Every time you move to a new home, you need to make some hard decisions about what is coming with you. Packing up all of your belongings is the perfect time to assess what you own and determine whether it really needs to be transferred to your new address.

In general, furniture is essential enough to be exempt from this rule. You can pare down your book collection, but you'll still need a bookshelf to keep your volumes when you unpack at your new residence.

However, there are some circumstances where it makes more sense to give up a piece of furniture instead of taking it with you. Something might not be a good fit for your new home, or it might just be too decrepit to be worth shipping from Point A to Point B.

Furniture is generally an expensive purchase when it comes to larger items like sofas and beds. It doesn't make sense to abandon something which is relatively new or in good shape. But since movers typically factor the weight of the cargo into their price, a bulky item can translate to a significantly higher cost.

Elizabeth Licata, writing for the home design site Apartment Therapy, says one general rule to follow while moving is to consider whether something is replaceable or not. She suggests getting rid of items you haven't made use of in three years, so furniture is likely to make the cut. Still, some pieces—like a guest bedroom set which has gone unused—might not pass this test.

Considering your furniture in this way might also make you more cautious about getting rid of potentially valuable furniture. An antique dresser may be a hassle to move, but you don't want to sell it for a few bucks at a tag sale and see it show up on "Antiques Roadshow" appraised for thousands.

Try to get an idea of how much space your new home has. Anne Miller, writing for the National Association of Realtors, says it helps to measure these spaces—as well as openings such as the front door and stairwell—to see if it is even possible to wrangle the furniture into its assigned space.

Your real estate agent or the former owner may be able to offer some insight into the furniture that could be included in a room. Drawing a scale representation of the floor plan and your furniture will give a visual representation of how you can fit everything in, or what you'll have to eliminate or downsize in order for an arrangement to work.

Even if a piece of furniture can be squeezed into a room, it might not be a good fit. Miller says you'll have to consider whether the item will overlap part of a doorway, block light from a window, or otherwise inhibit the home features.

Furniture may clash with the new home for other reasons as well. The color or shape may not match with a room, making it seem out of place. However, it might be possible to solve this problem through inexpensive means, such as placing a slipcover over the sofa.

Miller says a bit of math can also help you make your decision. Find out how much a piece of furniture weighs and calculate how much it will cost to transport it for the move. If you think the result is more than the furniture is worth, you should leave it behind and go shopping for a replacement as you get settled in.

If you are moving in with a roommate or significant other, you'll likely have a few duplicate pieces of furniture. Find out which ones will work best in the new home and eliminate the rest.

As with any unneeded items, you have a few options when it comes to getting furniture out of your home. You can discard it if it is in bad condition, sell it, or donate it to a charitable organization.