It’s time to move out of your dorm, but college can sometimes hamper your finances, and you’re looking for the absolute cheapest way to move out and get back home, or into a new apartment.
Of course, you want to know all the cheapest moving options before committing to anything. Well, at Collegeboxes, that’s what we’re here for! So, sit down, relax, and figure out your cheap move-out strategy from our helpful list.
Key Takeaways
- The fewer belongings and furniture you have, the cheaper your move-out will be.
- Bundling certain services like moving boxes, loading and unloading help, and storage together often leads to the cheapest dorm or apartment move-out option
- You can pack nearly 500 pounds of belongings and have everything picked up, stored for the entire summer, and delivered to your new dorm or apartment for under $300 with Collegeboxes.
What Are the Cheapest College Move-Out Options?
This question isn’t as simple as you would think. There are five total different moving options that you can do; some of them apply to those with vehicles and licenses, while others are convenient options for any college student trying to move on the cheap.
Best Cheap Dorm Move-Out Option
Using Collegeboxes for Moving, Shipping, and Storage
By using all the Collegeboxes services to their maximum potential, you get professionally trained dorm room movers, pickup and delivery of your belongings, and storage all wrapped into one affordable cost. Collegeboxes offers three move-out services: Student Storage, Direct Shipping (ship to home), and International Shipping.
With Student Storage, Collegeboxes picks up your belongings which are then placed in a climate-controlled U-Haul storage facility. Once summer break is over, your belongings are delivered to your new dorm or apartment.
For Direct Shipping, you pack up your belongings, attach a FedEx shipping label, and we take care of the rest, or you can drop your boxes at a local FedEx office. You can also move back to school using this same method.
When using International Shipping, Collegeboxes provides you with all the invoices, letters, and labels you need, so you don’t have to stress. We’ll schedule a FedEx Express pickup that works best for you, or you can drop your packages off at a local FedEx office.
You can use the Collegeboxes Price Calculator to estimate exactly how much you can spend to get the most convenient moving and storage experience of your college journey. This tool is perfect for mixing and matching the costs of different box and item sizes and how much everything will cost.
Learn more about How to Sign Up for Collegeboxes.
Better Cheap College Move-Out Option
Using Your Car
Using cars for your move-out is a more cost-effective option since you most likely only pay for gas money and the vehicle’s regular expenses during the moving period.
But here is where this cheap move-out option can be difficult for college students: Getting access to a vehicle in your late teens and early twenties can be very difficult. Several car rental companies won’t rent to college-age students, and the ones that do will charge a young driver fee on top of the rental rate.
Renting a Moving Truck or Cargo Van
To rent a truck or cargo van, some companies require you to be at least 21 years old, while some need you to be 18 years old. This can be a good option if you need to drive a long distance and aren’t coming back to school. You will have likely accumulated the most amount of stuff in your college lifetime by the time you leave for good. These options are also nice if you and your roommates are all moving to a new place together.
Renting a Trailer
Renting a trailer can be trickier because you must have a vehicle that is capable of towing. Both options are better because they are affordable, accommodate more belongings, and can be more flexible when it comes to choosing what stuff to keep and get rid of while packing, but they both rely on you having a license, may have a young driver fee attached, and the more miles you travel, the more it will cost you in gas and mileage fees.
Good Cheap College Move-Out Option
Using a Portable Storage Container
A good option for college move-out is using a portable storage container paired with movers. This option is generally the most expensive but does come with some obvious benefits.
You can ship a portable storage container across the country, but it will cost you. The average cost to ship a portable storage container increases the more miles you need it shipped, and it can run you more than $1,000 easily for a state-to-state move.
The biggest benefit is that you can store your belongings at the storage company’s facilities near your university or apartment at no extra cost, then have the portable storage unit delivered before the semester starts.
This option is great for graduating seniors who are looking to move cross-country for a job or just moving back home.
Why Should You Go with Collegeboxes?
Collegeboxes has moved and stored more than 100,000 students’ belongings and has done so proudly since 1999. With schools across the entire U.S. and Canada that use Collegeboxes’ services, you know you are going with a reliable, affordable, and convenient college moving and storage experience. Search for your school and get Collegeboxes today!