by CORT Rental Furniture
Ready, Set…
You’ve done it. That piece of paper worth thousands of dollars is framed on the wall, and you’re out in the world as a full-fledged college graduate. Life is no longer sorted into semesters and summers. It is suddenly transient and uncertain. If you have a job, more power to you, but if not – just as likely in today’s economy – you’re on the job hunt. As you and your roommates go separate ways, you’re on the hunt for a new apartment as well. Craigslist, PadMapper, and ApartmentSearch.com are your new best friends. And when the time to move actually arrives, you look forward to it about as much as you would a root canal. However, there are ways to lessen the pain of the big move. Here are a few:
Fine Furnishings
It’s time to forego the roommates and get your own place, so downsizing is imminent. The kitchen table from Aunt Mary’s garage with its mismatched chairs? Donate them. The particleboard bookshelf the former tenant sold you? Make a quick buck on Craigslist. But what about the couch? That retro flame-stitched, green and blue, weirdly wonderful couch. There’s hardly enough room to swing Fluffy the cat in your new place, never mind the luxury of an entire couch in its own special corner. Face it: It’s time. Rent a storage unit (an online self-storage finder can help), sell it, or leave it as a parting gift to your former roommate.
You may have to do the same with a lot of your other large furniture pieces, but it’s for the best. As a young adult whose life is up in the air, it makes more sense to go for furniture rental instead. If you get the chance to intern in Europe for six months, or secure a job on a cruise ship, or see yourself moving into a much nicer place in the near future, it is silly to let a couch hold you down, no matter how retro-fabulous it may be. You’re still in that in-between student stage, as far as your possessions go.
Keep It Simple, Graduate
If you don’t have the desire to hunt for cardboard boxes for several weeks, pack some of your squishier things like clothes and bedding in contractor trash bags. It may look ridiculous, but the bags are easy to carry and easy to store. If you need to make a move again soon, save them. If not… well, you can never have too many trash bags. Also, utilize readymade containers like backpacks or purses— stuff them with little things you don’t want lost in the shuffle.
The Cleaner Closet
This is where some major spring cleaning can occur (ladies, we’re talking especially to you). If you haven’t worn it in the last year, donate it. No! No excuses. Just do it. The same goes for shoes. If you’re really attached to some clothing items you haven’t seen in a while and you’re set on keeping them, put them in a separate section and try evaluating each of them with this question: “Would I wear this right now, today?” Before the move, go to that little section of clothes every morning and try to pick one out of the lineup. If the answer that morning is “no,” say sayonara to that shirt. Then, once it comes time to pack, keep your clothes on their hangers. It saves space during the move and time when you’re hanging everything back up.
Maintaining a minimal and organized space, as well as furnishing your home for the temporary with something like CORT’s student furniture rental - which has nine-month and 12-month packages available with move-in and out included – will leave you free to grab hold of whatever opportunities may come your way.
CORT Furniture is a Berkshire Hathaway company that provides rental furniture to individuals and businesses worldwide. From office relocation to finding a furnished apartment, CORT is there every step of the way to make life transitions seamless and stress-free.
Photo courtesy of CORT.com
