Moving out – the truth behind the chaos!
Earlier this year I decided that I was going to go and join some different friends next year, living in a new place. I’m still going to be in the same sort of area, sticking with Canley, but in a different part. Technically, I think I’m moving to Tile Hill, but as other students will know, it does just become one area as the boundaries between the two are a little blurry.
Anyway, with the decision to join my friends, came the fact that at the end of my contract, I would have to move all of my belongings out of my current house, ready to move them all into my new place when the contract starts. Just to make things even more fun, there is about a month or so between my old contract running out, and my new contract beginning. As someone who does live quite far away from university, I knew that this was going to be an interesting challenge.
I’ll happily admit it- I am very much not a fan of packing. If I could just throw all my belongings into a box and somehow have it all miraculously fit, I would be so happy. Unfortunately, this is real life and no matter how much I wish I could, that just won’t be possible. Now at this point, it is worth giving a big massive thank you to my two friends who came to bail me out and helped me big time with my packing. There was no way I would have managed it all alone, but as a team effort with my friends and my family stopping by, it happened! Admittedly, it may have taken a couple of days and many trips to various places, but we got there in the end. Now, I’ve taken advantage of the fact my grandparents also live in the Midlands, and I’m storing some of my belongings there while I go back home to the North East for the holidays.
So now in hindsight, is there anything I’d do differently? Any recommendations for anybody else moving? Well, whether you’re packing up to move out or getting ready to move in somewhere new for the first time, there are a few things you can do to make your life easier.
- Have plenty of cardboard boxes on standby. I used to work in a school uniform shop, and my employer let me take several of the boxes that we had deliveries arrive in to help. The boxes will hold their shape and make it easier to pack into a car – as well as holding your stuff securely.
- Get a variety of boxes as well – different things fit better in different places. Plus, smaller boxes stop you packing things to heavily, remember you’ll have to carry everything you pack!
- Big bags are great for clothes! I have two blue IKEA bags, I use one for clothes alongside my suitcase, which is super convenient and the handles make it easy to carry. Bonus use- these also make the perfect bags for carrying laundry to and from the washing machine!
- Use tea towels and pillowcases to protect anything fragile. I tend to use these to wrap things like my glasses, plates and bowls, as a more eco-friendly (and space-saving) alternative to bubble wrapping everything. Just make sure they’re all clean first!
Give yourself time and space for everything to go wrong. Trust me, it will. You might get frustrated, annoyed, tired, it may seem impossible. Don’t worry, it’s part of the experience. You will get there! (And if you’re really stuck, give your friends a call and see if anyone fancies helping, it makes a massive difference to have other people th
