A dated plan, three weeks to move day
Moving out of Albuquerque: what to do with everything that isn't coming
Movers charge by weight and hours; out-of-state moves charge by the pound. So the treadmill, the extra tools, the stereo you don't use, and the bike in the rafters each cost more to move than they're worth to you. Here's the honest, Albuquerque-specific plan for that pile — by week, by category.
The one rule: decide by value and effort, not by guilt
Every object in the not-coming pile lands in one of four buckets. Decide fast and move on:
- Sell it yourself — worth real money and you have the hours (a quality bike, current electronics, brand-name tools, instruments). Local shops that buy on the spot are in the where-to-sell guide; good books go to sellbooksabq.com (yes, also me).
- Free pickup, resale-worthy — the big middle: tools, electronics working or not, camping gear, bikes, sporting goods, instruments, small appliances, collectibles, records, cameras, wearable clothing. That share I take free, by request, and I tell you where it went — see moving pickup.
- Charity pickup or drop-off — furniture and household goods in good shape: Habitat for Humanity ReStore (4900 Menaul NE, free large-item pickup at (505) 265-0057), Big Brothers Big Sisters home pickup ((505) 881-0599 / donatenm.com), The Salvation Army (satruck.org). Charities issue the tax receipt; I don't.
- The city, or a hauler — mattresses, particle-board furniture, debris: the City of Albuquerque's free large-item pickup (call 311 or (505) 768-2000) for Solid Waste customers; paint, chemicals, propane and fuel go to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (2720 Girard Blvd NE, (505) 884-2277). Paid haulers only for what nobody else takes.
Call ahead before you load the car. Hours and acceptance rules shift; the listings above were verified summer 2026 but a two-minute call saves a wasted trip.
Three weeks out: the garage and the closets
Start where the weight is. Photograph the garage, shed, and hall closets wide — don't sort first — and send the photos to whoever is taking each bucket. For the free-pickup share, wide shots are exactly what I need to say yes quickly; for a charity pickup, this is the week to get on their calendar. Decide about the big three now: the treadmill or home gym, the patio set, the second fridge.
Two weeks out: the kitchen, the office, the kids' rooms
Small appliances you own two of, the printer, the old laptop, the game console the kids outgrew, the bin of cables — resale-worthy, all of it. Books: the good ones get a photo to sellbooksabq; the rest to Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul (4120 Menaul Blvd NE). Clothing: only what's clean and wearable is worth anyone's time; truly worn-out textiles belong in textile recycling, not a donation bag.
One week out: the last pile and the hazardous shelf
The stuff you kept deferring: half cans of paint, the propane tank, pool chemicals, the mystery jars in the shed. None of it moves, none of it goes in the trash — it goes to the HHW center on Girard. Schedule the city's large-item pickup for anything left that's furniture-sized. Text the free-pickup photos if you haven't; I'll be honest about what fits around my routes that week and what needs another plan.
Military PCS, Sandia, Intel and hospital relocations
Weight-limited moves make this math sharper. There's a dedicated page for PCS pickups (I'm a private business with no base affiliation; I pick up at your home off-base). For any employer relocation, the plan above is the same — just start a week earlier, because the report date doesn't move.
Moving out of state: what's different
Per-pound pricing means the threshold for "not worth moving" drops to almost anything heavy and replaceable: the workbench, the bookshelf, the dumbbells, the second TV. Sell the few valuable pieces early, give the resale-worthy middle a free pickup, and let a charity take the furniture. Renting a dumpster is almost never necessary for a household move — it's the sign that the triage happened too late.
The honest part about free pickup
Abq Reclaimed is one person, for-profit, and free because I resell what has a second life. I'm not a junk hauler, I don't pay cash, pickups are by request and at my discretion, and they aren't tax-deductible. What you get is the resale-worthy half gone in one trip, an honest map for the rest, and a Reclaim Receipt telling you where it all went.
Common questions
What is the cheapest way to get rid of everything before a move in Albuquerque?
Sort by bucket, not by room: sell the few valuable pieces yourself, give the resale-worthy middle (tools, electronics, gear, collectibles, wearable clothes) to a free pickup like Abq Reclaimed, let a charity such as Habitat ReStore or Big Brothers Big Sisters pick up furniture and housewares, and use the City of Albuquerque's free large-item pickup for mattresses and debris. Paid haulers are the last resort, not the first.
Who picks up donations for free in Albuquerque before a move?
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central New Mexico ((505) 881-0599), The Salvation Army (satruck.org), and Habitat for Humanity ReStore ((505) 265-0057, for large items) run free charity pickups and issue tax receipts. Abq Reclaimed picks up the resale-worthy share free — tools, electronics, gear, collectibles, wearable clothing — by request, with a receipt showing where it went (not tax-deductible).
How far ahead should I schedule pickups before moving?
Two to three weeks out for charity pickups and for a free resale pickup; a week is workable; the day before is worth a text but expect honest limits. The City of Albuquerque's large-item pickup needs a request in advance too — call 311.
What can't I put in the trash or move when leaving Albuquerque?
Paint, solvents, pool chemicals, propane, fuel, and automotive fluids should go to the City's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at 2720 Girard Blvd NE ((505) 884-2277). Movers will not load them, and the trash service will not take them.
Is Abq Reclaimed's pickup tax-deductible?
No — it is a for-profit reuse business, not a 501(c)(3). If a deduction matters, route those items to a charity pickup; use Abq Reclaimed for the resale-worthy share you just want gone, with a Reclaim Receipt showing where it went.
Need someone to come get the stuff?
Send photos of the pile — wide shots of every room. I'll tell you honestly what I can take free and who takes the rest. Pickup is by request and at my discretion; drop-off by text is the surest option for smaller loads.
Request a pickup