At the beginning of the school year, there is often a number of activities you’ll do within your first few weeks. Catch up with old friends, join some clubs, and get textbooks for your classes. So before you head back to school it’s best to prepare for your move ahead of time, so that you’re not scrambling to get your room together while you settle back into the semester.
Have an understanding of where you will be moving – Before you move into a new place, it’s best to get an understanding of what will be there when you arrive. If you’re renting a house or an apartment, go through it to see what space is available to you. If you’re living with other people it’s a great idea to do this with them, so that you don’t bring duplicate items. It’ll also provide you with an idea of what you can and cannot bring.
Helpful tip: Bring a tape measure with you. Measuring your place will help you to organize before the move.
If you’re moving into a dorm or student housing, try to get in to look at your place before you make your move. Most universities will allow you to come in early to see what your place will look like. So take that time to see what space is available to you. While there, go out and explore the campus. It’s a great time to learn landmarks and establish where all your amenities are.
Finding Items that you’ll need – After you go through your place, there may be some pieces of furniture that you’ll need to find. Often, it’s best to look around at garage sales or on online sites to see what cheap items are out there. Spring or summer is a great time to do this, as most people will often try to remove unused items from their homes.
Helpful tip: Bring a tape measure with you when you see these items as it’ll help you to understand whether or not an item will fit.
Pack things that you’ll need – If this is your first move away from home, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out what to bring and what not to bring. Make a list of key essentials that you’ll use every day. This will help to keep you focused on key items rather than things that could potentially take up space. Your list should include, kitchen, furniture, and washroom essentials.
Helpful tip: Bring a dolly or a cart in on your moving day. If you’re moving stuff throughout campus, it’s a lot easier to get around with something that has wheels.
Pack a moving day bag – Pack a bag of all of the things that you will need as soon as you move into your new place. Packing a bag with medication, toiletries, and identification documents, are just a few items that can help to make your moving day so much easier.
Put similar moving items together – When packing up your items, try to keep similar things together. This will allow for things to be easily found and to be quickly put away.
Plan to book your move ahead of time – If you’re using professional movers (we know some great ones!), try to book your move about three to four weeks in advance of your actual move-in date. Scheduling your move ahead of time will allow you to book the time that you want and to assess what needs you have while you begin your packing.
When hiring professional movers, the earlier you plan, the more flexibility the mover will have. That flexibility can save you money, so it pays to plan ahead!