When you have a child moving out to go to college, the idea of packing and sorting through all their belongings from the past 18 years can seem intimidating. Begin by breaking down everything into basic categories, and you’ll find the task is much easier. The storage rental team at Hesperia Self Storage in California recommend sorting items for smart and simple packing.

How to Categorize a College Packing List

1. Items to Stay

What will stay in the child’s bedroom depends on how you plan to use the room. For example, if you want to use it as a guest bedroom, then you’ll want to leave the furniture they had in there. It smooths the transition for them if you leave the room similar to the way they left it — even if the room will be serving another purpose. For example, allow them to fill the closet with items that they will want handy when they come back to visit.

2. Items to Go to College

Closet space tends to be limited in the dorms, and if your child plans to come home between semesters, they don’t need all their clothing. For example, heading off to a fall semester means bringing along warmer clothing and leaving the spring and summertime clothing behind. They will want to pack all their electronics and cords, laundry and bathroom supplies, and some bedding. They should also bring any dorm decor they want to have with them, such as photos and posters.

3. Items to Throw Away

Consider giving items away or donating them to charity to avoid wastage if they are in good condition. Students should get rid of all clothing that they haven’t worn in the past year and don’t see themselves wearing anytime soon. They should get rid of old electronics they don’t plan on using in college or a future home.

4. Items to Go in a Storage Rental

Everything else should go into a storage rental. Don’t let students be too hasty in throwing things away; Items may have sentimental value in the future that they aren’t considering now. Yearbooks have valuable memories they’ll want to look back on later, and furniture they don’t need in their dorm may come in handy when they need to furnish an apartment. Anything that the student won’t take with them to college or need when they come back to visit should go into a storage unit.

Getting a storage rental allows you to keep the things that are important to your child without them taking up valuable space in your home. Hesperia Self Storage offers secure and affordable storage, so you can do this without breaking your budget. Contact them at (760) 244-4545 to talk about pricing and their current self-storage availability.