Moving to a New Flat after Graduating

For most people graduating from college is associated with finding their first full-time job, following their ambitions and building plans for a future career; one thing that often eludes their attention is moving off to start living alone, probably for the first time in their lives. Before they lived first with their parents, then in a college dorm, now they have to set up their own household.

But first – actually move their things there, which can be tricky if you haven’t done it before. Here are a few tips that will help you out.

1. Get as Many Boxes as You Can

If you are not buying your boxes from a moving company (and we don’t recommend that, as there are many ways of getting them free of charge), start collecting them a long time before the actual move. You will need a lot of them, many more than you can imagine. After all, it is better to have excess boxes and throw them away when the time comes than find out too late you don’t have enough.

2. Pack Smartly

If you approach your packing haphazardly, you will have hard time finding anything for weeks after moving. That is why you need a system: number all your boxes and make a list, writing down what each of them contains. Be as specific as possible, don’t trust yourself to remember what you meant by “Bthrm misc.” when it comes to looking for your toothbrush in the small hours.

Pack things thematically and color code your boxes: assign a color to each room of your future home and put corresponding stickers to boxes that will go to each of them.

3. Get Rid of Unnecessary Things

When we stay in one place for a long time we tend to accumulate a lot of, let’s put it straight, useless junk. Excess furniture, clothing, accessories, glassware – in other words, everything you don’t need for your everyday life.

When you start packing, take a careful look at all your things and ask yourself: did I use this thing in the last year? If no, you probably don’t need it at all. Get rid of it: sell, donate or throw away, it doesn’t matter. By doing this you will not only free yourself from all the needless clutter, but cut moving costs as well – you have no idea how much space is taken up by things we never use and don’t even like.

4. Pack the Least Used Things First

No matter how efficient you are, packing is going to take some time. Thus, you should do it in a way that would be the least disruptive for your life. Start with packing out-of-season clothing and footwear, things from guestrooms, bulk items and suchlike. End with cooking utensils and food supplies. Ideally, you should plan in a way to go through all your supplies just by the time you are going to move.

5. Use the Containers You Already Have

There are many containers in our home we don’t notice because we are used to them: dustbins, bags, suitcases and so on. If you are going to keep them, be sure to use them for transporting other things while on the move.

6. Pack Books in Small Boxes

If you have lots of books, keep them in small boxes – they are very heavy, and you will not be able to lift a large box filled with them.

Starting your independent life after college is a big step, and a good reason to renovate your way of life. Don’t let small things get in the way – stay positive and everything will be alright!

Melissa is a student of journalism. She is graduating this year and is working on her own project Studday dedicated to deliver information about educational trends and opportunities to students all over the world.