Hacks: Making The Big Davis Move Easier

It is the end of August and so lots of UC Davis students and recent grads are getting ready to move. We’ve gathered a few moving tips from around the web to make your Big Davis Move easier. First is a Davis-specific tip:

Booze boxes are your friend. If you need boxes and don’t want to pay for them, go to the many shops around Davis and ask for their discarded liquor boxes. These boxes are small, easily carried with built in handles and difficult to overpack. Having standard sizes also makes them easy to stack in a truck.

Apartment Therapy has an absolutely simple yet brilliant 3 step way for Labeling Moving Boxes That Will Make Your Next Move a Breeze:

1. Give each box a number…

Number your moving boxes individually, especially if you personally won’t be moving them (1 of 15, 2 of 15… etc.). This way, it’s easy to see if a box got lost in transit well before it’s time to unpack.

2. Then a color…

Grab a pack of colored permanent markers, and dedicate each color to a different room. Yellow for the kitchen, purple for the bedroom, etc. Color-code the boxes for each room with a big mark in the designated color so that movers (or your really generous friends) know exactly where to drop each box.

3. And finally, a priority.

Write “High” (or “H”) on items that should be unpacked right away, “Medium” on things that can be unpacked more slowly, and “Low” on things that can stay packed for a long while (or forever, whichever comes first).

And here’s an extra tip… put all of these details on the sides of the boxes instead of the top. That way you can see all the relevant info, even when they’re stacked up.

UC Davis students (or really anyone moving into a Tandem Properties apartment) College Fashion has some tips on how to have an easier move-in day. Tips include:

2. Do Your Homework

Especially if this your first time moving into a dorm, you’re going to want to have all your paperwork ready for check-in! A few days before you head out, organize your papers into a brightly colored folder, and place the folder where you know you won’t lose it, like in the car glove box. Memorize your student ID number, the check-in times and locations, and where you can park!

Your Move-in Tool Kit

I firmly believe that every college girl should own a tool kit (and know how to use the majority of the tools). Even if you can’t tell a Phillips head screwdriver from a flat head, this arsenal of supplies will make you feel like a move-in expert!

Starting from the top left corner and going clockwise:

  • Tape measure. I write this in earnest — please, pleaseplease bring a tape measure with you! I just struggled for an hour, trying to move a bunk bed across the room with my boyfriend, only to discover that the bed was two inches wider than the wall space. Especially if you’ve got the perfect dorm room setupin mind, knowing the height and width of all the furniture will help you immensely.
  • Space Bags. I never thought that it was possible to fall in love with an inanimate object, but I was ready to hug all of my Space Bags after I used them to bring all my clothes up. They really do double or triple your storage space, they’re easier to squeeze into a packed car than a huge suitcase or plastic bin, and opening the bags to let the air back in is SO. MUCH. FUN. Watch your clothes inflate right before your eyes! It’s magic!
  • Duct tape. If moving in to college was The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, duct tape would be 42. It is the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Use it for everything from sticking down extension cords to sealing boxes to making prom dresses. (Okay, that last one might be a few years too late.)
  • Moving boxes with handle cutouts. Don’t strain your back! Get moving boxes with built-in handles to help you move them from car to dorm. I have always preferred moving boxes to plastic bins for moving all my stuff, simply because they fold up nicely and go under my bed until I reuse them to move back home. I also cut them up to make decorations, which is embarrassingly frugal of me.
  • Rubber mallet. If you want to loft or de-loft your bed, a rubber mallet is key. It could also prove useful in a zombie apocalypse.
  • Utility knife. Use it to cut through those impossible-to-open plastic packages, and to open your packed moving boxes.
  • Level. If you haven’t got a level at home, download this free app to help make sure your posters and photos are attached to the wall perfectly!

Bonus: A Brief List of Commonly Forgotten Items

Don’t be like me and pack the night before you leave – this lack of planning led me to forget all of my pillows (and my robe, and my desk lamp, and my socks…). Check this list of commonly forgotten items, and make sure to bring them!

  • Extension cords
  • Tissues, paper towels, cleaning supplies
  • An awesome bottle opener, for those over 21! Check out this cool skeleton key bottle opener.
  • Shower shoes
  • First-aid kit
  • Batteries
  • All of the chargers for your electronics
  • Pillows, robe, desk lamp, socks. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

 

You can read the rest of the College Fashion article here.