Packing to Move Back Home from College

It seems like just a short time ago you were moving out to go to college. Now the year is over, and you are getting ready to move back home for the summer. A little planning can make the packing and moving process go smoothly.

The day before the move, remember to clean out your car to make room for all your belongings. Fill up your gas tank so that you are ready to roll once you get packed.

Maybe you have accumulated more stuff than your room at home can hold. If you do not want to invest in renting a storage space, place notices around the dorm for what you would like to sell or give away. Some campuses hold a yard sale to help students unload no-longer-needed items.

Start collecting "containers" a couple of weeks before the moving date. Sturdy boxes are good for breakables such as dishes, picture frames, mirrors, and toiletries. Look for boxes with sturdy lids. Some of the best boxes are those from liquor stores or Avon products. They are made for transporting glass items, so they are thick and have tight-fitting lids. Use towels or shirts to wrap the fragile items so they will not bump against each other in the boxes. Trash bags can be used for linens, clothes, or papers. The advantage of packing some items in bags is the ability to squeeze them into the small spaces left after you get all the bigger items in the car.

Pillow cases can be used to haul shampoo, shaving cream, body wash and other items in non-breakable containers. Make use of your sheets and bed covers. Fold them and put them between larger pieces of furniture to avoid scratches. Pillows can also be stuffed between large items for protection.

Use teamwork to get your car loaded more quickly. See if some friends are willing to swap "sweat equity"-you help them load up in exchange for the use of their backs and muscles to help you out. Work out the times when you could help each other, and save some trips up and down stairs and halls.

Park your vehicle so the back end is facing the sidewalk. This will save some steps and make loading easier. When packing the car, put the big items in first. Be sure to keep the driver's area of visibility clear. After the large pieces of furniture and boxes are loaded, then you can stuff the softer containers-trash bags, pillow cases, plastic bags-in the nooks and crannies that are left.

Now the challenge is to find a place to get all that stuff back into your room!