Student Storage - Move Out Checklist

This student move-out checklist helps college students and parents prepare for dorm move-out and summer storage without the last-minute panic. Whether clearing out a dorm room at UCLA, USC, or LMU, or packing up an off-campus apartment, students at Pepperdine, UC Irvine, Chapman, and other Southern California schools who follow this checklist avoid the most common mistakes that cause damage, delays, and extra stress. Download the printable checklist (PDF) to check off items as you pack.

VIEW PRICES

Step 1 8 Weeks to Move-Out
▼

Now is the time to figure out storage - before the finals stress.

☐ Check your school's move-out dates

☐ Research storage options (Box-n-Go serves CSUN, Cal State LA, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Fullerton, and Cal Poly Pomona)

☐ Decide what to store vs. take home

☐ Talk with roommates about shared storage (students at Claremont Colleges, Pomona, CMC, Harvey Mudd, Scripps, and Pitzer often share containers)

☐ Ask parents if they will fly in to help

Step 2 4 Weeks to Move-Out
▼

Storage pickup slots fill fast during finals week, so book early.

☐ Book your storage pickup

☐ Order packing supplies, if needed

☐ Declutter

☐ Identify building access rules for pickup day

Step 3 2 Weeks to Move-Out

Two yellow Box-n-Go move out storage containers standing in a parking bay outside a campus residence hall, a hand truck between them. — Two containers in the parking bay outside the hall, a hand truck standing between them.

▼

Begin packing items you won't need before move-out.

☐ Pack off-season clothes, decorations, and extra bedding

☐ Pack books you are done using

☐ Use small boxes for heavy items (books, dishes)

☐ Pack boxes to the top

☐ Take photos of electronics and note serial numbers

☐ Create a simple inventory list of what you're storing

Step 4 1 Week to Move-Out
▼

Move-out is close. This is when most packing must be done.

☐ Pack remaining non-essential items

☐ Keep ALL boxes under 50 pounds

☐ Seal all boxes completely with packing tape

☐ Write your name on ALL SIDES of every box

☐ Confirm pickup date and time

Step 5 2-3 Days to Move-Out
▼

Mini-fridges and microwaves need special preparation:

☐ Remove ALL food from mini-fridge

☐ Clean any spills, sticky residue, or odors

A white wire drawer cart packed with a student's things, ready to go on the college move out checklist. — A drawer cart loaded and ready to be wheeled out.

Warning: An improperly prepared fridge WILL damage your other stored items. Don't skip these steps.

Step 6 1 Day to Move-Out
▼

Last chance to get ready before the pickup

☐ Unplug the fridge and leave the door OPEN

☐ Place towels underneath to catch melting ice and water

☐ Once defrosted, wipe fridge interior completely dry

☐ Roll mattress toppers - do NOT fold (damages foam)

☐ Wrap toppers in garbage bags or plastic wrap

☐ Double-bag soft items (single bags tear easily)

☐ Remove bedding from mattress and pack separately

☐ Set aside items you need immediately after move-out (don't pack these)

☐ Charge your phone - you'll need it on pickup day

Step 7 Move-Out Day
▼

Be ready - pickup team is coming

☐ Have an authorized person present if you cannot attend

☐ Keep your phone ON

☐ Final sweep: under bed, closets, drawers, etc.

Box-n-Go boxes stacked and labeled beside a microwave and a hand truck, packed to the dorm move out packing tips. — Boxes taped, labeled and stacked, with the microwave and the hand truck beside them.

☐ Verify item count matches your inventory list

Step 8 After Pickup
▼

Don't skip these steps or you may lose your deposit.

☐ Remove all trash and recycling from room

☐ Do a basic clean (sweep floor, wipe surfaces)

☐ Take photos of the empty room

☐ Return room key and any issued items

☐ Complete checkout with RA or housing office

Do NOT Store

✗ Food and perishables

✗ Liquids (shampoos, cleaners)

✗ Aerosols and batteries

✗ Live plants

✗ Valuables and documents

✗ Medications

Pro Tips for Parents

✓ You don't need to fly in

✓ Book storage early

✓ Use this checklist together

✓ Encourage safe packing

✓ Coordinate storage timing

Last-Minute Checklist

☐ Confirm pickup date/time

☐ Unplug mini-fridge

☐ Remove ALL food/liquids

☐ Boxes under 50 lbs

☐ Name on ALL sides

☐ Keep valuables with you

Download Printable Checklist (PDF)

Why Students Choose Box-n-Go

Box-n-Go dorm move out self storage container standing on a campus walkway beside a clipped hedge. — The container sits beside the hedge, a short walk from the doors.

