Moving out of a Cincinnati home: clearing what you are not taking

The short answer

Price the leftovers per item if it is a short list, or by truck tier if it is a pile. A sofa is $126, a dresser $126, a queen mattress and box spring set $143; a quarter truck is $241 and a half truck $431. Book it for after the movers leave and before your walk-through or closing. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM.

Why moves leave so much behind

Every move has a pile of things that are not worth the cost of moving. The old couch that will not fit the new living room. The mattress you were going to replace anyway. The basement shelving, the paint cans, the broken patio furniture. In Cincinnati, a lot of moves are from long-held houses with basements, attics and detached garages, where decades of storage come out all at once. The metro also has steady movement through corporate relocations in Blue Ash, West Chester and Fairfield, logistics jobs around CVG in Boone County, and the universities. Whatever the reason, the leftovers have to go somewhere, and usually on a fixed date.

Timing the cleanout with the move

The best time for a move-out cleanout is right after the movers load the truck and before you hand over the keys. That way the crew sees exactly what is left and nothing gets taken by mistake. Mark everything that stays and everything that goes before move day. If you are selling, schedule the cleanout before the final walk-through. If you are renting, do it before the landlord's inspection so nothing is charged to your deposit. Pick a two-hour arrival window. Crews work seven days a week, 8am to midnight, which helps when movers run late. Same-day pickup is available when you book by 4 PM.

Common move-out prices

A sofa, a queen set and a bookshelf come to $126 + $143 + $72 = $341. If the items add up to more than a truck tier and fit in it, the tier is the better deal.

Why the City appointment rarely fits a move

The City of Cincinnati's bulk pickup is free, but it is appointment-only, five items per appointment, curbside, set out the night before. A move usually has more than five items. It also often happens on a date that does not match the next available appointment. The program excludes some typical move-out items, including paint, propane, lawnmowers, gas-powered tools and anything over 6 feet tall. And if you are leaving town, you may not be there to put things at the curb the night before. In Northern Kentucky, Rumpke areas need a call at least 24 hours ahead and mattresses wrapped in plastic. Those routes work for a few items on a flexible schedule. For a move, a pickup on your chosen day is usually more practical.

Hills, stairs and leaving the old place

Cincinnati homes are not built for easy exits. Hillside streets in Price Hill, Mount Adams and Clifton Heights put long flights of steps between the house and the curb. Over-the-Rhine and Covington rowhouses have narrow interior stairs. Early-1900s houses in Westwood and Norwood have basements with steep stairs. Movers handle what you are keeping. The leftovers still have to come down those same stairs. Carry-out from any floor is included in every JunkRabbit price, with no stairs fee. If your new place is in a building that requires a certificate of insurance for crews, a COI is emailed within one hour.

Sell, donate or haul

Start sorting a few weeks before the move. List furniture in good shape for sale or free pickup; the earlier you post, the better your chances. In August, students near UC and NKU are looking for furniture. Give family first dibs on anything sentimental. Take documents and valuables with you. Then book a pickup for what remains. At JunkRabbit we try to donate usable items when local charities accept them, and we recycle whatever we can. The price is the same either way, so you do not have to sort donations from junk yourself.

Moving into a new place, too

The other side of a move creates junk as well: boxes, packing material, furniture that does not fit the new layout, and whatever the previous owner left behind. If you are moving into a new-build in Florence, Independence or West Chester, the garage may fill with boxes in the first week. Moving boxes are $31 each, or a pile of them fits a truck tier. If the previous owner left a basement full of things, that is a cleanout of its own, often a quarter or half truck. Same flat prices, same carry-out, on either end of the move.

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