With the end of the school year comes moving-season, and for many, it’s literally unbearable. Res-halls on campus and cheap apartment complexes in town are buzzing with students desperately trying to stuff every last item into their parents’ cars and a fight is bound to ensue.
Even outside of moving in and out of housing for the school year, I happen to be someone who has moved several times in my life, and consider myself somewhat of a seasoned athlete at this game. While every single time has been miserable in its own right, I can honestly say that I’m on the up-and-up with just how tolerable the whole ordeal is. Over the years, I’ve made disastrous mistakes but I’ve also figured out somewhat of a formula for how to get things done.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
- You are a hoarder.
And if you think you’re not, I’m calling your bluff. We all have at least one category in our lives that’s cluttered. Maybe you have a cabinet of skincare that all has one last drop left and you’re keeping it “just in case.” Maybe it’s an entire wardrobe of clothes from when you were 16 that you’re stuffing against the wall of your closet, because what if you lose weight (guilty as charged)? Pick your most cluttered category and dump it. It’s time.
- The category is… storage!
Be really intentional about what you’re packing where. It can be really tempting to throw random piles of things into a bag and move on to the next one. While that speeds up the process of moving out, future you will literally have a meltdown and that’s what we’re trying to avoid. Pro tip: make category piles before you bring out the boxes and bags. There’s just something so satisfying about organized piles.
- If you don’t know where to put it, you probably don’t need it.
This one is a little bit of a combo between tip 1 and tip 2 because sometimes we don’t recognize our hoard until it’s right in front of us. When you’re making your super fancy category piles, you’ll most likely come across some items that beg the age old question: “where do I belong?” Unfortunately, for that grad school pamphlet you got in the mail that you’ve been holding onto in case you ever want to subject yourself to more of this mess, the answer is probably in the garbage. If you have to think about how much the item really means to you for more than 5 seconds, it’s time to part ways.
- Space bags and trash bags are your new besties.
On the more practical side of things, I have found that these two items have saved both space and tears each time I’ve moved since using them. Vacuumable bags can fit a surprising amount of things and take up so little space. They can be on the pricier side, but they more than make up for it. Plus, if you’re anything like me, you would buy 50 space bags if it meant saving an argument between you and your family when your stuff doesn’t fit in their biggest SUV. These are the perfect option for your folded clothes, linens, pillows, towels, and plushies!
My favorite way to transport hanging clothes is by using trash bags. All you’ve got to do is section off pieces of your closet, open a trash bag, and while the clothes are still hanging, put the clothes into the bag, tying it off at the hanger. While this doesn’t exactly save much room, you’ll thank yourself when the only thing you have to do to store them back at home is hang them up and cut the bag off. Chef’s-freaking-kiss.
I have good news and bad news. The good news is that it’ll all be fine; you’ll be able to pack all of the things you really need, and the things you don’t will find a new home. The bad news is that you’re gonna cry at least once, but that’s ok! It builds character.
Keep some of these tips in mind, and you just might find that move-out went a whole heck of a lot smoother than move in.