The short answer
Start four weeks out. Sell and give away first, use your city's bulky pickup for the furniture you can carry to the curb, and book a flat pickup for what's left a day or two before closing or lease end. A typical leftover load of a sofa, a queen set and a quarter truck of odds and ends comes to $126 + $143 + $241 = $510. If everything is going at once, a half truck at $431 or a 3/4 truck at $587 often covers it.
Four weeks out: decide what's coming
Walk every room, the garage, the attic and the shed with a roll of tape. Mark what's moving, what's being sold, what's being given away, and what's going in the trash.
Be strict with heavy, cheap items. Moving a worn particleboard bookcase from Kempsville to Chesapeake isn't expensive. Moving it across the country is. If you're paying movers by weight or by truck space, every heavy piece you leave behind saves money.
Measure the new place. A sectional that fits a Great Neck family room may not fit a Downtown Norfolk condo or a Town Center apartment. Better to know now than on moving day.
List the sell pile right away. Hampton Roads has a steady stream of people arriving on orders and for school, and decent furniture sells quickly when it's priced to move.
Three weeks out: line up the free routes
Check your city's bulky pickup rules and your pickup day.
- Virginia Beach: request at least three days before your trash day. Items out after 5 p.m. the night before, by 7 a.m. No bags, cardboard boxes, carpet, cabinets or computer towers.
- Norfolk: request by 3 p.m. the day before through MyNorfolk or by phone.
- Chesapeake: one pile up to 4 by 4 by 10 feet per week, twelve times a year, requested by the weekday before.
- Newport News: up to six cubic yards on your bulk day; appliances by appointment.
- Moyock: no curbside bulk; residents use the convenience center with a permit.
If you're in Chesapeake, you can spread a move over three or four weekly piles. Start early enough to use them.
Virginia Beach residents can also drive e-waste, metals, appliances and up to four tires to the Resource Recovery Center free, Tuesday to Saturday.
Two weeks out: give away and pack
Post the give-away pile. Free furniture in decent shape goes fast, especially on weekends. Set pickup times and don't hold items for no-shows.
Pack the keepers. As you pack, you'll find more to throw out: old electronics, broken small appliances, clothes nobody wears. Put them in a separate corner of the garage.
Deal with hazardous items. Movers generally won't take propane tanks, paint and chemicals. Paint and a 20 lb propane tank are fine with us. Other hazardous items are handled case by case, so ask.
Empty and defrost the spare fridge or chest freezer in the garage if it isn't coming. It needs a day to dry out before pickup.
Move week: book the final pickup
Book the pickup for after the movers leave and before the final walk-through. For renters, that's before the move-out inspection. For sellers, it's before the buyer's final walk-through and closing.
Book by 4 p.m. for same-day if plans shift. We work seven days a week, 8 a.m. to midnight, and you choose a two-hour arrival window. That helps when movers run late and the house isn't empty until evening.
If you're in a condo or apartment building, reserve the elevator and send us the building's COI requirements. We email a certificate within one hour.
You don't have to be there. If you've already flown out, arrange access with a neighbor, a realtor or a lockbox, and approve the price from photos.
Typical move-out totals
| Job | Flat price |
|---|---|
| Sofa / Couch | $126 |
| Mattress + Box Spring Set | $143 |
| Dresser (Standard) | $126 |
| Refrigerator (Standard) | $164 |
| Freezer (Chest) | $146 |
| 1/4 truck (~4 cubic yards) | $241 |
| 1/2 truck (~8 cubic yards) | $431 |
| 3/4 truck (~12 cubic yards) | $587 |
Selling a Lynnhaven ranch: the garage chest freezer, an old dresser and a quarter truck of leftovers. $146 + $126 + $241 = $513.
Renter leaving a Hilltop apartment: a sofa and a queen set. $126 + $143 = $269.
Downsizing from a Great Bridge house: everything that isn't moving, priced as a 3/4 truck at $587.
Common move-out mistakes
Waiting until moving day. The city's bulky pickup needs days of notice, and peak weeks fill up.
Using the apartment dumpster. Most complexes prohibit furniture by the dumpster and bill the tenant for removal.
Leaving things at the curb. In Virginia Beach, bulky items belong at the curb only in the scheduled window. A pile left after you've gone becomes the new owner's or landlord's problem, and often yours again.
Forgetting the attic and shed. They're the last places people check, and the first places a buyer's inspector looks.
Underestimating volume. Photograph everything. The photo quote tells you whether it's a few items or a truck tier, before you book. Start on the instant quote page.
Frequently asked questions
When should I book a move-out junk pickup?
Book it for after the movers leave and before the final walk-through or inspection. Same-day is available when you book by 4 p.m.
How much does a move-out cleanout cost in Virginia Beach?
It depends on what's left. A few pieces are priced by item, like a sofa at $126 or a queen set at $143. Full loads are priced by truck fill, such as $431 for a half truck.
Do I need to be home for the pickup?
No. Arrange access and approve the price from photos. The crew arrives in your two-hour window.
Can I use Virginia Beach bulky pickup for a move?
Yes, for eligible furniture, with a request at least three days before your trash day. It won't take bags, cardboard boxes, carpet, cabinets or computer towers.
Will movers take my old furniture?
Movers move what you're keeping. They don't usually dispose of unwanted furniture, and they generally won't take propane tanks or paint.