Prepare to move out serenely!

The sun is shining over the Marshall building, the library is constantly packed with people panicking over their revisions… You know what this means: the end of the year is nearly here. And with it, comes a moment that is both bittersweet and inevitable: the time for you to move out of Halls.

I have moved out of Halls once before. In my experience, you want it to be reflective and nostalgic - like standing at the door of your kitchen remembering all the memories you created here. But in reality, trust me, it will be frantic and exhausting, both physically and emotionally. There’s just no way around it!

But don’t worry! Here I am, with a few pieces of advice about what your room should look like when you move out, what the process is going to be like, and how you can prepare.

🧳 First, there's packing.

You never truly realise how much stuff you’ve accumulated over the academic year until you’re trying to cram it all in a suitcase! However, it's important to start early, because there should be nothing left in your room when you move out.

• Start packing at least a few days before your actual move out date. This allows the process to be more serene, and you can figure out what you want to keep and what you can give away.
• There’s going to be stuff you want to give away or simply have no room for. Think about donating before you throw them away. Organisations like the British Heart Foundation or Oxfam are always looking for donations. The BHF have boxes in some of the Halls where you can donate your (clean) clothes, making the process super easy. Before you donate, make sure you check what items they can and cannot take.

For example, in Robeson House, the donation box is in the laundry room.

🫧 Then, there's cleaning.

The goal is to make sure you give your room back in the same condition you got it! This includes cleaning the bathroom, the floors… Be careful taking your posters and things off the walls as well.

It’s the same for the kitchen! You can organise the cleaning of the kitchen with your flatmates. The main thing is it shouldn’t be done by only one person, of course. Figure out together if you want to do it on your own (each person doing a little bit) or as a group activity.

🔗 Shameless plug: all the tips I gave in my spring cleaning article also apply here!

If you're short on time or budget, I find that all-purpose cleaner and a microfiber sponge or cloth do the job perfectly for most things!

🚚 Finally, there's moving out day.

If you organised it well enough, you should be mostly packed by then. Look around your room one last time, to make sure you don’t forget anything. It’s also, in my experience, a good idea to sweep the floors quickly right before your leave (with the communal mop if there is one), as the process of moving out and people walking in and out with their shoes on can undo some of your hard cleaning work.

Once you’re done, you can give your keys back to reception, and then it’s bye-bye for good, LSE Halls… Before you give your keys back, make sure you haven’t forgotten to do or take anything, as you won’t have access to your room afterwards. Get it right to avoid unnecessary stress!

✅ Summing up: what your room should look like when you move out!

• There should be nothing left in there: pack or donate everything! All your rubbish should also be properly disposed of before you leave.
• It should look the same as when you moved in: take everything off the walls and clean thoroughly, both your room/bathroom and the kitchen. Make sure you don't cause any damage, in particular when packing your decorations away.
• Check Halls Life for cleaning tips if you're overwhelmed or not sure how to proceed!
• Do one last sweep of your room before you leave, because once you give back your keys to reception, you won't have access anymore.