Moving Tips for Relocating from a Dorm to an Apartment

• September 11th, 2025
• Posted in Residential Moving

In this blog entry, the professional TriState area residential moving service experts here at Noah’s Ark Moving and Storage will detail a useful checklist for useful moving tips for college students.

What are the challenges of moving from a dormitory to an apartment?

It can be very challenging to move from student housing to your first real apartment. While university dorms handle things like utilities, maintenance, and furniture for you, when you move you will have to figure all of these variables out for yourself. The difference in building types can also pose difficulty – from having to carry your belongings up the stairs at a walk-up apartment, or scheduling a freight elevator at specific moving hours at a high-rise. Many co-ops have strict policies for moving in as well as requiring insurance certificates. 

Noah’s Ark Moving and Storage takes care of all moving logistics, so your relocation from student housing to a home or apartment anywhere in New York City – or the broader TriState area – is a total breeze.

Useful Checklist for Student Moving

Months Before Moving Day

• Research potential neighborhoods and apartments
• Contact our team to get a quote for your move
• Begin to declutter your dormitory
• Donate items that you haven’t used all semester
• Collect free boxes from your campus or from local stores

One Month Before Moving Day

• Confirm the lease details for your new apartment, and your moving day
• Schedule with our moving company
• Confirm all building moving requirements
• Secure packing supplies including boxes, packing tape, markers, bubble wrap, and mattress covers
• Pack all non-essential items like seasonal clothing and decorations, and books
• Research all of the utility companies you will need to work with, and schedule all connections

Two Weeks Before Moving Day

• Submit all relevant moving permits
• Pack all your belongings besides your daily essentials
• Create a detailed inventory list of your belongings complete with photos of valuables
• Arrange with our team for student storage in New York City if there’s a potential gap between your move-out date and your move-in date

The Week of Your Move

• Pack a kit of all the belongings you will need during your first week of your move including toiletries, medication, changes of clothes, important documents and files, and electronic chargers
• Withdraw cash out for tips and sudden expenses
• Confirm details with your moving team a day in advance
• Pack all necessary cleaning supplies for leaving your dorm and moving into your new apartment

Shopping List for Essentials for your First Apartment

• Kitchen basics including pots and pans, a can opener utensils, cups, and plates
• Shower curtain, toilet paper, and towels
• Bedroom items like linens pillows, sheets, and an alarm
• Cleaning supplies including paper towels, a broom, vacuums, and all-purpose cleaners
• A toolkit including a hammer, phillips head and flat head screwdrivers, and measuring tape

What documents are essential to keep on hand during your student move?

• Your new apartment lease
• Keys
• Social security card
• Photo ID
• Proof of insurance (we recommend getting renters insurance)
• University transcripts and enrollment proof
• Emergency contact info