Everything you need to know about moving out

Moving out can be a big task and often not an enjoyable one. There seems to be a million things to remember to do, along with ensuring the room you leave is clean to get your deposit back! This article will outline everything you need to remember for moving out of student halls/your student house!

1. Gather Supplies for Packing

Before moving out, it’s vital to make sure you have enough boxes and bubble wrap to fit everything in. Plastic boxes can be purchased for cheap in shops like Home Bargains, Wilko or B&M. They make moving out a lot easier as they allow you to organise your things into different boxes and stack them, which can make using moving trolleys and storing your possessions straightforward. Another advantage is they can be reused every year and can also be used as extra room storage during the year. Along with this, things like bin bags, vacuum storage bags and bubble wrap can help to make moving out even easier so it’s a good idea to stock up on these before you start packing away your things.

2. Plan for a Smooth Transition

If you’re moving into a new place and there isn’t overlap in your tenancies, consider planning where you’re going to store your things and how you’re going to move them in between each place. You could ask your next place if it’s possible to move your things in early; some accommodations and houses allow you to store your possessions for a small fee and could save you time and peace of mind as you won’t need to move your things twice. If this isn’t possible, however, you could rent a storage locker instead. There are many options available online to suit different budgets, and sharing them with your flatmates can decrease the price even further.

3. Cleaning and Documentation

Another thing to remember is to leave out your cleaning supplies as when you leave you’ll need to give your room and communal spaces a good scrub to ensure you get back your full deposit. If you lived in a house, the landlord may have sent photos of the room’s condition before you moved in. Use these photos to compare to your current house state to make sure it’s up to scratch. You can also use these as evidence for any damage you might get blamed for that isn’t your fault and take your own as evidence for the condition you left the room in. A further thing to note is to report any wear and tear of the house to the landlord before you move out, just to make sure you don’t get blamed for anything that isn’t your fault.

4. Declutter and Donate

Finally, moving out is a perfect opportunity to have a big clearout! In the lead-up to the move-out day, you could go through your clothes and either donate, recycle, or re-sell them on sites like Vinted or Depop. You can also do this for your other items and donate things like unopened food and toiletries to a food bank. The university has two food banks of its own, one in the Student Union and one at Witham House.