PCS Move Checklist: What to Do With Everything That Won't Fit in the Truck

For Fort Novosel & Daleville Military Families · Updated May 2026

PCS orders hit different when you're staring at a living room full of furniture and a move-out date that's two weeks away. You already know the military will ship your gear. What nobody tells you is what to do with the couch you bought at Walmart in 2021, the dryer that's "almost new," and the garage full of stuff you've been meaning to deal with for three years.

We've helped a lot of Fort Novosel families work through exactly this. Here's what actually works.

First: Figure Out What's Going and What's Staying

The moving company only covers so much weight. Most PCS moves have a weight allowance, and you don't want to burn it on a sectional sofa you're planning to replace anyway. Go room by room and be honest with yourself.

Three piles: ships with you, sells/donates, gets hauled. That last pile is where we come in.

Try to Sell First — But Give Yourself a Deadline

Fort Novosel has a huge Facebook Marketplace community. If something has value — a good dresser, a washer/dryer set, kids' furniture — list it. You can move stuff fast on post because there's always someone incoming who needs exactly what you're selling.

But here's the thing: give yourself a hard deadline. If it doesn't sell in 5 days, stop waiting on it. We've seen too many families lose their deposit because they were waiting on a $40 Facebook sale that never came through.

When the deadline hits, call us. Same-day service is available.

What to Do With Appliances You Can't Take

Washers, dryers, refrigerators — these are the big ones. You usually can't take them because of weight, or because the next duty station comes furnished.

• If it works: List it on Fort Novosel's Facebook groups. Working appliances sell within hours.
• If it's broken or you can't sell it fast: We'll haul it. We disconnect it, carry it out, and dispose of it properly. You don't touch it.
• Don't leave it on the curb: That can come back on you with base housing and cost more than just calling someone.

The Garage and Storage Unit Problem

Garages and storage units are where PCS moves go sideways. Three years of accumulated stuff — tools, holiday decorations, kids' outdoor toys, random boxes from the last move — and you have two weeks to deal with all of it.

Don't try to sort through all of it box by box. Make a "keep" pile and put everything else out for us. One truck, one trip. We'll take the whole mess.

Timeline: When to Call for Junk Removal

We work around your timeline. If you need us there on a specific morning because that's when movers clear out and leave — tell us. We'll be there.

Related: Junk Removal Near Fort Novosel · Daleville Junk Removal · Junk Removal Pricing