Every year, students across Rondebosch, Observatory, Mowbray, Bellville and the city centre have the same problem. The academic year ends, residence or the lease ends with it, and the next place only opens in February. That leaves two or three months of furniture, books and a bar fridge with nowhere to go. Here is how to sort it out without your parents driving down to fetch everything.
Work out your two dates first
The date you have to be out, and the date you can move into next year's place. Res move-out dates are fixed and published early. Private digs usually follow the lease, and many student leases end on 30 November. Write both dates down before you book anything.
If you are flying home straight after your last exam, book collection for the day before you leave, not the morning of your flight.
What is worth storing and what is not
Store what is expensive or annoying to replace: a desk chair, a bar fridge, a microwave, a bike, textbooks you will need again, and winter bedding. Cheap things that are bulky, like a broken laundry basket or a R150 lamp, are usually better given to a first-year.
- Defrost and dry the bar fridge at least a day before collection, and leave the door propped open with a cloth inside.
- Empty and dry anything that has held water: kettles, flasks, the dehumidifier.
- Never pack food, not even sealed two-minute noodles.
Sharing with housemates
Housemates in a digs can share a collection slot and keep separate accounts, so each person's boxes are billed and returned to them alone. That matters in February, when people move to different houses.
Getting it back in February
Book delivery to the new address once you have the keys. Requests placed before noon come back the next business day, so you can wait until you are actually in the new room before asking.
Storage is billed monthly with no minimum term, so you pay for the months you use and nothing more.