Moving out of home: How to pack up your life like a pro
If you’re getting ready to finally leave the nest and enter the big bad world of adulthood, chances are you’ve got a long list of things to do and you’re completely freaking out. Don’t worry, it’s normal.
Leaving the safety and comfort of your parents’ house is a stressful and intimidating time, but it doesn’t need to be made worse by how much your packing skills suck. To escape the anxiety-ridden chaos that comes with an unorganised move, here are some packing tips you’ll thank yourself for following.
Moving out of home is an excuse to declutter your life
You don’t realise how much crap you’ve accumulated until you move. Whether it’s a decade’s worth of clothes you’re struggling to fit in your wardrobe or the childhood toys you’ve been hoarding your entire life, your room is probably filled to the brim with stuff you haven’t looked at, used, or worn in years.
If you take the time to throw out (or donate!) all the unwanted possessions you have stored away, this will help you organise your life and make your parents very happy in the process. Come on, they deserve it.
Only take the essentials
Take it from someone who has changed addresses three times in two years – those teddy bears, extra pairs of slippers and four sets of spare sheets are only taking up space. Unless you seriously don’t think you can live without something, leave everything behind that you don’t see yourself needing on a daily or weekly basis.
This includes not bringing every item of clothing you’ve ever owned with you. Only pack your favourite shirts, pants, jumpers, and dresses, because we both know that’s all you’ll end up wearing.
Take advantage of any suitcases, laundry baskets, and bags you’re already bringing with you
These items are great makeshift storage containers and will save you money on loads of cardboard boxes for your move. Cardboard boxes are surprisingly expensive to buy and even more expensive to dispose of in large quantities, plus the less cardboard you use the more environmentally friendly you’re being. Hurrah!
Don’t buy anything until you’ve moved in
Repeat after me: You don’t need to buy everything before you leave. The mop, bathmat, and optimistic organisational whiteboard can wait. Most college dorms, student housing buildings and shared accommodation already have everything you need, so there’s no point wasting money on doubling up.
Even if you’re moving into your own place, you’re better off waiting until you know what kind of space you’re dealing with before going crazy at Kmart on things you might have nowhere to store.
Plan for having minimal storage space
Work on the basis that you’ll have less room for things than you probably will. This will allow for space for the things you’ll buy when you get there and prevent disorder when you move in (at least for the first few weeks). You’ll also end up packing less junk and thinking more seriously about what you really need to take with you.
Save room for the sentimental stuff
Even if you don’t feel like you’ll miss it, it’s nice to have reminders of home when you first move out. Living out of home can get overwhelming, so remember to take your favourite pillow with you and maybe even that photo you have framed on your bedside table.
These things will help keep you grounded when it all gets a bit too much and will ease you into a transition no amount of organised packing can prepare you for.
Penny Robinson
Penny is a Philosophy and Media and Communications student at the University of Melbourne. She enjoys travelling, snacking, and not going to the gym.
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