Moving into your first apartment is a big step, whether you’ve previously lived on campus or this is the beginning of your freshman year and you’ll be living away from home for the first time. Wondering what move-in day will look like when you check into your new apartment? There are several things you’ll need to take care of, not to mention a few key responsibilities you’ll need to consider as you move in.
1. Create a Plan for Your Move-In Day
The day you move in or out of a new apartment isn’t quite like any other day at your apartment. Before moving in, create a plan that will help you determine how to handle all those important responsibilities. You may want to consider:
- What time can you pick up your key? Where do you need to go to get it?
- Where, at the apartment, is there space for a moving truck, if relevant?
- Do you need a parking pass for friends and family members who might be helping you move? If not, where will they park?
- Do you have access to an elevator to help move items?
- Do you have enough people to move those heavy items into your apartment–especially if you’re going to need to move them upstairs?
By creating a plan ahead of time, you can get a better idea of exactly what you’re going to need on the big day–and what you don’t have to bring along with you. Don’t forget to check your campus schedule! Ideally, you may want to move in a couple of days before the University of Colorado Boulder-wide move-in day, since you may have plenty of other things to take care of and activities to enjoy at the official beginning of the semester.
2. Walk Through the Apartment
Your landlord has probably already inspected the apartment as the previous tenants were leaving. Before you move in, however, cast another eye over it. If you notice any problems, including windows that don’t move up and down properly, doors that stick, or an HVAC unit that won’t get to your preferred temperature, report it to your landlord ASAP–and take pictures, if needed. Keep in mind that what seems like a minor problem now, when the weather is relatively mild, may become a more serious problem as you move into the cold Colorado winter months.
3. Confirm Guidelines with Your Roommate
Moving in with a roommate–or roommates–is a great way to save a little money during your college years. Hopefully, if you’re going to be sharing an apartment, you’ve already connected with your roommate or roommates. On move-in day, however, make sure you take a few minutes together to confirm some of the details of sharing your living space. This might include:
- Communal versus private items. What items will you be sharing? What items belong to you, personally?
- Who’s providing things like televisions or furniture for the apartment?
- How are you going to divvy up cleaning responsibilities?
- How do you plan to handle quiet hours? Boyfriends/girlfriends in the apartment? Guests and visitors? By handling these issues upfront, you can often prevent disagreements down the road from becoming substantially more serious.
4. Stock Your Apartment
Many of the items you need for your apartment, you likely brought with you. You may already have things like towels, basic toiletries, and plates, for example–and if you don’t, it’s okay to stick with the relatively minimal items you used in your UC Boulder dorm room for a while, until you can budget for other items. There are some things, however, that you may need to run out and purchase before you officially move into the apartment. Make sure you have:
- Toilet paper (Having spare rolls on hand in case of emergency is always a good idea, too!)
- A few basic kitchen staples–or, if you enjoy cooking or plan to cook frequently, you may want to stock the kitchen more fully
- Cleaning supplies
- Paper towels
- A first aid kit–at least make sure you have band-aids and other basic supplies on hand
- Hangers for your closets
- Basic kitchen tools and spices–you should at least pick up salt and pepper shakers to have on hand!
Talk with your roommate or roommates about what you consider basic essentials and who will be responsible for buying them. You may choose to each have individual first aid supplies, for example, or you might all go in together on a bigger kit and replenish it as necessary.
5. Plan to Socialize
It’s your first night in your new apartment. Now what? You might be exhausted from moving in and want nothing more than to crash, especially after you’ve unpacked many of your possessions and started settling in. It’s important, however, to remember to engage in some of the many social activities that go along with life at CU Boulder. Try to plan at least a couple of social activities as you move into your new apartment, potentially including:
A farewell dinner or other activities with your family. If you had your family helping you move in, you might want to enjoy a meal out with them or hang out in the middle of your new living room floor with a pizza.
A bonding activity with your new roommates. You’ll probably be sharing this space for the next year. You might as well take the time to get to know one another–especially since the semester will be starting and you’ll all be busy before you know it.
Social activities on campus. Take a look at the university calendar and commit to participating in at least a couple of the on-campus activities. While you don’t have to go to every activity on campus, during move-in week or throughout the rest of the year, you should take advantage of a few of those activities to get out there and meet people. You never know when you might meet your new best friend–or the study buddy you’ll rely on most during that end-of-the-semester crunch.Are you looking for an apartment located near the University of Colorado Boulder? Contact us today to learn more about our apartments and how they can be the ideal solution for a CU Boulder student.