Packing Up Your Dorm Room

Woman in yellow shirt and blue jeans packing boxes into moving box

May is nearly half over, and for college students around the country, that often means the end of the spring semester is almost here, if it hasn’t already arrived. At EZ Storage® in Pittsburgh, we’re here to provide self-storage for any student who needs to keep some things safe during summer break. If you’ve just graduated and you’re moving on to the next chapter, or you’re simply moving home for the summer, then visit one of our metro-area locations today!

As you’re packing up your dorm room this month, there are a few things to keep in mind, such as what you’ll use to pack, what you should do with things you don’t need, and how to care for your appliances.

Boxes and Tubs

When you moved into your dorm room last fall, you may have had plastic tubs and cardboard boxes filled with all of your belongings. The tubs were likely stuck in the closet to get them out of the way, and you have broken down the boxes and placed them inside the tubs. If you tossed or recycled the boxes, you can always visit a local home goods store and get more. Your local convenience or liquor store may also have boxes that they’d be willing to give you.

As you’re packing your boxes and tubs, try to keep things separated by type. Put your clothes and accessories into one tub, and all of your books and movies into their own box. Keep in mind how heavy each box or tub is going to be, since you might be carrying some things down the stairs to your car. Your dorm likely has an elevator, but it’s going to be crowded on move-out day, and the stairs may be faster, even if they cause you to expend a bit more energy.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Rid of Things

Once the semester is over and you’re packing up, there might be some things that you really don’t need to take with you. You may have bought a chair or a bookshelf from a local thrift store, and while it served you well during the school year, there’s really no need to move it home with you. You can always take the item back to the thrift store, or you can leave it on the curb for someone to pick up. Check with your school’s policy on what can be left on the curb or in the dumpsters that are brought in at the end of the year. Many people love dumpster diving to find treasures at the end of the semester!

Your clothes are another thing to go through carefully before you move out of the dorm. You might have shirts or pants that you no longer wear, and you may have apparel that no longer fits. Donating these items can help lighten your load, and you’ll have more space in your car to move the things you really need.

Take Care With Appliances

The centerpiece of your dorm room may very well be the flat screen TV that you and your roommates went in on and purchased together. It’s where you watched movies and played video games all year long, but now it needs to be moved out with the rest of your stuff. If you’re moving the TV home with you, the easiest way is to put it back in its original box. If you don’t have the original box, then find a towel or blanket that you can wrap the screen in in order to protect it. You may want to load it into the car last, which means you’ll have to leave a space for it where it can stand up or lay down without risk of being damaged.

You may also have a mini fridge and/or microwave in your dorm room. You plan on using these appliances next school year or in your new apartment, and it’s important that they’re transported safely. You’ll want to clean them inside and out and make sure their cords and coils are protected during the move. The last thing you want is for something to get damaged and you have to buy new appliances before the fall semester!

Find Affordable Storage

Once you’re back at home or settled into your new place, you may find that you need self-storage for a few months. You don’t plan on opening those tubs of clothes and boxes of books and movies over the summer, and it may not make much sense to have them sitting in your bedroom or the garage at your parents’ house.

At EZ Storage®, we can help you find an affordable storage unit for the summer months. You can rent for the time you need, and once you’re headed back to school, you can pick everything up and take it with you. We offer access hours on every day of the year, so you can store or retrieve your belongings whenever it works for you.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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