Any move to a new living situation comes with some form of preparation on your end. For example, you may be getting ready to live off-campus for the first time this coming fall. Whether you have previously lived at home with family or lived in on-campus housing, moving off-campus definitely brings some changes you may be unfamiliar with. Keep reading for tips on how to get ready to live off-campus this fall and make your upcoming move much easier.
Shop back-to-school sales
If you lived in a dorm previously, you may have been bombarded with advertising for dorm essentials, from mini-fridges to bedroom essentials. These sales aren’t just for those living in on-campus dorms – they are something you should take full advantage of when getting ready to live off-campus this fall. For many off-campus housing situations, apartments or houses will come completely unfurnished and you may be starting with the bare essentials and no furniture.
Every penny can count on a tight budget, so starting your shopping as soon as you start to see back-to-college essentials can save you money in the long run on household essentials, such as storage options, smaller furniture like ottomans and seating, bedding, towels, and so on.
Coordinate with your roommates
If you are going to be living with roommates in your off-campus housing, be sure to coordinate with your roommates on what everyone is planning on bringing, and what the ground rules are when it comes to everyone’s belongings. Without proper communication, you can buy an essential like a vacuum cleaner for the apartment, only to end up with three or four vacuums when everyone ended up buying a vacuum for the apartment.
Once you know who your roommates are, discuss what items you will plan to share, such as kitchen appliances (air fryer, toaster, microwave, blender), electronics (fans, TVs), and so on. You may opt to wait till you are actually in the apartment to buy furniture and divide the costs of living room/common area furniture together. Not only will this help you avoid duplicates taking up space in the apartment, but it can also help split costs when you don’t need to buy everything for yourself.
Prioritize what you need versus what you want
Depending on your situation, from finances to where you are moving from and to, moving into an off-campus apartment can come with more challenges. The costs of living off-campus and furnishing it with everything can be much higher than you anticipate, and you may not have the benefit of buying a lot of things beforehand and taking them with you on your move if you are moving a larger distance or are trying to limit the number of things you actually have to physically move.
To make it easier on yourself financially (and physically), prioritize what you really need for the apartment versus what you want. Of course, you want to be immediately happy and comfortable in your new space, which includes having it completely decorated to your tastes. Unfortunately, you aren’t going to be able to transform your new space overnight, especially on a tight budget.
What do you need immediately to start living in the space? Essential furniture like a bed to sleep on and a desk to study at should take priority on a couch to have friends over on, or bedding and towels would take priority over smaller decor items like wall art or decorative lighting. You can slowly start adding things to your budget as your time and budget allows, don’t force yourself to rush making the space into your own.
Make sure you have your to-do’s done
For most on-campus housing situations, it may be easier to keep track of the small things. Likely, your utilities like electricity and internet were included in the rent, you may have had a meal plan added on top of your rent, you didn’t need your own renter’s insurance, and so on.
Moving off-campus will have you taking more responsibility for setting things up on your own. You will likely have the utility bills under your and your roommate’s name, separate from rent. However you choose to set up utilities, have a plan on how you are splitting costs and how payments will be made on a monthly basis.
You are also more than likely going to have to purchase a renter’s insurance policy prior to moving in, which protects your belongings in case of something like a fire in the apartment.
Small things like this may not be on your mind, but definitely should not be pushed to the last minute before you move to your off-campus housing.
Living off-campus can be challenging for some, but with proper preparation and planning, you can make the transition to your new home much easier. Good luck!
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