K-State Student Storage: A Summer Move-Out Guide

Manhattan empties out in May and fills back up in August, and the dorms and apartments do not wait around in between. If you are a K-State student staring down a summer lease gap, or a parent who would rather not haul everything back home and back again, a small storage unit is the easy answer. Here is how to handle the summer move.

When do you need to be out?

Residence halls close right after finals in May, and that is the single busiest week of the year for storage in Manhattan. Reserve your unit before finals, not during, because the best sizes go first and you do not want to be hunting for space the same day you are hauling boxes. Move-back-in lands in mid-August, so a summer rental is usually three to four months, start to finish.

What size fits a dorm or apartment?

• 5×10: holds a dorm room or a single student’s things, bed, mini-fridge, TV, bins, and boxes, with room to walk in.
• 10×10: fits a one-bedroom apartment, or split it with a roommate to store a shared place.

Not sure which way to go? Compare them on our storage unit sizes page, or call an owner and we will size it with you.

Rent it yourself, or use a pickup service?

The pickup-and-store services that work the dorms are convenient, but you pay for that convenience by the box or the bin, and you do not control where your stuff sits. Renting your own unit month-to-month is usually cheaper for a full dorm or apartment, and you can get to your things any time over the summer. If you have a car and an afternoon, doing it yourself wins on both cost and control.

Split a unit with your roommates

The cheapest way to store a shared house or apartment is to go in together on one larger unit. A 10×10 split two or three ways usually beats everyone paying for a small unit of their own, and it keeps all your stuff in one place for the fall move-in. Label your boxes by person so August is painless. See our K-State student storage page for more.

Storing a mini-fridge, futon, and mattress

Empty and defrost the mini-fridge, wipe it dry, and leave the door cracked so it does not get musty. Stand the mattress upright and keep it off the floor. For electronics, photos, and anything you care about through a Kansas summer, a climate-controlled unit is the safe call. More packing pointers are on our packing and storage tips page.

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Written by Thomas Weeks, Director of Operations at Axis Self Storage. Nearly a decade in storage and property management, and the owner you will actually reach.