Dorm Move OUT tips

We got SO many great tips for the big dorm move IN, anticipating moving kid OUT of the dorms next month, what’s the best/fastest way to accomplish this? Do we bother with empty plastic crates or just bring in bags to haul everything out?

Any tips/tricks we should know about from you seasoned pros?

What about big things like the mattress topper - I guess we roll it up in a plastic bag and duct tape it until August?

FWIW no flights involved - driving the haul. Thanks for sharing!

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Some campuses accept donations of dorm stuff unopened food/ bedding/ clothes/ gear when kids move out.

Cleaning supplies / mini vac or broom. Check the “to do” list with RA to sign them out. Defrost fridge day ahead and dry out.

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We get a storage unit and leave most of their stuff at school.

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Things to consider:

  1. How did you get the stuff there?
  2. How big is the volume of stuff acquired by the student while at the dorm (any durable items purchased, any books, papers, or other school work items to be retained)?
  3. Does all of the above fit in the vehicle(s) to be used?
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Extension to this, how far do you need to move?

If student is “local” and parents are driving to help move the kid, then everything is easy. Pack the car and go.

If we are talking about flying, then it will take some planning: Winter clothing that won’t be used in Spring / Summer can probably be packed and shipped UPS few months/weeks beforehand. Old books/notes that student like to preserved can also be shipped USPS Media Mail (up to 70 lbs per box). Appliances can be sold on Craigslist / OfferUp.

Worse case scenario, you can always hire a moving company…

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Our cross country trip kid rented a storage unit with friends.

Our more local kid…we took our van and he just put everything in it. We didn’t do packing at all. That was up to him to figure out. I think he had boxes for things like books.

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We are moving back and forth one DD in minivan to Atlanta every year from DC. (We have friends and family in Atlanta). However, we decided not to do that for DD in Memphis. She will put things in storage and will fly Southwest with 2 luggage bags and carry on.
Flying is definitely cheaper and simpler.

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Don’t forget to spend any flexible dining dollars. My DS bought a bunch of snacks and drinks at the end.

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Don’t forget the walkthrough if necessary. Take photos or video in case there’s an issue. Also remember to turn in the key(s). Refrigerator too if rented.

All good advice above. The first thing is don’t bring too much stuff in the first place. My kids rented storage. Much easier.

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All great advice - thanks everyone! Local move - everything came in one car load and hopefully will go out the same way. My husband went to university in a different country where they dorm for 4 years in the same room - he couldn’t believe we had to move her out! :laughing:

I like those big zip up IKEA Frakta bags. You can get them on Amazon. My D22’s mattress topper fits in one.

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I’ve had 5 kids in undergrad, closest 45 minutes away, farthest 12 hours, H and I never participated in move out. Some got rides from friends, some had cars, some rented storage. It was nice when they had the same apartment for at least a couple of years. We move in freshman year, that’s it (they said they got it). A lot of stuff never came home, never to be seen again.

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Two Advil

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This is our third move-out rodeo. S23 is at a college that is 1800 miles away from home, but one that we’re familiar with because D19 attended too. Our strategy: toss anything that has outlasted its use/cheap to replace, box up everything else and move it to a local storage unit. Storage costs are suprisingly expensive so we have encouraged kiddo to split the costs with future roomies and/or friends. Storing everything locally made fall move-in a breeze.

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We’ve used collegeboxes (a UHaul company) for years. It’s been a godsend, although not cheap. You can order the storage kit including boxes, tape (free delivery). They deliver the kit with a few weeks left in the academic year. Student packs and labels the boxes, leaves in the dorm room, then the company picks them up at the end of the school year, stores them over the summer (climate controlled) and delivers to the dorm room at move in for the fall. They also have an option to ship boxes to home and between schools (which we used when my child graduated boarding school in the spring then started college in the fall). This year I’ve paid for 5 of their college boxes (enough capacity for an entire dorm room) to be stored, plus a bean bag chair and mattress topper. The kit and moving and storage came out to $413. If you sign up for five boxes (for example) to be stored and you only use three, you are only charged for what is stored. They will also store non boxed goods like fans, desk chairs, refrigerators, etc. You can use your own boxes and plastic bins too. Caveat: I’m not sure if all schools participate

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We did the same as @familyrock with a company called All Campus Storage the four years our son was at boarding school. You couldn’t pay me to help with move out (have you ever smelled a boy’s dorm room?). That was all on him. He and the Army handled move out each year at the academy.

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If your kiddo doesn’t have a storage unit yet, get on it. My kid shares one with 3 other students.

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The cleaning supplies are a must. Especially if you have boys who shared a bathroom YUK!! - but if you don’t want to get fined, bring gloves, a mask and good cleaner! And yes photos are helpful. Next year take pictures at move in too.
Storage units are helpful, but friends staying in town over the summer who will hold some stuff is better! We used a combo of plastic bins and plastic bags, but many use the blue ikea bags. We would have if we had them available back then.

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