How to Make CMU Move-In and Move-Out Easy

Admin
August 28th, 2025

Move-out sneaks up on you the same week as finals. One minute you’re cramming; the next your lease clock is ticking, your parents’ SUV is “almost there,” and your apartment still looks lived-in. Move-in isn’t kinder—everything you swore you’d “figure out in August” shows up in a single afternoon. This playbook turns both moments into a calm, predictable routine—using a short-term storage unit as your safety valve so your stuff isn’t the emergency.

A Moving Plan that Actually Works

Start by taking storage off your worry list before crunch time. Reserve a unit the week before finals, not the night before your walkthrough. At Mt. Pleasant Storage you can rent online in minutes, get your unit number and gate code immediately, and move in the same day—no long-term contract, free reservation, and a free disc lock included. With 24/7 access, you can do quick, quiet runs after a late exam or early in the morning without rearranging your study schedule. Treat your unit like a bridge: the goal isn’t to move your entire life twice—it’s to move the stress out of your apartment so you can finish strong.

What to store

Think in categories, not chaos. Dorm and apartment staples—futons, small bookshelves, plastic drawer units, microwaves, mini fridges, and box fans—are ideal to park for the summer. So are winter coats and bedding you won’t touch until October, tailgate gear that eats closet space, and those “I’ll use them next semester” textbooks. Keep your daily living kit with you: a week of clothes, laptop and charger, toiletries, meds, and the handful of things that actually matter in the next seven days. The cleaner that split, the easier move-out day feels.

Pick the right size without guessing

You don’t need to eyeball a tape measure or play Tetris in your head. Use the Size Suggestion tool on our site to check off what you have and let it do the math. Most CMU students storing solo land in a 5×5 or 5×10 depending on furniture. If you’re teaming up with a roommate or two, a 10×10 is usually the sweet spot and often cheaper per person than separate smaller units. If you’ll grab things mid-summer, choose a little more space so you can leave a narrow aisle; if you’re storing once and not returning until August, you can pack tighter and go smaller.

Pack for August, not just for tomorrow

Future-you deserves a painless move-in. Pack “like with like” and label the side of every tote so it’s readable when stacked. Make one “Open Me First” box with sheets, a towel, your power strip, a few utensils, and the single skillet you actually use. Wipe down appliances so they don’t smell like last semester in August. Let anything wet or just-washed dry completely before it goes in a bin. Snap a quick photo of your loaded unit before you lock it; that becomes your map when you come back.

Michigan weather basics you’ll be glad you followed

Our facilities are clean, gated, well lit, and recorded 24/7, but what you do inside the unit matters. Start with everything dry. Get a little airflow by leaving a couple inches between items and the walls, and keep boxes off the floor with a pallet or plastic risers. Use breathable covers for mattresses and furniture instead of shrink-wrapping, which traps moisture. Plastic totes with snapping lids beat cardboard for summer storage, and a few moisture absorbers go a long way—swap them out when you visit mid-summer.

Roommate math that saves real money

Splitting a unit is the easiest student hack there is. Two friends in a 10×10 typically pay less per person than each renting a 5×5, and you only need one lock and one code to manage. Assign shelves or corners and write your names on the box labels. You’ll both get the space you need without overbuying. When you’re ready to move back in, one of you picks up the key on arrival day and texts the other the code.

Move-out day

Rent online the week before, load non-essentials in two or three quick trips between study sessions, and leave only your essentials for the final day. On checkout day, you’re not wrestling furniture at midnight—you’re doing a twenty-minute sweep, tossing trash, returning keys, and heading to breakfast. Your unit is already organized with a photo to prove it. That’s the difference a small plan—and a short-term unit—makes.

Move-in day

When August hits, grab your key, roll up to your unit, and load the “Open Me First” box in the car first. Because you labeled bins and left a small aisle, you can stage your new place in phases instead of drowning it in boxes on day one. Tailgate and seasonal gear can live in the unit all semester so your closet doesn’t explode. If you forgot something at 10 p.m., no big deal—24/7 access means a quick run solves it.

All five Mt. Pleasant Storage locations are minutes from CMU with the same low rates, free reservations, 24/7 access, and a free disc lock included. Pick what’s convenient for you: behind Meijer at 4263 Corporate, next to Dollar General at 2399 East Remus, by Morey Courts at 5059 East Remus, behind Medler Electric at 1970 Commercial, or at S. Mission & Deerfield at 5252 S. Mission. Many units start around $43–$65, and you can rent online and move in today.

Quick access, simple security, zero drama

After you rent online you’ll get your unit number and gate code immediately. Pull up at whatever hour works best for you, use the code at the gate, and secure your space with the free disc lock. If you want a human to sanity-check your size or recommend the best site for your route, text or call our local manager at 989.854.3693. We’ll make sure this stays easy. Ready to take move-out and move-in off your stress list? Visit the Help Center for sizing tips or Rent Online Today.

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