Selling Everything vs. Shipping to the Netherlands
Three months before moving to the Netherlands under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT), we stood in our apartment surrounded by ten years of accumulated stuff.
Furniture, kitchen gadgets, books, art, clothes we had not worn in years. All of it needed to go somewhere.
We had two choices: ship it or sell it.
We sold almost everything. Here is why, how it went, and what we would do differently.
Why We Chose to Sell
The math was simple.
Shipping cost estimate (full household): $4,000-6,000 for a 20ft container, plus insurance, customs fees, and delivery.
Replacement cost in the Netherlands: About $3,000-4,000 at IKEA and secondhand shops for the basics.
What we earned selling: $4,800.
So we could spend $5,000+ shipping things across an ocean and hoping they survived. Or we could pocket $4,800 from selling, buy new things in the Netherlands, and start fresh.
We chose fresh.
Reality Check: The financial math was clear for us. But this decision is not purely financial. If you have expensive furniture, rare items, or things with deep sentimental value, the calculation changes. There is no right answer -- just the right answer for you.
How We Sold Everything
The Timeline
10 weeks before moving: Started listing big furniture on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
8 weeks before: Listed smaller items. Priced things to sell, not to profit. Our goal was empty rooms, not maximum dollars.
4 weeks before: Dropped prices on anything unsold. Donated items to Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
2 weeks before: Gave remaining items to friends. Put the last bits on the curb with a "free" sign.
Moving day: Walked out of an empty apartment with two suitcases each.
What We Sold and For How Much
| Item | Paid | Sold For | Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couch | $1,200 | $400 | $800 |
| Bed frame + mattress | $900 | $250 | $650 |
| Dining table + chairs | $600 | $200 | $400 |
| TV (55 inch) | $500 | $200 | $300 |
| Bookshelf | $150 | $40 | $110 |
| Kitchen appliances | $800 | $300 | $500 |
| Clothes (bulk) | N/A | $350 | N/A |
| Books (boxes) | N/A | $80 | N/A |
| Misc (decor, tools, etc.) | N/A | $180 | N/A |
| Total | $2,000 |
We also sold our car for $2,800. That was the single biggest financial win of the whole process.
Where We Sold
- Facebook Marketplace: Best for furniture and electronics. Fast, local pickup.
- Craigslist: Still works for larger items.
- Poshmark/ThredUp: For clothes with brand value.
- Decluttr: For electronics, books, DVDs.
- Yard sale: One Saturday earned us $400 in miscellaneous items.
- Goodwill/donation: Tax deduction for what we could not sell.
The Emotional Side
Nobody talks about this enough.
Selling your stuff is harder than it sounds. Every item has a memory attached. The coffee table from your first apartment. The lamp you found at a flea market. The couch where you binge-watched entire seasons of TV shows.
We had a few tearful moments standing in an emptying apartment, wondering if we were making a huge mistake.
What We Wish We Knew: The grief is real but temporary. Within a month of arriving in the Netherlands, we barely thought about our old stuff. The experiences of our new life replaced the comfort of our old things. If anything, the lightness felt good.
We kept a small box of truly irreplaceable items: photo albums, a few pieces of family jewelry, letters, and a hand-thrown mug from a friend. That box came in our luggage.
Everything else was replaceable. We replaced it.
What We Shipped Instead
After selling the big stuff, we shipped 3 boxes of things we could not part with or easily replace:
- Clothes for all seasons (2 boxes)
- Sentimental items and important documents (1 box)
Total shipping cost: $875 via shared sea container.
We also maxed out our airline luggage allowance (2 checked bags each, 4 total). That covered work equipment, electronics, and essentials for the first few weeks.
For the full breakdown on shipping logistics, see our shipping belongings to the Netherlands guide.
What We Bought in the Netherlands
Within the first two weeks, we furnished our apartment:
| Item | Cost (EUR) | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Bed frame + mattress | 450 | IKEA |
| Couch | 350 | Marktplaats (secondhand) |
| Dining table + chairs | 200 | IKEA |
| Desk | 150 | IKEA |
| Bookshelves | 80 | IKEA |
| Curtains | 120 | IKEA |
| Kitchen basics | 200 | IKEA + HEMA |
| Bedding and towels | 150 | IKEA |
| Lighting | 100 | IKEA |
| Total | 1,800 |
Yes, we spent a lot at IKEA. Everyone does. The Amsterdam IKEA has a shuttle bus from Centraal Station. You will become very familiar with it.
Pro Tip: Check Marktplaats before buying new. Expats leave the Netherlands constantly, and they sell nearly-new IKEA furniture for 30-50% off. We got a 600 EUR couch for 350 EUR, barely used. Facebook groups like "Expats Leaving Amsterdam" are goldmines.
Would We Do It Again?
Yes. Without hesitation.
The financial math worked out. We earned $4,800 selling, spent $875 shipping, and $1,800 refurnishing. Net cost of the transition: negative $2,125. We actually came out ahead compared to shipping everything.
But more importantly, selling everything forced a mental reset. We arrived in the Netherlands without baggage -- literal and metaphorical. We built our new home intentionally, buying only what we actually needed.
Our Amsterdam apartment is smaller, simpler, and we love it more than any place we have lived.
For more on the costs that catch you off guard during a move, read about the hidden costs of moving to the Netherlands.
Our Advice
Sell if:
- Your furniture is not high-end or antique
- You are moving to a standard Dutch apartment (small, narrow stairs)
- You want to start fresh
- The money from selling helps fund your move
Ship if:
- You have truly valuable furniture worth more than shipping costs
- You are moving into a larger space (rare but possible outside Amsterdam)
- You have irreplaceable items that cannot be sold
The hybrid approach: Sell the big stuff, ship the small important stuff, carry the essentials. This is what most DAFT movers end up doing, and it is what we recommend.
For help deciding what to bring, check our what to pack for moving to the Netherlands guide.
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We're not immigration lawyers -- just Americans who did this. Requirements change, so verify with official sources.