Helping your child move to university is emotional enough—don't let packing stress make things even harder. Here are four tips that will help make the move a breeze.
Be Organised When Packing
The biggest difference between moving to a new house and moving to university is that the latter involves splitting belongings between two locations. If you pack something into the wrong box when moving house, it'll be a nuisance when you get to your new home, but you will find the item eventually. If you pack something into the wrong box when your child is moving to university, you could end up needing to make a second lengthy trip to their dorm or pay high shipping costs to get it to them. That's why it's crucial that you stay well organised when packing. Label boxes accurately and write down everything as you pack it. That way, you'll be able to see at a glance which essentials may be missing.
Keep It to One Carload
One of the most important things your budding young student needs to keep in mind is that their student accommodation will likely have a lot less space than they're used to at home, especially if they're sharing a dorm with other students. To avoid overestimating how much they can pack, make sure to keep the belongings they'll be taking to one carload. If it can't fit in the boot or on the back seats, there probably won't be space for it in your child's new place.
Use Storage Boxes, Not Moving Boxes
You may think it's logical to pack your child's belongings into storage boxes. That way, you can fold them flat and take them back in the car after saying goodbye. However, it's often more helpful to buy lidded storage boxes for packing. That way, your son or daughter is guaranteed to have somewhere to keep everything when they arrive at their new dorm. Underbed storage boxes are often the most useful, as are small boxes that sit on shelves and boxes that double up as seating or side tables.
Transfer Everything Else to Self-Storage
Once you're done packing, you'll be left with a lot of items that your child doesn't want to take to university but also doesn't want to throw away. You could keep them in your child's old bedroom, but that leaves you with a room in the house that's useless for most of the year. That's why it's better to keep those other belongings in a storage unit. The items will be safe, secure and out of the way, so you will be able to use your child's old bedroom as a spare room, office space or anything else you'd like while they're away.
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