Tips For A Smooth Move Out Day For Students

So, you’re finished with school for the year—or maybe for good! It’s time to move out. Moving is always somewhat of a chore, but there are ways to make your move out day smoother and easier. Here are some tips for a smooth move out day for students who want to keep it simple.

Start Smart: Rent Your Furniture

When you buy your furniture, you pay more for less and are stuck with it—that much is a given. But beyond that, you’re actually paying more to lose out on a lot of convenience that renting can give you. When you choose furniture rental, not only does the company deliver and set up your furniture, someone else can disassemble and take the furniture away, making move out day that much easier. That process also lowers your moving and storage bills in a major way.

Plan Ahead

The night before the move, if you’re still figuring out how or when you’re going to pack things, where you’ll store your stuff, or what to do with the cat, you’ve waited a little too long. Don’t do this to yourself; plan ahead. You can get everything done—even if you have a huge house and a family—with eight weeks of lead time.

As a general frame of reference, about eight weeks before the move, know who the movers are, even if they’re your friends. Make sure you have a truck secured for the big day. At about six weeks, start filling out forms (like change of address, new insurance) and clean out closets and lesser-used cabinets. At four weeks before the move, make sure your new utilities are set. Know where your moving supplies like boxes and packing tape are coming from.

At two weeks to moving, start packing! With one week left, confirm things like reservations for moving trucks and pet sitting. With a few days left before the move, you should mostly be done.

Know What Your School Requires

If you’re living on campus or off-campus in housing that’s connected to the school in any way, make sure you know about any move out rules they’ve set. You don’t want to be halfway across the country only to learn that you were supposed to meet with someone from Housing in your old place. Check this out several weeks before you move—everyone else is moving out too, so Housing will be busy.

Don’t Forget About Cleaning

The furniture rental place came, you’ve packed all of your things, and the place is finally empty—except for the garbage that is somehow piled up in every corner, and the 2 inches of dust that seems to be caking everything. Gross!

The problem is that you also packed your cleaning supplies, right? Don’t forget this part. Not only can you lose your deposit, it’s just plain rude to leave your place like that. If you know you won’t have time to do it yourself, call a cleaning service. A one-time cleaning probably won’t break your bank and may just get you that deposit back.

Good Luck

It’s time to move on to the next big adventure. If you rent your furniture, plan ahead, know what your school requires during move outs, and remember to clean, you’re going to be in great shape!