Summer Storage for Students: How College Kids Should Store Their Stuff: When summer finally rolls around, the last thing you want to do is drag your entire dorm room contents all the way home (especially if you typically fly home and ship your belongings) and try to squeeze your stuff into your parents’ house. Storing your things locally is cheaper and easier, especially if you book storage early, split a larger storage unit with a friend, ask for a student discount, and pack your belongings efficiently to make the most of your space. Check out our infographic below for some great tips for saving money and storing your stuff like a pro.

When it comes to deciding how much space you need in a storage unit, remember that belongings typically accumulate throughout college. A 5×5 space that was enough for your freshman year desk, chair, and a dozen boxes may not be enough as you upgrade to a suite room in your sophomore year and need a 5×10 space to store your mattress and box springs. A junior year studio apartment may require a 5×15 space, while your senior year apartment contents can fill a 10×10 unit with a bedroom and living room set, a kitchen table, and lots of boxes. Packing and unpacking are chores that few people enjoy, but luckily, you can make the process pretty painless by packing backwards (with your high-use items that you’ll need right away furthest back in your van or truck). Fill every box’s empty space with crumpled newspaper to stop anything from being crushed, and pack heavy items into small boxes and lighter objects in large ones, making sure the boxes are light enough to move. Stack similar sized boxes together, with heavier items on the bottom, and stack books into heavy-duty boxes to protect their spines. Finally, if you live somewhere that gets very hot or humid, consider a climate-controlled unit for temperature sensitive items like books, electronics, and clothes. Nothing should stand in the way of you and your summer vacation. With a local storage unit, you can safely store your dorm room or apartment contents for the break without the pain and cost of shipping your belongings home. Start looking for storage units now, and get ready to spend the extra money you saved on a well-earned vacation!

Just announced, Next Door Storage is now accepting applications for “The Create Your Space Scholarship.” Application deadline is Monday, February 29th, 2016.

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