Best Ways to Split Up Apartment Items With Roommates

By Ian Acosta on May 24, 2017

The end of the school year. Time to pack up, throw out your old notes, sell your books, and head home.

For those who live in an apartment with roommates, this will require some dividing among certain items in addition to packing up. There are many ways to do this, of course. But, what is the best way to do this given the attitude of your roommates? Also, if living in the same apartment next year, why not just leave everything there? Or, why not decide to give some stuff away?

Here are some tips and ideas to split up apartment items with roommates.

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Leave everything there

Why go through the hassle of trying to divide everything especially if you are all going to live in the same apartment for the upcoming semester? Especially if you are all lazy (like me) leave everything you all bought in the kitchen, bedrooms, living room, laundry room, etc.

No need to waste valuable time packing and unpacking if it is not needed! Furthermore, if you all are sick of the current look, take some time before leaving to rearrange everything. After finals, come up with a different style design that you all can agree on to have a fresh look for next semester. That way, you can come back to a nice surprise layout you may have forgotten about on the way out.

Keep receipts

This solution is pretty straightforward and simple. Everyone keeps the receipts of every item they bring to the apartment. What this does is allow for a seamless and stress-free move out while ensuring everyone keeps what is theirs. If you have a roommate who is a control freak about his or her stuff, or a roommate who may try and take something that is not theirs, receipts are a great way to keep everything in order when it comes to dividing up apartment items.

You can even take it one step further and keep an envelope in your apartment that your roommates can keep all the receipts in with the appropriate roommate’s name. That way, everyone has a reference to look at if needed.

Pay for fair shares

Sometimes your roommates want your stuff. Sometimes you want your roommates’ stuff. Sometimes they are too lazy to take everything home. Sometimes you are too lazy to take everything home. What is the solution to all of these scenarios?

Let’s say you do not want to bring this couch you bought at school home with you. Your roommate says he could use it. What to do? Look up a reasonable resale value and work out an arrangement. What happens if you and a roommate both want an item that the other roommate does not want? You could buy out your other roommate and pay what he would offer to pay, or you two could split the cost and share the item. This would be best if you two are planning on living together next year while the other is not.

Rent out a storage unit

Don’t want to lug everything back and forth between apartment and home? I would not want to either! In that case, rent out a storage unit. It can be much less hassle and very cost effective when it comes to storing your things at school.

While you still will have to pack up and clean out your apartment, you and your roommates can divide up the cleaning much easier than what it would be. Many storage places offer the first month free under certain terms and prices in general are very reasonable, especially around college towns.

Divvy up the cleaning, have everyone take their fair share, and then pick up everything when you are all ready to move back in the fall.

Donate to Goodwill

If you and your roommates are in the giving mood, you could always donate to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Many donation centers can utilize old tables, beds, chairs, couches, and the like. Obviously, run it by all of your roommates to make sure this course of action is alright, but it is a great way to give back and feel good doing it at the same time.

Have a garage sale

This may be a bit unconventional, but consider selling your stuff before you all leave. Invite some friends and family over to your apartment and see if you can get any money for all items you do not want to take home. Post on Facebook groups, Craigslist, Twitter, Snapchat, and all sorts of social media to let everyone know that your apartment is having a spring cleaning extravaganza! Get rid of everything you do not want and make some money while doing it.

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