5 Tips on Moving into Your Gainesville Student Apartment

As a college student at UF or Santa Fe, moving into an apartment in Gainesville is an exciting step in your academic career and personal growth. Apartments near UF offer many perks to enhance your student lifestyle, whether that be finally having your own washer and dryer instead of the dorm room communal laundry room, bringing along your furry friend into a pet- friendly apartment, or looking forward to gamedays by your community swimming pool. As exciting as a new apartment is, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed as move-in day approaches.

Here are 5 tips on how to feel at ease moving into your Gainesville student apartment.

Finish all paperwork prior to move-in day.

It’s always best practice to communicate with your new apartment community prior to picking up your keys and double check you’ve filled out all necessary paperwork. Sometimes there’s extra paperwork to process on top of your lease like registering your pet or signing up for renters’ insurance, and the last thing you want to be worried about on move-in day is pesky paperwork.
Take a moment to think through any other paperwork that would be helpful to have completed ahead of the move as well. The easiest way to make sure all your mail is delivered to your new address is by submitting a change-of-address form on USPS.

Pay all fees prior before you pick up your keys.

We highly recommend paying your first month’s rent and any other fees due on move-in day prior to picking up your keys for a seamless move-in. Most student apartments offer electronic rent payments, so you can easily pay your rent and any fees on your phone or computer ahead of moving in. Once everything is paid and signed, ask your apartment community if an assigned move-in appointment time is available.

Communicate with your roommates before moving in.

Whether you’re moving into a 4-bedroom with your 3 lifelong best friend or you’re looking forward to meeting new friends through roommate matching, communicating who’s bringing what to the apartment and general roommate expectations is a smart move. Move-in day, especially when all your roommates are getting in settled in at once, can get very hectic and it’s easy to forget about these important conversations. Start a group chat with your roommates to clarify who’s bringing what appliances, decorations, and other apartment items so you don’t end up with 4 microwaves or 4 TVs for the living room. This also helps everybody save a little bit of money so you don’t waste money purchasing something your roommate may already have from their last apartment or dorm room. Additionally, a group chat is a great space to communicate about lifestyle expectations like cleanliness, sleeping habits, or hosting.

Organize your belongings as you pack.

The best way to guarantee an easy move-in into your apartment near UF starts with how you pack. Pack strategically to set yourself up for success! Consider packing an essentials box with everything you’ll need for your first night, including toiletries and a change of clothes, so you don’t have to dig through your boxes to find your toothbrush. Be sure to label your boxes and organize your items by area of your room. For example, have designated boxes for bathroom items, desk items, bedding, kitchen appliances, etc. Most student apartments in Gainesville come fully furnished so you can avoid the stress and cost of furniture shopping and assembly. This perk makes move-in day extra fun, as instead of spending the day assembling your furniture, you can get to decorating your space right away!

Embrace the apartment life and have fun!

Being fully unpacked and settled in a new, sparkly apartment ready to take on the school year is one of the best feelings as a college student. Most apartment communities allow students to move in at least a few days ahead of the start of the new semester, so take advantage of this free time. Do some research on the bus route outside of your community so you know just what to expect on the first day of class. Grab your roomies and explore your neighborhood in Gainesville or start enjoying your communities’ amenities with a day by the pool or workout at the fitness center. Student apartments in Gainesville offer so many perks for UF and Santa Fe students, so soak up this time and make some memories.