Student moves to Exeter University is exciting, but moving your belongings to — or from — the city? That’s often a lot more challenging than most newcomers realise. After all, it can be tricky to transport items through Exeter’s hilly, winding roads even on the best of days, but it becomes even more difficult when you’re trying to do so at the same time that thousands of fellow students are also trying to move in or out of their new accommodations.

As with most things, a little bit of knowledge and preparation can go a long way towards making the moving process more straightforward. At Britannia Lanes, we’ve drawn on our more than fifty years of experience to put together a detailed guide on how Exeter students can move in and out of the city as stress-free as possible.

Student Moves to Exeter: Key Things to Keep In Mind

It’s rare that hundreds or even thousands of moves happen simultaneously, all within a relatively small geographical space. Yet that’s just what happens at the beginning and end of term at Exeter University, a period that sees thousands of student moves within a very tight timeframe.

It’s often only when moving day approaches that movers realise that it’s not going to be as straightforward as they thought it would be. Understanding the key information months in advance can help ensure that you’re not caught off guard by the last-minute rush. Here’s what you need to know.

There’s High Demand

Demand for vans, parking, and access to student accommodation is highly competitive during those few days in which the vast majority of students arrive in the city.

Having a plan ahead of time on how you’ll navigate these potentially headache-inducing challenges, such as hiring a student removals Exeter company to do the job for you, will help prevent the all-too-real frustration of arriving in the city knowing that you’ve failed to prepare properly.

Exeter Is Hilly

Exeter’s medieval topography is part of what makes living here so charming.

But what’s good for living is not always so good for vehicles — especially vehicles that have to be large enough to transport all of a new student’s belongings. The city has hilly, tight, and winding roads that were built long before modern vehicles were even a concept, and that can make those roads a little daunting for drivers who are not used to them.

Restricted City Centre Access Can Be An Issue

Exeter has restricted city centre access that can make accessing a central part of the city more challenging than it might appear on a map. Even if the student accommodation is located slightly away from those restricted areas, the knock-on effect can be increased congestion that adds significant time to your journey.

Parking can also be a challenge, especially since many of the popular student areas are close to busy roads.

Common Mistakes Families Make During a DIY Student Move

  • Underestimating How Much Stuff There Is to Move: There can be a big gap between how much stuff it looks like a student has and how much stuff they actually have. Many families end up having to move many more boxes than they anticipated, without a plan on how they’ll actually do it.
  • Poor-Quality Packing Materials: Packing materials aren’t just places to put belongings. They also protect the items during transit. Many families use low-quality packing materials, only to find that fragile items are damaged upon arrival.
  • Thinking It’s a Quick Job: Moving boxes can be time-consuming, and the job becomes even longer when you first have to navigate Exeter’s hilly streets, find somewhere to park, and so on.

Working with a professional moving company such as Britannia Lanes provides a fast-track solution to these issues, ensuring that your all-important belongings arrive safe, sound, and on time, without you or your family having to deal with the stress that comes from navigating Exeter in an unfamiliar rented van.

3 Student Moving Tips Exeter

Book Your Move Early

Whether you’re moving in or out of private housing or student halls, you can expect that there’ll be a lot of fellow students doing the exact same thing, at the exact same time. Booking your van or removal services as soon as you know when you’ll be moving — ideally months before — will ensure you have what you need when the big day comes.

Understand What to Bring And What to Leave Behind

It’s tempting to bring as much as possible, but remember: the more you bring, the more you have to move (twice!). Stick to the items that you know you’ll genuinely need, and leave the rest at home.

Coordinate With New Housemates

Moving into private housing with housemates? It’ll make more sense to coordinate your arrivals to be within 1 or 2 hours of each other. It’s much simpler to move into a new home when it’s all done in one fell swoop, rather than staggered throughout the day.

Streamline the Student Moves Process by Hiring Britannia Lanes

Navigating the challenges of moving in or out of student accommodation in Exeter can be difficult, especially for students — or parents of students — who are new to the city and don’t yet fully realise how chaotic moving day can be.

At Britannia Lanes, we aim to make things as easy as possible for new students to settle into university life by offering a professional, tried-and-tested moving service that proactively handles all the pain points that students arriving at or departing Exeter University typically encounter.

Expert Local Knowledge

Exeter’s narrow, winding, hilly streets present problems for newcomers. As local experts, we know precisely how to navigate the city’s roads, even on the busiest of days. With us in charge of transporting your items, you’ll be able to focus on the things that matter — such as settling into your new home.

50 Years of Experience

There are many companies offering Exeter removals, but there are none that can match Britannia Lanes for experience. With more than fifty years of experience, we’ve been helping Exeter University students move in and out of student accommodation for decades.

Commitment To Quality

At Britannia Lanes, we’re committed to delivering the highest quality moving services in the South West. With friendly customer service, detailed written quotes, and a commitment to protecting our customers’ items as if they were our own, you can have full confidence that you’ve chosen the right company.

Ready to put your student move in the hands of the experts? Use the form on our website to get an instant quote, or jump straight to getting an in-person or video survey.

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