When you kids go off to uni, it’s a time of mixed emotions. You’re sad to see them leave, but happy they’re taking their next steps into a bigger world. You’ll discover that sudden feeling of a lack of freedom when you become a parent works in reverse too. All of a sudden, you’ve got a lot more time on your hands. Once you adjust to the quieter house, the cupboards still having food in them and no one coming in at 3am, what can you do to reclaim your space and maximise the use you get from your new-found space? They’re away for three or four years. Or even longer if they’re studying architecture, dentistry, medicine or law (to name a few of the longer degrees). So, take advantage of what is, effectively, a bigger house.
Although the idea of having more space is appealing, you need to plan ahead and remember that they’ll be back for their holidays. They may even move back once they graduate. So, make sure they’ll still feel at home when they ‘visit’. The biggest concern will probably be – what do I do with all their stuff? Well, we can help. You can pack it up and leave it with us. We’ll look after it like it was our own until you (or they) need it again.
There are some great reasons. You get to give their room a clear out and a proper clean. So, you end up with a usable space, rather than a shrine to your late-teens child. It can be difficult, for both you and your child, if you leave their room untouched when they leave. So, rather than paying for space you can’t use, get clearing and start enjoying the extra room. What have you always wanted to have in your house, but haven’t had the room for?
A guest bedroom has the advantage of giving you somewhere for friends to stay and also having a room for your child when they pop home from uni. If you decide to give your other kids more space, then you’ll be popular with those kids, but perhaps not so much with the child who’s away at uni. If the extra storage option sounds good to you, then you could use their (hopefully) now-empty wardrobe to store your out-of-season clothes. Or you could look at smart-storage options and make better use of the space. You might even want to change it into a study / den / guest room. It’s your house, so only you know what the best option is for you.
We’d always suggest having a chat with your child before you start. Ask what they think about your idea. It’s where they grew up. It’s a repository for their memories and emotions. So, tread carefully. But make sure you do talk about it. After all, you’ll never know what they think unless you ask them. A tiny word of caution – some experts think that leaving your child’s room as it is for the first year they’re away can help them when they come home for the holidays. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still have a clear out and use this as a stepping stone to fully utilising the room at a later date.
Why use GTW for your storage?
We’ll make sure anything you want to store is kept safe and secure – we’ll look after your things as if they were our own. Find out more about our storage options, including how much space you’ll need and prices, here.