As students are heading off to college it can be difficult to decide what stays and what goes. We have the answer for your storage needs for college students.
With summer coming to an end, it is time to get ready for college to start. Whether you have a kid who is leaving for college, or it is you that is preparing to go, you will need to consider self-storage. As everyone knows, dorm life means living in very tiny quarters. Meaning, that you just cannot take everything from home with you to college.
It is very important to take only what you will need with you, and that leaves a lot of items that will be left behind. Or, maybe you overpack and realize once you get to college, that your tiny dorm room can only accommodate the barest of essentials.
If you are a parent of a college student, perhaps you want to turn their old rooms into an office or home gym. Perhaps to make that happen, you will have some items that will need to be stored elsewhere. In any case, a self-storage unit will probably be necessary. Read the article below for helpful tips to help with common storage needs for college students.
Decide What Goes to School and What Stays
As your college-bound student gets ready for college, the first thing to do is to catalog the items that need to be packed, and what items need to stay behind. This will help you make sure you or your student will be taking the essentials with them but storing what will need to be left behind.
This really does help ensure that your student does not forget essential items like bed pillows, but also allows them to leave behind nonessential items that would only take up space in a tiny dorm room. The “take it or leave it list” will help you or your student organize their belongings.
From there, what is left behind then can be organized for self-storage. The fact is, that a lot of households will not have the closet or storage space to hold the stay behind belongings. Remember that the items that stay behind will have to be stored for the school year, that is about nine months. This is where a self-storage unit comes in handy.
Storage Needs for College Students – Find a Storage Unit for Your Stuff
Before the big move to campus, you will need to find a storage unit for your stuff. First, look for any facilities that offer discounts to college students and go from there. Location-wise, a storage unit facility may charge more the closer to campus it is, and because of high demand, they may have fewer units available.
Instead, try to locate a storage facility that has a lot of options to choose from, even if it is further from campus.
Once you settle on a location, you will then need to determine the right-sized unit for your belongings. Below is a brief breakdown of what size units are typically available and how much stuff that sized unit can hold.
- 5×5 unit: this is ideal for about a dozen boxes and furniture such as a desk that is too big to take in your tiny dorm room.
- 5×10 unit: in this sized unit you could probably store the boxes and maybe a mattress that is left behind because it is too big for a typical dorm room.
- 5×15 unit: this sized unit can accommodate a whole room’s worth of furniture. Very ideal if you are leaving behind most of your bedroom furniture because they are too big for your dorm room.
- 10×10 or the biggest option 10×15: This size storage unit can hold an entire apartment’s worth of belongings.
You will also decide on any additional accommodations. You can get climate-controlled units, perfect if you are storing electronics.
It may cost you more, but you can rest easy knowing that the controlled temperature will keep the elements from damaging your stuff. If budget is a concern, you could split the cost of a unit with a friend or your roommate.
Storage Tips
If you are uncertain about how to properly store your items, read our tips below to help you along! These tips are crucial to storing your belongings in a safe manner.
And, knowing that your items are safe will be one less worry you will have during the school year. You can store pretty much anything, but there are a few things that will not fare well in a storage unit. It would be dangerous to store weapons, gasoline, or paint. And delicate items like plants or food will not last long in a storage unit.
If you are leaving behind a vehicle, because you are not taking it to college, you may want to look into vehicle storage. Leaving the car behind in an open parking lot could put your vehicle at risk for theft or damage.
You may even have it towed if not stored properly. Prepare your automobile for storage by getting the oil changed, inflating the tires, and having it cleaned. There are waterproof covers for vehicles if you are storing them outside.
Finally, consider these tips on how to properly store your possessions:
Electronics: If you have the original box, store your electronics in them and then place a canvas cover over them for safe storing.
Books: To prevent damaging the books’ spines, stack the books on top of each other horizontally. Place the books in boxes to prevent water damage.
Furniture: Try to place the furniture on wood panels to prevent the pieces from getting dirty or wet from the floor. You can also place the furniture vertically to save space in the storage unit.
Kitchen Items and Household Stuff: Pack heavier items on the bottom of your storage boxes. Wrap individual items in towels or bubble wrap for further protection from the elements.
As a postscript, for even more protection, it may be wise to consider self-storage insurance in case any natural disaster occurs. If you have renters or homeowner’s insurance, your policy may offer protection. Or the storage unit can make suggestions for an insurance company for you to work with.