Preparing to Move Out of Student Accommodation
As the university year comes to a close, many student accommodation tenancies will be coming to an end. Whether you’re heading home for the summer, going travelling or moving everything to your new digs, moving out of student accommodation can be stressful. Not only do you need to pack up everything you own – including all the things you’ve accumulated over the year, but you’ll want to make sure to leave your accommodation clean and as you found it when you arrived if you want to get your security deposit back.
Get Organised
Before you start packing up your room, it’s good to find out exactly what you need to do ahead of and on moving day. First, check your tenancy agreement and confirm your move out date. With this date in mind, you can start to arrange when you’re going to empty your room, clean, and hand back the keys. If, for example, you’re studying at a university in Glasgow, now is also an excellent time to book your student storage in Glasgow if you need somewhere safe and secure to keep your belongings over the summer.
At this point, it’s also a good idea to talk to your flatmates about their moving out plans to make sure everyone does their fair share of cleaning the communal areas. You may even be able to split the cost of student storage in Edinburgh if their plans align with your own.
Check Your Inventory
When you moved into your student accommodation, you will likely have completed an inventory declaring the condition of everything in the property. Before moving out, check the inventory and make sure everything is in the same condition you found it when you arrived. Any damage to the property will be deducted from your initial security deposit, so it pays to do a thorough inspection of the inventory.
If anything is damaged or broken beyond what could be considered general wear and tear, honesty is the best policy. Talk to your landlord or student accommodation provider before moving out and report any maintenance issues. They are likely to be more understanding if you’re honest with them.
Bills, Utilities and Changing Address
Depending on whether your rent includes utilities, you may or may not have final bills to pay and metre readings to provide to energy suppliers. If you’ve been paying utility bills yourself, you’ll need to take final metre readings, settle your final bills, and close your accounts. Keep a record of any metre readings and payments you make for future reference.
If your bills are included in your rent, your landlord or accommodation provider should have this in hand, but do make sure you’ve informed any other companies you receive bills from that you’ve moved to a different address. Nowadays, most companies send bills electronically, but it’s a good idea to set up a redirect with the Royal Mail to make sure any paper bills get forwarded to your new address.
Declutter, Donate and Recycle Unwanted Things
You’ve probably accumulated a lot of unnecessary stuff over the past year, and moving out is the perfect opportunity to declutter and find new homes for the things you no longer need. Set any unwanted clothes, books or anything else you want to be rid of to one side. See if your flatmates want anything you’re giving away and donate anything in good condition to a local charity shop.
For items that are broken or not in a suitable condition to be donated, try to recycle them before throwing them straight in the bin. Your local recycling centres will often accept everything from old clothes to electrical equipment, so it’s best to dispose of things this way rather than in your general waste bins.
Do a Deep Clean
It may not be glamorous, but a thorough clean of your student accommodation is an absolute must if you want to get your full security deposit back (money aside, it’s also the respectful thing to do). Many accommodation providers will offer guidance on their expectations for an end-of-tenancy clean. Still, as a general rule, it should be a thorough, deep clean that covers every nook and cranny of your accommodation.
A deep clean is best performed once you’ve moved everything out and are working with an empty space. This is where student storage in Dundee comes in handy, as you can get all your possessions into a storage unit and out of the way before you start cleaning. Clean everything from the carpets to the walls, insides of the kitchen cupboards and the oven, and you’ll get your deposit back in no time.
Arrange Student Storage
We’ve touched upon using self storage like that available from Kangaroo, but we’re going to mention it again because it really can be a lifesaver for students and parents. Self storage can take the stress out of moving house by giving you a safe, clean and secure place to keep your things for as long as you need.
Whether that’s a few weeks, the whole summer, or years, units like Kangaroo’s self storage in Altrincham, Warrington and Wirral come in a range of different sizes, so you’ll never pay for more space than you need. Moreover, as a student, you’ll likely move house multiple times, between halls of residence, your parents’ house and off-campus house shares. That’s a lot of shifting all your things back and forth. Using self storage whilst you’re between houses is a great way to alleviate some of the stress of moving, so get a quote for self storage in Scotland and the North West today.