Traditional self-storage requires renting a truck, loading everything yourself, driving to a facility, and repeating the process when you need your belongings back. For students juggling finals, moving logistics, and travel plans, that is a lot to manage. Students packing up for the summer, or for a semester abroad, have more to plan again: a longer stay in storage and a return date nobody has fixed yet.

Box-n-Go picks up your belongings from your dorm or apartment, stores them in our secure facility, and delivers them to your next location when you are ready. No truck rental. No loading dock lines. No storage unit access hassles during finals week.

Whether you need summer storage, study abroad storage, or dorm storage between semesters, pickup and delivery makes the process simple. Students and parents across Southern California trust Box-n-Go for stress-free storage during college transitions. Check our student discount options and learn about our pickup and delivery service.

What Students and Parents Say

What Our Customers Think

Judy S.

Video transcript

With any storage facility, my concerns are, number one, safety and theft of my items, how well are they going to be cared for? Are they going to be damaged, shaken around, especially in a pod? Then also ease of access, it's not like a roll-up-door storage locker where you can just go and get in; it has to be brought out. And I thought, boy, all that moving around, it's going to be a wreck. And cost, and so on. And then, working with the people there, how easy is that going to be?

I was very pleased with the service. When I first packed up, I didn't order enough pods, and here I am in the middle of moving, on a deadline, I have to fly out across the Pacific, so it's not like I can wait around. I needed more pods. They delivered me more pods on the spot, and I packed them up.

Over the years, and I've been here quite a few years, because I moved from the mainland to Hawaii, and now from Hawaii to Panama, I've had these storage lockers for years. I went from four to three, three to two, and now two to one. Every time I've had to come here or contact them, they're Johnny-on-the-spot, so accommodating. When I call in to make my payments, I almost feel like I work here now, because I know everybody so well. They're very understanding and easy to work with.

I've had other storage lockers, this is the best experience I've ever had. That's why I've been here so long. My kids are already saying they're going to use Box-n-Go when they move. You don't think your stuff's going to be in storage that long, but it is. And with all the ins and outs of the pods, nothing has ever been damaged. Not one thing. So I'm very pleased. Very pleased.

If you're going to be out of state, your stuff's secure, it's taken care of, it's not deteriorating. We had a leather saddle in there for years, I said to my husband, it's going to be full of mold, even your shoes get moldy when they're locked up. We took it out, it's perfect. It's temperature controlled, all of it. I couldn't be happier. I would definitely recommend them. I have recommended them.

Kelly N.

Video transcript

This was the first time I was renting storage. My first concerns were: where was the storage place, and was it safe? I'm putting all my valuables and keepsakes, things that are really important to me, so it was really important that they felt safe, that the company was a real company I trusted. Also the cost, how much was it going to be? I didn't want to have to worry, while I'm out traveling, about being hit with all these fees on top of it, or weird things. So those were the main concerns.

What surprised me the most, there are so many things I could say, but I guess just how easy it was. I had no idea. The whole process was very easy. When I moved everything, the box came to me, I put everything in there, it was just so simple and affordable. And then even getting into my storage: because I decided to keep traveling a little bit longer, it was super easy just to drop in, take stuff out or put some in. It was just so easy. And I felt very safe. So it totally blew my expectations of what I thought storage would be, because it's just been very pleasant.

I recommend them all the time to many people, mostly because I feel safe, I feel like my storage is in a safe place, and just because of how easy and affordable this whole process has been.

Janice H.

