Where Will They Put All Their Stuff?
Can you put it in storage? Oh, PLEEEASE can you put it in storage??
How will you manage storage? It’s that time between semesters when they want to bring EVERYTHING home for a few weeks or even the summer. You’re wondering: (a) how will I get it all back here and (b) and where… in the heck… am I going to store it all? Not earth-shattering questions, by any means, but certainly heavy ones. And I mean literally heavy. I remember my daughter’s freshman year. I drove up to get her and, by the time we had finished packing the car, there was barely enough room to squeeze our bodies into our seats. Not to mention, I had the feeling the whole drive home that the car was skimming the pavement, in true (if unintended) lowrider fashion. I wondered if her belongings had somehow multiplied over the previous 10 months.
Then the unloading began. We unloaded everything into the garage, sorting what could stay in our garage for the summer and what needed to find space in the house. I’ll admit I was a bit flustered. Not quite panicking, mind you, but I did consider contracting with one of those professional organizers that come to your home and teaches you to purge.
The next year, my load (and mind) lightened as we learned about storage facilities not far from campus. There are different kinds and one must consider which is best for what you want to store and for how long.
In the case of commercial storage facilities, you cut costs by looking further from campus and opting out of air conditioning. This means carefully identifying those items that can safely remain in the Georgia heat unharmed for a few weeks to two months. And honestly, paying for the additional cost of climate control might be worth it to have everything stored in one place if it won’t be needed during that time. That’s something you should weigh as you’re considering your optimum storage solution. In our case, my daughter tightly secured bags filled with shoes and sweaters, boxed dishes, and other kitchen items, wrapped a long mirror, and packed other heat-impervious items for storage.
HaveUHeard that something else to consider is the need for transportation to the unit to fill it? Right from the start, we set the rule that my daughter wasn’t to make that trip alone or after dark. Note that the offices at most storage facilities close at 5 or 6 pm, but access to your unit usually remains open — some into the evening, some 24 hours. When shopping, check those hours of availability and also be sure the facility you choose has working cameras. Sharing a storage unit, regardless of what features you opt for, is also a great idea. It cuts the cost in half and someone else always has a key. (Yes, keys get lost, alas.)
Get a Move On
Begin early and think ahead when shopping for a storage unit. When you’ve made your selection, get the confirmation in writing. We’ve heard of students believing they have secured a unit well in advance, only to show up on moving day and be told the facility was sold out for months. My daughter was shut out of the closer-to-campus facilities just because she waited until the final two weeks of the semester to start shopping. This need for advance planning, along with the lower cost, is part of the reason we suggest looking for storage a bit further from campus. Begin the search and secure a unit as early as you can before the end of a semester. (Even a month or two is not unreasonable) .
Then have students slowly weed things out and even pack a box or bag or two. (As I’ve said more than once, a parent’s hope springs eternal.) At least ASK them to start. You can try playing it as a great study break to thoroughly clear their minds of biology, accounting, or literature. (That is NOT my laughter you hear in the background, I promise…)
But there was happier cooperation when I reminded my daughter and her roomie that we had carefully flattened the boxes we brought at move-in, and left them, the packing tape, and giant garbage bags hidden under their beds, along with the collapsible hand truck. (We told you that hand-truck was a good investment!) It took the guesswork and busywork out of having to replace those items and adding that to their packing responsibilities.
Typically in Athens, students who live far away choose to get storage units for their items since it makes no sense to pack everything up in May only to move it back in August. Most storage units in Athens will do a month to month rental so you can cancel it after you clean it out in the fall.
Find a Facility
The most popular, most highly recommended, and most used by UGA students are:
Chase Street Self Storage: 1150 N. Chase Street
Elbow Room Self Storage: 925 Danielsville Road
StorageMart: two locations
All of these storage units are very reputable among people in Athens and are very easy to access on move-in days, move out days, and any other time of the year.
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