finish.
Spread your listings out. Posting a few listings a day is kinder on your Facebook account than posting fifty at once, especially if your account is new. See Listing safely on Marketplace.
Give pickup windows. Offer two or three set times a week so you are not waiting in every evening.

How should I handle pickups while I am packing?

Arrange pickups in daylight where you can, and have someone with you for large items.
Agree on the price and payment method with the buyer before they set off.
Check that payment has arrived, or count the cash, before the item leaves.
For items you still need until moving week, such as the bed or the fridge, state the pickup date in the listing.
Mark each item as sold as soon as it goes, so you are not answering messages about it.

What do I do with things that do not sell?

Decide what to do with unsold items before the final week, so you are not making choices on moving day. Lower the price once, then relist unsold items as free. Anything nobody collects can go to a charity shop that accepts those items, or to your council's bulky waste collection. Book council collection early, as there is often a wait.

A tidy, uncluttered living room with a red armchair, a dining table and tall windows — Less to move, and more room at the other end. Photo: Deborah Cortelazzi on Unsplash

Questions people also ask

How long does furniture take to sell on Marketplace?

How quickly furniture sells on Marketplace varies a great deal with the item, the price and where you live. Some pieces go the same day and others take weeks, which is why large furniture should be listed first.

Should I sell things as one big lot?

Bundle small related items, such as kitchenware or toys. Sell furniture and anything valuable separately, because a single buyer rarely wants everything.

How do I sell something I still need until moving day?

List the item early and state the date it will be ready for collection. Some buyers are happy to wait a week or two for the right item.

Is it worth selling cheap things?

Cheap items are worth selling only in bundles. If an item would sell for less than the effort of a pickup, group it with similar things or give it away.