Go room by room and sort everything into three piles: Keep, Donate/Sell, Trash/Recycle. The rule of thumb: if you haven't used it in 12 months and it isn't seasonal, put it in the donate pile. If it's broken or damaged beyond usefulness, trash pile. The keep pile goes into boxes — nothing leaves the keep pile to reconsider later.
Midcentury furniture (LA has an insatiable appetite for it). Outdoor patio furniture (year-round demand). Bikes. Exercise equipment (especially Peloton, free weights, and quality gym equipment). Vintage clothing. The test: take a photo and post it on Facebook Marketplace before you haul it to Goodwill — if it doesn't get an inquiry in 48 hours, donate it.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Free pickup for furniture, appliances, and building materials. Schedule at habitat.org — typically 3–5 day lead time. Salvation Army: Schedule at 1-800-SA-TRUCK. LA Family Housing: Focuses on transitional housing needs — furniture in good condition. Goodwill: Drop-off only at most locations, but convenient.
LA has a strong electronics resale market. Best Buy, Micro Center, and Staples accept old electronics for recycling. For functional items — older phones, laptops, monitors — OfferUp and Swappa (phones) move them fast.
4 weeks before: Start with the garage, storage unit, and closets. 3 weeks before: living room, extra bedrooms. 2 weeks before: kitchen (pantry and dishes you've been keeping "just in case"). 1 week before: final sweep, donation drop-offs, and trash pickup. Get your moving quote after the 3-week mark — the quote will be more accurate.
Call (213) 676-9460 once you've decluttered — the post-declutter quote is always more accurate than the pre-declutter one.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore picks up large furniture free (schedule at habitat.org). Salvation Army has pickup in many LA neighborhoods ($0, 2–5 day wait). Goodwill pickup is available for smaller items. LA Family Housing accepts donations for transitional housing. For vintage furniture, try listing on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace free section first — it often goes same day.
Facebook Marketplace is the most active platform for LA furniture sales — listings move fast, especially for midcentury and IKEA pieces. OfferUp is strong for smaller items. Craigslist is still reliable for large items. Consignment shops in Silver Lake, Echo Park, and West Hollywood (like Heist or Wittmore) take higher-end pieces at 50/50 splits.
Significantly — moving cost scales with volume and hours. Removing one truckload's worth of items from a 2-bedroom move typically saves $120–$240 (1–2 hours less labor). A major pre-move declutter can reduce a 3-bedroom move from 7 hours to 5 hours, saving $200–$400. Time the declutter at least 3 weeks before the move.
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