Living in an off-campus apartment might not seem that different from living in the school dorms, but the most notable difference is the amount of things provided for you at school that won’t be elsewhere. To make your move from the dorm to your own place as smooth as possible, make sure you’re aware of what you will need to provide for yourself once you move.
Window Blinds and Shades
Most apartments come with blinds already on the windows, but they might not be very durable or effective at keeping light out. In addition to curtains and curtain rods, it’s a good idea to invest in a set of your own blinds or pull-down shades. Just make sure you save anything that is provided by your landlord so it won’t come out of your security deposit when your lease is up.
Bathroom Necessities
Campus housing usually provides the basic bathroom necessities like shower curtains, hooks, and rods. You will need to provide your own shower curtain and curtain hooks. Some apartments don’t come equipped with shower rods or towel racks, so check with your landlord if you’ll need to provide your own. You will also need to invest in a plunger, a toilet brush, and a pair of household gloves specifically for your bathroom cleaning needs.
A Vacuum Cleaner
Most likely, you didn’t need a vacuum cleaner in your dorm since the only areas in a dorm room that usually have carpets are in the hallways and common areas, which are usually vacuumed by housekeeping staff or by a rotation of students using campus vacuums. You’ll need to bring your own vacuum before moving into your apartment. Even if you aren’t a stickler for cleanliness, it’s important to regularly clean your floors to avoid leaving any long-lasting stains or marks that could come out of your security deposit.
Repair Tools
College campuses usually have a maintenance staff available to assist students in plumbing issues and electrical problems. If you want to avoid expensive visits from repairmen, you will need to keep certain tools on hand. A hammer, nails, a screwdriver, duct tape, pliers, and measuring tape are some important tools to have on hand for minor, daily repairs. Read up on some easy repairs you can do yourself as well. When you know what you can do yourself you can avoid expensive repair bills.
If you’ll be moving on your own, it might be useful to look up a residential moving service like Midwest Moving & Storage Inc. This way you can get the job done in fewer trips and you won’t have to rely on friends to help you move heavy couches up long flights of stairs on your own. Living on your own away from the often overlooked luxuries of dorm life can seem like a daunting prospect, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to keep everything you might need for cleaning, repairs, and daily tasks on hand at all times.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.
Living in an off-campus apartment might not seem that different from living in the school dorms, but the most notable difference is the amount of things provided for you at school that won’t be elsewhere. To make your move from the dorm to your own place as smooth as possible, make sure you’re aware of what you will need to provide for yourself once you move.
