The cheapest thing to move is the thing you don't move. Every removalist quote goes down as your load goes down — and unpacking gets ten times easier. Here's the method that actually works.
The 4-box method
- 1
Set up four labelled zones
KEEP, DONATE, SELL, BIN. Boxes, laundry baskets, or just four corners of the room — the label is what matters.
- 2
One room at a time
Don't try to do the whole house in a weekend. One room per day is sustainable; a whole house in one hit almost always stalls.
- 3
Every item lands in a zone — no maybes
'I'll decide later' is the enemy. If you haven't used it in a year, it's not KEEP.
- 4
Empty the zones the same week
DONATE goes to the op shop this weekend. SELL gets listed today. BIN goes out on bin night. Otherwise it all creeps back into KEEP.
Room-by-room hit list
Wardrobe — anything not worn in 12 months
Kitchen — duplicate utensils, chipped mugs, expired pantry
Bathroom — old products, expired medication
Garage — tools you've replaced, half-used paint tins
Study — paper you can go digital on
Kids' rooms — outgrown toys and clothes (involve the kids)
Linen cupboard — old towels (vets often accept them)
Where the stuff actually goes
| Category | Best destination |
|---|---|
| Furniture in good condition | Facebook Marketplace / Gumtree |
| Clothes, kitchenware, books | Vinnies / Salvos / Savers |
| Working electronics | Buy Nothing groups / Marketplace |
| Broken electronics | Council e-waste drop-off |
| Paint, chemicals, batteries | Detox Your Home (free, EPA Victoria) |
| General junk | Council hard rubbish or a skip |
Key takeaways
- Four zones: keep, donate, sell, bin
- One room per day, not one house per weekend
- Empty the zones the same week — or it creeps back
- Start selling 4 weeks before move day