Dumpster Rental for Moving & Decluttering: Complete Guide (2025)

Quick Answer: Most moving/decluttering projects need a 10-20 yard dumpster costing $300-$575. Rent it 1-2 weeks before moving day to purge unwanted items. Expect to dispose of 20-40% of household items during a typical move. Budget $400-$600 total including potential extensions.

Table of Contents

• Why Rent a Dumpster for Moving
• Dumpster Size for Different Moves
• Timeline: When to Rent
• What to Throw vs. Donate vs. Sell vs. Move
• Decluttering Strategy
• Downsizing Moves
• Cost Breakdown
• Moving Company vs. Dumpster
• FAQ

Why Rent a Dumpster for Moving

Moving is the perfect time to purge. You’re touching every single item anyway—might as well decide if it’s worth packing and hauling.

The Moving Purge Reality

Average household accumulation: 20-40% of items haven’t been used in 2+ years

Why people purge during moves:

• Don’t want to pack and move junk
• Moving costs are based on weight/volume (less stuff = cheaper move)
• Fresh start mentality
• Downsizing to smaller home
• Finally forced to deal with years of clutter

Volume of disposal during moves:

• Minimal purge: 5-10% of household items
• Typical purge: 20-30% of items
• Major declutter: 40-60% of items
• Downsizing: 50-70% of items (moving from large to small home)

Why a Dumpster Beats Alternatives

vs. Multiple garbage days:

• Rental companies don’t accept furniture, appliances, large volumes
• Takes months to dispose of everything gradually
• Moving timeline doesn’t allow for this

vs. Hauling to dump yourself:

• Time-consuming (10-20 trips for a full house purge)
• Physically exhausting
• Dump fees add up ($30-$60 per trip × 15 trips = $450-$900)
• Truck rental if you don’t own one: $75-$150/day

vs. Junk removal service:

• Expensive ($500-$2,000 for same volume)
• They come once, load quickly—no time for second thoughts
• Less control over what goes

Dumpster advantages:

• Load at your own pace over 1-2 weeks
• Change your mind and retrieve items if needed
• One price, unlimited trips from house to dumpster
• Convenient (sits in driveway, always accessible)

Insider Tip: Rent the dumpster 10-14 days before your move date. This gives you time to purge as you pack. The items you haven’t thought about in years? They’re the first to go. By moving day, you’re only moving what you actually want.

Dumpster Size for Different Moves

Small Apartment or Studio Move (Under 800 sq ft)

Typical purge volume: 5-10 cubic yards

Dumpster size: 10-yard

Cost: $250-$450

What you’re tossing:

• Old furniture you’re upgrading
• Worn clothing and linens
• Kitchen items you never use
• Books, media, décor you don’t want
• Misc junk accumulated over the years

When 10-yard works: Apartment, minimal furniture, already live pretty lean

When to size up to 20-yard: If you’ve lived there 5+ years and haven’t decluttered, or you have a storage unit to empty too

Medium Home Move (1,000-2,000 sq ft, 2-3 bedrooms)

Typical purge volume: 10-20 cubic yards

Dumpster size: 20-yard

Cost: $325-$575

What you’re tossing:

• Furniture (old couches, dressers, broken items)
• Appliances being replaced
• Kids’ outgrown toys and furniture
• Garage accumulation (old tools, paint cans, etc.)
• Basement or attic items you’ve stored for years
• Electronics and outdated tech
• Clothing, shoes, linens

Why 20-yard: The 20-yard is the sweet spot. Holds 8 pickup truck loads, which is about right for a medium home’s purge. Not overkill, not too small.

Insider Tip: If you’re also doing ANY renovation before moving (painting, minor repairs), the 20-yard handles disposal from that too.