Video transcript

When I first called Box-n-Go, I spoke to Frank, and he was very thorough with the information I needed, sizes, prices and rates, the contract based on the number of months, any specials. I thought, wow, he's giving me everything; I'm not really having to ask. I liked that a lot, the information was provided up front. I told him I'd take everything, look through it, do some research, and come back to him. But I pretty much knew everything he'd said made sense, and I felt really comfortable with him. He was oriented toward good customer service, just on point. I had nothing in my mind that said I wanted to look any further.

I did some searches and Box-n-Go came up. I'd talked to some other people before, but when I got to Box-n-Go I was just like, "You know what? I've made my decision." I had no hesitation about going with anyone else.

The container came to my home, and it was exactly the size I thought it was, no surprises, no "this is too big, this is too small." I put everything in it, it got picked up, everything was on schedule, exactly as Frank had said. I was definitely pleased.

I really liked working with Frank. He was my point person the whole time I had my storage. I'd call him, he remembered me, and he made every attempt to be on point with everything. When I'd come to the storage facility to check on things, take some out, put some in, he was always there, friendly. And there were the two Stans; customer service was great, the warehouse guys were great. Everyone was friendly, no one was rude, no one was lost or disappeared. They helped me move stuff in, they helped me move stuff out. It was great, even though I was taking my stuff out of storage.

I would recommend them to everyone. So kudos to Frank, the two Stans, the warehouse guys, and Box-n-Go in general.

★★★★★

"Finals and move-out at the same time was overwhelming. Box-n-Go's student storage service handled everything - I just packed my boxes and they took care of the rest."

USC Student

★★★★★

"I needed student storage for my dorm room during summer break. Box-n-Go's pickup and delivery service made everything simple - they picked up all my boxes and stored them safely until fall move-in."

UCLA Student

★★★★★

"We didn't need to fly in to help with move-out. Box-n-Go coordinated everything directly with our daughter, and we could track it all from home. Huge relief for out-of-state parents."

Parent of College Student

★★★★★

"Storage was one less thing to worry about during finals week. Box-n-Go took care of everything professionally, and our son could focus on exams instead of logistics."

Parent of College Student

Frequently Asked Student Storage Questions

How early should I book student storage?
Book at least 4 weeks before your move-out date. Pickup slots fill quickly during finals week, and early booking ensures you get your preferred date and time - often at better rates.

Can my roommate or RA be present for pickup if I cannot attend?
Yes. Authorize someone to act on your behalf and make sure they have access to your room and contact information for the pickup team.

What happens if I forget to defrost my mini-fridge?
A fridge that is not defrosted can leak water and develop mold during storage. If you forget, the pickup team may not be able to take it, or it may cause damage to your other belongings.

How do I get my belongings back after storage?
Schedule a delivery to your new dorm, apartment, or home. Box-n-Go delivers to addresses throughout Southern California and can ship items to other states if needed.

Choose What Works Best for You

	Self Load	A la Carte Valet
Furniture Prep	You	You
Pack Boxes	You	You
Load Storage	You	We Do
Prorate	Yes	No
Access Notice	1 Day	3 Day
Min. Return Notice	7 Days	5 Days

Some storage offerings may be limited by location

Get Started with Student Storage Today

Box-n-Go has provided portable storage solutions across Southern California since 2006. We are a BBB Accredited Business and proud member of the California Self Storage Association, committed to secure, reliable service for students and families.

Additional Service Options

Local Moving

Loading Help

LD Moving

Ready to make your move-out stress-free? Box-n-Go provides student storage with pickup and delivery for colleges and universities throughout Southern California, including USC, UCLA, LMU, Pepperdine, Chapman University, UC Irvine, and many other campuses.

Call us at 877-269-6461 or find us on Google Maps.

Ready to Schedule Your Storage Pickup?

Don't wait until finals week when slots fill up fast. Call 877-269-6461 to book your pickup date, get pricing, or ask questions about the move-out process.

You can also visit our Google Business page for reviews, hours, and directions.

View All Student Storage FAQs

Explore Student Storage by School

Box-n-Go serves students at Occidental College, Otis College, Caltech, Concordia Irvine, Azusa Pacific, Biola, La Verne, Woodbury, and other students at colleges throughout Southern California. Find storage information for your campus: