Dorm Moving Tips

movingtodorm

College is an important time in any young adult’s life. It is a time of freedom and exploration. Most importantly, it’s the time when students finally leave the nest and move to a dorms. Moving into a dorm is different than moving into a house. There are various points that need to be remembered as you start to pack for your new college stuff. Below are 10 Dorm Moving tips for all Chicago College students.

What’s Your Dorm or Apartment Like? During your college tours, you’ve most likely seen what the dorm you’re about to move into looks like. Take this into consideration as you pack. How big is your room? Does it have a communal bathroom or a private one? Is there a shared kitchen that you can use? Will it fit a fridge? How many drawers will you have? If your moving into an off campus apartment, expand your list. Do you need furniture? How about kitchen appliances and food?

What to Take Do not, do not take everything. Your dorm room with be considerably small than your real room. Not only that, but you will most likely have to share with one or two other people. Make a list of the things you absolutely need. Clothing, along with towels, bed sheets, blankets, and other toiletries will be needed. Get a bathroom carrier to make storing your soaps and going to the bathroom easier. You wouldn’t want your roommates using your shampoo. If there is a kitchen, decide if you are actually going to use it to cook and pack accordingly.

Storage Bins More likely than not, there will be space under your bed to store things (unless you have the top bunk). The provided drawers might not be enough room to keep all of your stuff. If that is the case, some storage bins will easily solve your problem. If anything, you can use them to store clothing as the weather changes. In an apartment, these will give you time to go out and get bedroom furniture.

Locked Box Then comes the questions of valuables. Should you bring that diamond necklace you got as a graduation gift? That’s completely up to you. However, if you do, consider getting a locked box to put your jewelry in. While your new roommate might be the greatest person of Earth, you can never be too safe about your valuables.

Organize Mark everything you pack to make unpacking easier. Put the clothing together, the toiletries together, and the bed linens together, etc. You might be bringing some imperishable snacks to hold you over until you find the local convenience store and you don’t want your blankets to smell like sour cream and onion chips. You also do not want to mix up your stuff with your roommates.

Tools & Necessities You might want to bring a mini screwdriver set just in case. You never know when something needs fixing. Maybe the screw on your chair is loose or maybe you want to shift the height of your bed. Either way, better safe than sorry. Also, bring a roll of paper towels in case. Unpacking can get messy and you don’t want to run around trying to find something to clean up with. If you have a private bathroom, remember to bring toilet paper.

Personal Effects Moving out can be hard, especially since it’ll be the first time you’re truly living alone. You’ll be leaving your family and your friends. Bring some small things to make the transition easier. Pack your favorite stuffed animal or pillow. Bring some pictures as well to put up on your wall. It’ll make your space seem a bit more comfortable.

Moving Company If you have no idea where to start, consider hiring a moving company. The Professionals are the top moving specialists in Chicago. So if you’re attending colleges such as DePaul University, University of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University to name a few, consider calling us for your local Chicago move. We have special deals for Chicago students that you should take advantage of. We can help you pack and with our knowledge and experience, we can advise you on what to bring and what to leave. We also have packing material such as boxes and bubble wrap. If you’re looking for a greener alternative, we have storage containers as well.

Moving doesn’t have to be hard. Going to college is a time of slight anxiety and extreme excitement. As long as you pack right, it’s one less thing to worry about once you are on campus. That way, you can dive right into this new world and start making new friends.

Packing 101

packing

It’s time to move!  You have a new house or apartment in the wonderful city of Chicago.  You’ve found the best Chicago movers just right for you.  The day is drawing closer, both too fast and not fast enough.  So what else is left to be done?  Why, the worst bit of course: packing. At the Professionals Moving Specialists we brought you Packing 101.

Packing brings up the question of what you need and what you can throw out.  Do you really need that five year old throw pillow?  Or that obnoxious, chipping, plastic statue of a stag your mother-in-law gave you for Christmas 3 years ago?  Didn’t think so.  Most moving companies, like ours, provide packing services in addition to moving.  However, if you don’t like people touching your stuff or would simply rather do it yourself, there are key points to remember.

Packing Supplies

How important are packing supplies?  Really important because you can’t pack otherwise!  If you’re not sure where to find packing supplies, we sell everything here at The Professionals.  First, you’ll need boxes.  They come in different sizes so you should probably get a few of each just in case.  Then, packing tape to seal up the glasses.  You’ll most likely have fragile items that need to be moved as well.  For those, make sure you get bubble wrap and packing peanuts.  Wrap things like vases securely with the bubble wrap and use multiple layers if you have to.  Better have it swathed with popping plastic than breaking in the moving van.  Lastly, but very important nevertheless, remember to have a marker. To label the boxes with.  That way you won’t mistakenly put the box of exercise weights on top of the box full of crystal plate.

Fold It

Make sure you fold up your clothes when you pack then.  Don’t just throw them in.  Not only does it look neater, but it also gives you more space and it makes things easier to find.  The same goes for your sheets and towels and blankets.  Put them at the bottom of the box so they can act as a cushion in you want to put anything else in.

Keep It, Throw It

Trust me when I say we are all pack rats whether we deny it or not.  Rummage through your drawer and I guarantee you’ll find something from years ago that you don’t need or use, but still refuse to throw out.  We tend to grow attached to inanimate objects for reasons better addressed in a psychological blog, creating a collection of pointless stuff.  Nonetheless, when we pack, it means we have to go through everything and decide what to keep and what to throw out.  Your new home is like a new canvas.  It is the opportunity to paint a picture significantly different from the old one.  It doesn’t need clutter, especially since it’ll end up with new clutter anyway.  Weigh each item before deciding to keep it.  Do you really need it?  Does it really mean something or are you just used to it?  You’ll be surprised at how much you end up throwing out.

Categorize

Keep things in order by packing them in a certain way.  It’s up to you how to do it, but one of the easiest ways is to pack by room.  Label them “kitchen”, “living room”, “bedroom”, etc so you know where each box goes when you get to your new home.  It eliminates the running around that will happen when you find your pots and pans in bedroom.  Then you can split them into sub-categories such as “linens” and“toiletries”.

Go Green!

Everyone’s environment conscious nowadays so why not jump in the bandwagon?  Our sister company, Chicago Green Box has found the perfect way to make your moving experience easier and help the world while you’re at it.  Rather than buying boxes, rent plastic containers from us.  Not only are they studier than normal cardboard boxes, but there is less hassle once you’re unpacked.  Just return the containers.  There’s no need to worry about recycle days and what to do with the ripped bubble wrap.  These containers come with a lid so all your possessions will be properly sealed.

Packing properly can take a lot of stress out of un-packing.  If you don’t use a professional service, just remember these key tips as you’re getting ready to move.  Pay special attention to fragile items because they are more liable to break.  Though all the organization might seem tedious, it’ll making settling into your new home easier and faster.