Large Home Move (2,000-3,500 sq ft, 4+ bedrooms)

Typical purge volume: 20-30 cubic yards

Dumpster size: 20-30 yard

Cost: $400-$650

What you’re tossing:

• Significant furniture (multiple rooms)
• Years of kids’ items (if they’ve moved out)
• Workshop or garage full of items
• Basement storage
• Attic accumulation
• Outdoor items (old patio furniture, broken equipment)
• Appliances and electronics

When 20-yard works: If you’re selective and donate/sell a lot

When you need 30-yard: If you’re ruthlessly purging or haven’t decluttered in 10+ years

Downsizing Move (Moving to Much Smaller Space)

Typical purge volume: 30-50 cubic yards

Dumpster size: 30-40 yard or multiple rentals

Cost: $550-$1,200

Scenario: Moving from 3,000 sq ft house to 1,200 sq ft condo

What you’re tossing:

• Excess furniture (won’t fit in smaller space)
• Large items (king bed downsizing to queen, full dining set to small table)
• Duplicate items (combining two households or eliminating extras)
• Storage overflow (no room for storage in smaller home)
• Specialty items (workshop, craft room, hobby equipment)

Strategy: Might need two dumpsters—one for initial big purge, another closer to move for final cleanup

Moving + Estate Cleanout (Inherited Home)

Typical purge volume: 40-80 cubic yards

Dumpster size: 30-40 yard, possibly multiple

Cost: $800-$1,500+

Scenario: You inherited a home, need to clear it out before selling, and move your own stuff too

See our estate cleanout guide for detailed strategies on this situation.

Timeline: When to Rent

Ideal Timeline

4-6 weeks before move:

• Start decluttering (without dumpster)
• Create donate, sell, toss piles
• Sell high-value items online

2-3 weeks before move:

• Rent dumpster for delivery
• Continue aggressive purging
• Load obvious trash immediately
• Finalize donation pickups

1 week before move:

• Final purge pass
• Load remaining unwanted items
• Top off dumpster
• Schedule pickup for 2-3 days before move

Move day:

• Dumpster gone, only moving what you want

Why This Timeline Works

Allows for:

• Thoughtful decisions (not rushed)
• Time to sell items (if that’s your plan)
• Coordination with donation organizations
• Rental period that doesn’t waste days

Rental period: 14 days is perfect for this timeline

Insider Tip: Don’t rent the dumpster TOO early (like 4-6 weeks out). You’ll pay for days when you’re not actively purging. The sweet spot is 10-14 days before move day.

Last-Minute Move Timeline

If you only have 7-10 days before moving:

Day 1: Rent dumpster for immediate delivery
Days 1-3: Aggressive, quick-decision purging (room by room)
Days 4-6: Continue purging as you pack
Day 7: Final cleanup and top-off
Days 8-10: Dumpster pickup, focus on packing

Rental period: 7 days (tight but doable)

Trade-off: Less time to sell items or be thoughtful. More aggressive “when in doubt, throw it out” approach.

What to Throw vs. Donate vs. Sell vs. Move

The Four-Pile Decision Tree

MOVE (Keep and Pack)

• Items you use regularly
• Sentimental items you want
• Valuable items
• Things you’ll need at new home
• Items in good condition that serve a purpose

SELL

• Valuable items in good condition
• Furniture that won’t fit in new home but has resale value
• Electronics, tools, equipment worth $50+
• Collectibles, antiques

Selling timeline reality:

• 4+ weeks before move: Time to sell online or hold garage sale
• 2 weeks before move: Too late to sell, donate instead
• Last-minute move: Skip selling, donate or toss

DONATE

• Usable items in good condition (clothing, furniture, kitchenware)
• Items too low-value to sell but too good to trash
• Books, media, décor
• Working appliances and electronics

Donation pickups:

• Schedule 1-2 weeks before move
• Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat ReStore
• Get receipt for tax deduction

TRASH (Dumpster)

• Broken or non-functional items
• Worn-out furniture, mattresses
• Items with no resale or donation value
• Damaged goods
• Junk and garbage

Insider Tip: The “maybe” pile is your enemy. If you hesitate for more than 30 seconds, it’s probably going to sit in your new home unused. Toss it or donate it. You won’t miss it.

