Go Group Blog Useful moving tips for students

A student move is not hugely different to any other move in terms of organization. Perhaps, the biggest difference is that students often have less money but plenty of things.According to the Money Supermarket, the average student has possessions of £4000 or more! With this amount of stuff, gone are the days that you can realistically throw it all into a plastic bag or supermarket box and walk away. In general though, the same tips and tricks apply to a student move as to any other.Reduce the amount you have to move and then the costPack everything sensibly and well. Make sure it is all well labelledRemember useful tools like a screwdriver and a hammer - for when the screwdriver doesn't do the trick!Be really kind to your family or friends so that they will help you when you move in, move out or move your things to storageWith all those pointers out of the way, what other things are useful to consider if you are a student on the move?Moving further afield or just down the road?Moving as always is influenced by weight, value and distance. So, moving overseas or just to a neighbouring town has a big cost implication. Another issue that is strongly influential is whether the move is short or long term.Negotiate with your landlordIf you are moving for a shorter term, for example over the summer because your rental contract ends, consider negotiating with your landlord/lady for storage over this period. It is probably (although no guarantees!) cheaper than finding storage solutions. Often the property is not being used so it is in the landlord's best interest to have some money coming in. Do also enquire in your local town. Many moving companies will offer some good deals on short term storage for students.Share the loadYou have just spent the last year sharing with your roomies or flat/housemates, so why stop now! If there are a number of you, you could easily share moving and storage costs. This might be particularly useful if you are a group of students far from home. If one of you has a parent with a garage, even better. An offer of a bottle or case of wine may very well do the trick!Good Quality BoxesWhether you are moving for a long time or just over the summer, good quality boxes are your friend and a very good investment. Not only are they perfect for moving and storing things, they are also great as furniture. An inexpensive hanging wardrobe box could work very well as your full time wardrobe in times of need. A sturdy book box can make a brilliant coffee table. If you are only moving temporarily, you don't even need to unpack them!Obviously all this makeshift furniture may need some styling, but everyone's favourite Swedish store has no ends of ideas for the budget conscious.Options for moving your things further afield.1-Shipping your things by sea is useful particularly for a longer term move. You can usually book a good sized crate. Be warned though, shipping by sea takes a long time and there can be many delays. If you really need your things for the start of a course, plan well in advance.2-Another option is to use a courier service. Particularly good if you need your things yesterday, or for valuable items that you cannot easily fly with. It can be quite expensive, but is usually very secure.3-Excess baggage. Increasingly, companies are offering this service. Not as quick as flying with the items yourself, but considerably quicker than shipping by sea. Usually you can expect to receive your bag/boxes within 7 days. It is also cheaper than using a courier or airline excess baggage service and also less restrictive in terms of weight.If you require any further information about moving options you can contact a member of our moving team. Require a quote for your move? Then fill in our quote form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.AuthorJennifer Beattie