The Ultimate Student Moving House Guide

Sometimes unfortunate situations can arise that are out of our control. One of these situations can be getting evicted during the term time at University. You can get evicted for a number of reasons, either you’ve broken an agreement on the contract you signed upon moving in, your landlord’s circumstances have changed and they need to sell, or there’s something faulty with the accommodation in Swiss Cottage which can’t be fixed. Although contractually, landlords have to give adequate notice before evicting their tenants, this notice can be merely weeks. If this happens, finding a new place to live as soon as possible is imperative and doing this in the middle of a semester while you’re studying can be an anxious time. Here are some tips on how to reduce stress and move during term time.

Talk.
If you’re living with others, the first step after finding out you’re being evicted is to sit down and talk about your options. Do you all still want to live together? Do you want a similar place in Swiss Cottage, NW3? Do you want to stay in the same area or will you need to hire a man with a van to move house? Once you’ve decided what your next move is, the future should look a little clearer and less stressful. Remind each other that you shouldn’t panic – you won’t be left out on the street - and, if you need to, notify your parents of the situation.

Begin house-hunting
Start looking for a house in the NW6 area as soon as possible whether online or in-person; your University should be able to supply you with an up-to-date list of student accommodation in the area. During the term, your free time may not always align so nominate someone from your household who is free as soon as possible to go and view accommodation. If you want somewhere similar to your existing place, it shouldn’t be too difficult to make a decision; if not, send them away with a list of deal-breakers for them to look out for and questions to ask. Get them to take pictures and report back to the others before making a decision, unless given the go-ahead.

Hire a student removal company
If there are a few of you, the chances are you’ll have a lot of belongings. If you all chip in and hire a student removal company to help move house in the NW3 region, if could be cheaper than making multiple trips by car and easier than dragging your items box-after-box to your new home. Student moving companies are used to dealing with students, so will be easy to work with and will be able to give you a reasonable quote ahead of time.

Begin packing
Start packing straight away – there is no such thing as too soon. The earlier you begin preparing to move in Swiss Cottage, the less stress there will be down the line. This will also allow you to do a small bit of packing at a time so that it doesn’t affect your studies. Discuss your free time with your housemates and agree on who is packing what in the communal areas; keep a record of this so no one forgets and arguments don’t arise.

Keep studying
It’s crucial that you don’t neglect your studies if you’re moving during the semester. Your studies should take priority and it’s unwise to let your grades slip by taking time off to move. Make sure you keep a strict timetable, which includes your University lectures, time for studying and coursework, and time for packing. Oftentimes, just having a tangible plan can help reduce any anxiety you have surrounding the move.