Room-by-Room Decluttering Guide

Kitchen:

• Keep: Essentials, items used monthly
• Toss: Duplicate utensils, broken appliances, old food storage, worn pans
• Donate: Excess dishes, appliances you never use
• Typical disposal: 20-30% of kitchen items

Bedrooms:

• Keep: Current wardrobe, needed furniture
• Toss: Worn clothing, broken furniture, old bedding
• Donate: Clothes not worn in 2 years, extra furniture, books
• Typical disposal: 30-50% of bedroom items (clothing purge is huge)

Living Room:

• Keep: Main furniture, current décor
• Toss: Broken furniture, outdated electronics, worn rugs
• Donate/Sell: Excess furniture, old TV, décor that doesn’t match new space
• Typical disposal: 20-30%

Garage/Basement/Attic:

• Keep: Tools you actually use, seasonal items
• Toss: Broken tools, dried paint cans, mystery boxes from 10 years ago
• Donate: Working tools/equipment you don’t use
• Typical disposal: 50-70% (these are clutter hotspots)

Bathrooms:

• Keep: Current toiletries, essential items
• Toss: Old medications, expired products, worn towels
• Typical disposal: 30-40%

Decluttering Strategy

The KonMari-Inspired Moving Method

Category-based, not room-based:

1. Clothing (Day 1-2)

• Pull all clothing from entire house
• Keep what fits, looks good, and you’ve worn in past year
• Donate or toss the rest
• Expected purge: 40-60% of clothing

2. Books and Media (Day 2-3)

• Will you re-read/re-watch?
• Digital versions available?
• Expected purge: 50-70%

3. Papers and Documents (Day 3-4)

• Digitize what you need
• Shred old documents (7+ years for taxes)
• Toss 90% of paper

4. Kitchen and Household (Day 4-6)

• Duplicates go
• Broken/never used goes
• Expected purge: 30-40%

5. Sentimental and Misc (Day 7-10)

• Hardest category, save for last when you’re in purging mode
• Take photos of items you can’t keep
• Be ruthless—you’re not honoring memories by keeping every object
• Expected purge: 20-40%

Quick Decision Rules

Haven’t used in 2 years? Toss or donate.

Broken? Toss (unless high value and worth repairing).

Duplicate? Keep the best one, toss/donate the rest.

“I might need this someday”? You won’t. Toss it.

Would you buy this again today? No? Toss it.

Will it fit in new home? No? Sell or toss.

Does it spark joy? If no, and it’s not essential, out it goes.

Downsizing Moves

Downsizing (moving from larger to smaller home) requires aggressive decluttering.

Challenges of Downsizing

Space constraints:

• 3,000 sq ft → 1,200 sq ft = you’re losing 60% of space
• Large furniture doesn’t fit
• Storage is minimal

Emotional difficulty:

• Letting go of items from “family home” phase of life
• Kids’ stuff (if they’ve moved out)
• Hobby equipment and collections

Volume to dispose:

• 50-70% of possessions typical
• 30-50 cubic yards of disposal

Downsizing Strategy

Measure new space:

• Know exact dimensions of new rooms
• Furniture that doesn’t fit = must go

Start with furniture:

• Which furniture physically fits in new space?
• Everything else: sell, donate, or toss

Apply strict criteria:

• Do I have room for this?
• Do I need this in my new lifestyle?
• Would I rather have the space or the item?

Consider storage unit (short-term):

• If you can’t decide, store for 6 months
• Items you don’t retrieve after 6 months? Donate them
• Storage costs $50-$200/month (expensive to keep items you don’t need)

Dumpster sizing for downsizing:

• Large downsize: 30-40 yard or two 20-yarders
• Cost: $600-$1,200
• Worth it to not pay moving company to haul items you’ll toss anyway

Insider Tip: Movers charge by weight/volume. If you’re purging 50% of possessions, you’re cutting moving costs by 30-50% ($500-$2,000 savings). The dumpster rental ($400-$650) pays for itself in moving savings.

Cost Breakdown

Dumpster Rental Costs for Moving

Small move (apartment):

• Dumpster: 10-yard
• Cost: $250-$450
• Extensions unlikely
• Total: $250-$450

Medium move (2-3 bedroom home):

• Dumpster: 20-yard
• Cost: $325-$575
• Possible extension: $50-$100
• Total: $375-$675

Large move or downsize:

• Dumpster: 30-yard
• Cost: $375-$650
• Possible second rental: $375-$650
• Total: $400-$1,300

Other Moving Disposal Costs

Donation pickup:

• Usually free (Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc.)

