Preparing for move-out - the RIGHT way!
As the semester comes to an end, it is very important to have everything in order BEFORE you move out. The last day of the semester could be a stressful one if you are trying to move out and taking final exams on the same day, which could lead to a lot of stress added to your day. It is best to start preparing for move-out at least a week in advance.
Cleaning
Whether you are in a dorm or an apartment, having your space clean when the campus/landlords come to inspect will help a lot with getting your deposit back and avoiding unnecessary fines. The first thing you will want to do is gather your cleaning materials.
I find all of these to be extremely helpful:
- Glass cleaner
- Cleaning spray
- Wipes
- Mop/Swiffer
- Vacuum
- Trash bags
- Paper towels
- Duster
- Magic eraser
- Step ladder
- Any other special cleaning solutions you may need
(In some instances, you can mix baking soda or dish soap, so maybe include those on your list. Always do your research first!!)
Cleaning can take a while so it might be helpful for you to grab your roommates or some friends and make a party out of it. You can jam to some tunes as you tackle different parts of the space.
Don’t pack away your cleaning supplies just yet though! There will of course be more cleaning that can’t happen until furniture/appliances are moved as well as some quick clean-up in your new place, but do as much of the cleaning ahead of time as you can.
Maintenance
No one wants to get charged extra fees or lose part of their deposit when they move out. It is important to get your maintenance requests in ASAP so that you can avoid any issues with such fines.
If there are little things that you can fix on your own, do that immediately. Small holes in the wall? Find a bar of soap that matches in color and rub it over the hole to fill it.
However, for anything out of your control, putting in maintenance requests is the best way to get those things taken care of before move-out.
Packing Up
Within a week of move-out, start packing up your unneeded clothes. If you are moving from one apartment to another, wash your clothes before packing them. You never know what the washer/dryer might be like at your new place and if there is any damage, you may be waiting on the installation of a new appliance before you can do laundry.
Trash bags are going to be your best friend for your clothing. Any laundry you don’t want to do quite yet can just be thrown into a large trash bag to make it easy for transportation.
Any clothing that you have on hangers can stay on the hangers. Just use a large trash bag to fit over a bunch of your hangers and tie the garbage bag around the physical hanger. This will make it unbelievably easy to transport them. Don’t forget to label them! Blue painter's tape and a Sharpie will do just fine for labeling your many trash bags.
Any other items like books, binders, notebooks, makeup, hair tools, towels, etc. can be boxed up. You can get moving boxes for free from a lot of stores/supermarkets. Sam’s Club is a great place to go to for free boxes but you can look for other locations in your area too.
Food
Any food that you have refrigerated should be eaten before you move. There is no enjoyment in moving a ton of food from one place to another especially if you don’t know the condition of the fridge/pantry in your new place.
If you need to buy food before you are moving out, make sure that it is something you either don’t mind transporting between locations or can eat within the time from now until moving out.
If you have a mini fridge, make sure you unplug it at least 24-48 hours in advance of move-out so it can defrost before you move.
Furniture
Deconstruct as much of your furniture as you can before moving out. If you have an available trunk or UHaul truck, pack as much furniture as you can into those before move-out day. Desks, desk chairs, bed frames, etc.
If you don’t have the instructions for putting your furniture together, take photos or videos of yourself as you are taking it apart so you can remember how to put it back together. There are also a lot of instructions that you can find online as PDFs if you need them.
The sooner the furniture is out and moved, the faster you can get to cleaning those hidden corners and get rid of all the dust bunnies that may have been hiding behind your desk or under your bed.
Move-out Day!
If you can get a dolly from home depot or a similar store, it will be extremely helpful for you to move any heavy furniture or to move lots of boxes at once.
On the morning of move-out, you want to have all of the packing done. The last thing you may need to do is grab all of your bedding and pack that into another trash bag. It helps if you have two sets of sheets so you don’t have to worry about washing them right away when you move in.
At this point, most of your furniture should be moved out (if possible). Gather up your last few things and load up your vehicle with the help of your team!
Once you have moved everything out, take one last walkthrough of your dorm/apartment. Look for anything that could have been left behind. Check all cabinets, shelves, drawers, and every nook and cranny.
Just like a hotel room, you don’t want to leave anything behind for someone else to claim.
If you followed all of these steps, then congratulations! You have successfully moved out!