Your student is moving out for the first, second, third, or maybe their fourth time and every year is stressful, exhausting, and all around miserable. This article will discuss some ways the Uncle Marty's staff sees that can make move-out easier and more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Busiest days for moving Move-out times are staggered between underclassmen and upperclassmen. But even with the staggering, the volume of people still overwhelms the available space for vehicles around the dorms and in Collegetown.
Underclassmen: the heaviest days for move-out are May 11th-May 19th (May 19th being when dorms close).
Upperclassmen: the heaviest days are from the end of exams May 18th peaking on Memorial Day May 27th. From experience, the best moveout time is May 29th, as most students are gone already so parking is much less congested.
Think ahead. Pack ahead! Final exams and projects are stressful, and a nice productive break for your student may be putting a few unneeded items into their boxes. Have your student buy boxes or totes a month before move out. Then encouraging them to pack up a few items a day throughout the week before they plan to move out. This will help avoid panicked last minute packing. You can even have all the boxes and packing material your student could need delivered right to their door through Uncle Marty's. Pick you boxes wisely. Not all boxes are made alike. Cardboard boxes come in all shapes and sizes, some of which are better for packing and shipping. Often boxes labeled as "moving boxes" that are sold through general retailers are thin cardboard (32 crush test for those interested in specifics) and will tear easily under normal use. It appears to be a great deal and cheaper than other boxes but they will tear quickly under normal use, much less shipping. Instead look for a retailer than offers 200lb test boxes. The rating of the box should be available in the product description or on a stamp on the underside of the box. For reference, 32 crush test boxes are rated to hold 30lbs of items before bursting while 200lb test boxes are rated to 40lbs. 200lb test boxes have a thicker corrugate so are able to withstand much more use before wearing out. All of the standard sizes of boxes that Uncle Marty's offers are 200lb test. Our staff has even seen students use the same boxes for multiple years in a row throughout their college career. Don't be fooled by the prices of inferior boxes, you will pay the price throughout the rest of your move.
Move out early or late in the day. Underclassmen: From our 13 years of experience moving students out of dorms, the Uncle Marty's staff has seen the busiest (and most traffic congested) times for moving are from 11AM-4PM. Avoid driving around the dorms during these times if at all possible! The best and most relaxing method of packing and moving is to have anyone who is helping pack your student's things dropped off at or nearby the dorm then having the driver go park in a close empty lot or on a side street. There is a lot map linked below along with our team's recommendations for parking locations. Now you are no longer being timed by parking enforcement and aren't waiting for 45 minutes to get a parking spot, so you can take however long you need packing your student's things up. Once you're done packing, just leave the things in their dorm room until traffic lightens up. Take the in-between time to enjoy Collegetown or get a meal with your student somewhere in Ithaca. With the aid of a cart (available at most dorms) it should take no longer than 30 minutes to move a dorm's worth of things to a car, so you could be on the road home by 6 PM if all goes well.
Upperclassmen: If you don't know, heart-of-Collegetown street parking is impossible even during the semester, much less during move-out season. Tickets and getting towed put a damper on what is supposed to be an exciting time. The key is knowing your parking ahead of time. Make use of the parking garage located on Dryden Road. Park there then bring your boxes, totes, and packing materials a few blocks to your student's apartment. This will avoid the stress of double parking and reduce overall congestion. Once your student's items are packed up and ready to move, there are 30-minute loading zones located throughout Collegetown that will give you the time to get your student's things to your vehicle. Do not park in the truck loading zone on College Avenue! You will be ticketed and towed quickly, all while causing no end of headache to the local delivery drivers. Most apartment complexes have carts available for use and Uncle Marty's offers card rental service, so if you have to walk a bit further to avoid double parking you won't have to carry those heavy boxes all the way to your car. There is no perfect solution to the parking problem, but the best method is packing up early in the morning or late in the evening.
For both underclassmen and upperclassmen: If you want to avoid fighting traffic or struggling to find parking, schedule a pickup through Uncle Marty's. Our team will pick your student's items up from their dorm, apartment, or the curbside, making your job far easier. Uncle Marty's will store their items or ship them anywhere within the US or internationally. Uncle Marty's frees up your time to enjoy your visit to Ithaca and celebrate the end of a hard semester for your student.
To sum up the ways to ease your load during move-out: have your student start packing early, pick up their things early or late in the day, plan out your parking in advance, and finally, use Uncle Marty's to lighten your load wherever possible. Campus Parking Lot Map North campus - North side (Robert Purcell Hall, Ganędagǫ Hall, etc.): Parking lot-A (4106), Deerborne Pl North campus - South side (Balch Hall, Bauer Hall, etc.): Tang Welcome Center (4119) West Campus (William Keeton house, Flora Rose House, etc.): Stewart Ave, Forest Home Ln, Mary Ann Wood Dr (East Campus is the least accessible of any of the dorms, parking is extremely limited and should be reserved for picking items up, not packing up.)
Comments