Selling items:

• Garage sale costs: $20-$50 (signs, pricing stickers)
• Consignment shop fees: 30-50% commission
• Online selling: Platform fees (eBay 10-13%, Facebook free)

Permits:

• Dumpster permit (if street placement): $30-$100
• Garage sale permit (some cities): $10-$30

Alternative disposal:

• Junk removal service (instead of dumpster): $500-$2,000
• Individual dump runs: $30-$60 per trip × trips needed

Money You Save

Moving cost savings:

• Less weight/volume = lower moving quote
• Typical savings: $300-$1,500 on professional move

Storage cost avoidance:

• Not storing items you don’t need
• Savings: $50-$200/month × 12 months = $600-$2,400/year

Donation tax deduction:

• Itemized donations can be deducted
• Average deduction value: $500-$2,000 (consult tax advisor)

Net cost of decluttering: Often negative (you save more than you spend)

Moving Company vs. Dumpster

Can Moving Companies Take Your Junk?

Some full-service movers offer “junk removal” but:

• Expensive: Charged by weight, same rate as moving your good stuff
• Limited: They won’t take everything (hazardous items, large volumes)
• Less control: They decide what’s junk, might refuse items

Cost example:

• Moving company hauls 2,000 lbs of junk at $0.50/lb = $1,000
• Dumpster rental for same volume: $400

When it makes sense:

• Very small volume (a few items)
• You’re paying for full-service move anyway and it’s included
• Don’t want to deal with dumpster

Most of the time: Separate the purge (dumpster) from the move (movers). Cheaper and more control.

DIY Move with Dumpster

If you’re doing a DIY move (renting truck, moving yourself):

Strategy:
1. Rent dumpster 2 weeks before move
2. Purge and load dumpster as you pack
3. Dumpster picked up before move day
4. Rent moving truck and move only what you want
5. Return truck, done

Benefit: You save on truck size (smaller truck rental costs less) because you’ve already disposed of 30% of possessions

Truck rental savings: $100-$300 (smaller truck or fewer trips)

Get a Moving Dumpster Quote

Planning a move? Get a free quote and mention you’re moving. Some companies offer “moving specials” or can advise on timing and sizing for your specific move timeline.

FAQ

When should I rent a dumpster for moving?

Rent a dumpster 10-14 days before your move date. This gives you time to purge as you pack without wasting rental days. Deliver the dumpster about 2 weeks out, load it as you declutter, and schedule pickup 2-3 days before moving day. For last-minute moves, rent for 7 days and work quickly.

What size dumpster do I need for moving?

Small apartment/studio move: 10-yard. Medium home (2-3 bedrooms): 20-yard. Large home or downsizing move: 20-30 yard. Most residential moves generate 10-20 cubic yards of disposal items (20-40% of total possessions). A 20-yard dumpster is the sweet spot for typical home moves.

How much does a dumpster cost for a move?

Small moves: $250-$450 (10-yard). Medium moves: $325-$675 (20-yard including possible extensions). Large moves or downsizing: $400-$1,300 (30-yard or multiple rentals). This often SAVES money overall by reducing moving company costs ($300-$1,500 savings on professional move) since you’re moving less weight/volume.

Should I rent a dumpster or use a junk removal service when moving?

Rent a dumpster. Moving requires sorting over several days/weeks as you pack—you need time to decide what stays and goes. Junk removal services load everything in 2-4 hours (too rushed for thoughtful moving decisions) and cost $500-$2,000 vs. $300-$650 for a dumpster. The dumpster gives you control and flexibility.

What should I throw away vs. donate when moving?

Throw in dumpster: Broken items, worn-out furniture, damaged goods, items with no resale or donation value. Donate: Usable items in good condition (clothing, furniture, appliances, books, kitchenware). Sell: Valuable items worth $50+ if you have 3-4 weeks before moving. Keep: Items you use regularly, sentimental items, things needed at new home. When in doubt, donate rather than move items you’ll never use.