Great Tips For Moving Home As A Student

Whether you are about to embark on the exciting first year of university life, and you’re trying to concentrate on the practicalities of moving out (without getting too distracted by what to wear for freshers week!), or you’re about to move into a semi-professional house share as a postgraduate, moving home is always tricky, and never easy. They say moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do in your life, and most university students would probably be inclined to agree!

If this is you, don’t worry, there are ways to make it as stress free as possible when you are moving into student accommodation, Exeter University, here’s how:

Organisation

You have to be organised, there’s no other way around it. You need to make lists, you need to buy packing stuff, you need to arrange moving vehicles/ self storage/ friend help – you basically need to completely project manage yourself. Don’t be afraid, you can totally do this. Just write a big initial list of everything you think you need to do, then keep adding to it, and then you can refine it so you know exactly what the plan is and what you need to get/ do. You could even treat yourself to a new notepad and pen for the job!

Timing

This comes with organisation naturally, but it’s a point to be emphasised. If you know you have to be out of your current student accommodation by the end of the month, and into your new student accommodation Exeter on the same day you move, you must leave enough time to pack and sort everything out. Packing last minute ends in breakages, stress and potentially items getting left behind. Make sure your timing is worked out so that you have a schedule to work too.

Packaging

Many students see black bags, loose cardboard boxes and recycling bags as adequate packaging (if any at all). This is fine if you don’t mind your stuff getting dirty, wet or damaged. However, for proper protection you need good packaging. Get some sturdy boxes from the supermarket for free (banana boxes with lids are great), some packing tape, newspaper and anything else you think you need. For stuff going into self storage, consider investing in high quality packing materials.

Organising

It really helps to organise the boxes and bags, so you know exactly what is in them. You can write numbers on them and then write down an inventory of what is in each one, or you could just label the items as ‘fragile’ or ‘kitchen stuff’ just so you know roughly where it is going when you get to your new home. Label with sticky labels, or with pieces of paper and sellotape (although these are more liable to fall off).

Getting The Items To Your New Student Accommodation

Now you have everything packed you have to sort out transportation. Can your parents drive you? Do you know anyone with a van you can use? Are there any friends free to help you move your stuff. Reach out to anyone who can help you get your items where they need to be, a pack of beers and a thank you card will inevitably be cheaper than several taxi journeys or a removals company.

Leaving Time To Clean Your Old Home

If you are moving from your parents house, you won’t need to worry about this one. However if you are moving out of your student accommodation into a new house share, you must give yourself enough time to go back and clean it. Don’t move at the last minute without so much as hoovering, this may affect future references and potentially cause you to lose your security deposit if you have left the house in a really bad way. If you and your housemates are all moving out at the same time it might be worth you all arranging a final meetup and clean up to say your goodbyes and get the house spick and span together.

Check, Check And Check Again

It is important to keep on top of everything during the moving process. Has your paperwork gone through for the new accommodation, has your deposit gone through? Are your friends definitely still coming to help you move items into the house? Do they have the address? It may sound like a lot of faff, but it really helps to keep checking everything is as it should be. It only takes a minor oversight to cause you turning up at your new house with no landlord in sight and a removals van threatening to unpack all your stuff on to the pavement!