You, like me and many others, decided both to move back to school and do all the work to get an unfurnished apartment in the Pioneer Valley. Now you have to face the consequences.
After excitedly moving halfway across the country to live with your friends and be independent during this crazy time of the Rona, you come to face the facts that A. you own no furniture and B. you have very little money after giving away your Praxis funds to Black Lives Matter groups and mutual aid fundraisers during the summer. But, being a strong self-sufficient Smithie, you roll with the punches, and set about furnishing that apartment the best way you can. If all of this applies to you, here are some ways to make this experience a little easier. I speak from expertise, having done this two months earlier than most other Smithies.
Facebook Marketplace can be deceiving, but if done effectively, can be an amazing resource
When I first got my “minimalist” home in the great town of Hadley, I became like my unsettlingly centrist step-aunt and got addicted to Facebook so I could shop on Marketplace. The trick to Facebook Marketplace is being selective. A 20 minute drive to pick up a small piece of furniture for less than 10 dollars may seem like a small task, but is often not worth it. The old dull knives that sit rarely used in my utensil drawer and the single chair that is far too short for our kitchen table, can vouch for me.
When on Facebook Marketplace, you need to follow certain rules. It should always be free, or at least very cheap. As a college student furnishing your first apartment, you want to avoid the listings for people who sell a bunch of furniture on Facebook and other websites. Instead, look for people, especially college students, moving out of their homes and needing to get rid of things quickly. This brings us to the second tip: find people moving out who are often getting rid of a bunch of stuff at once. In mine and my roommate’s search for cheap queen-sized beds, my roommate found a jackpot: a Facebook listing for the entire furnishings for multiple bedrooms, including other random assortments of housing items. This is ideal. Not only does it aid two households at the same time, it means you can make a huge dent in your furnishing needs with only the cost of one U-Haul.
If the luck of the jackpot does not befall you, the most important tip for utilizing single item purchases is to think about the utility of an object. A mattress is worth it. An odd item rarely used should probably be skipped. The last rule to follow, and sometimes to break, is to be careful of sellers. Now, don’t tell your mom I said this, but sometimes a bigger risk leads to a bigger reward. When I found my incredible, thick memory foam mattress for a Venmo charge of $5, I knew it would be worth going to a UMass Amherst off-campus apartment complex by myself and folding it up like a taco to bring home. When I got to the apartment I asked the seller to come outside, just in case. She said she was out of the country, and I needed to come in and take the mattress myself. With my pepper spray in hand, I walked up the apartment steps. I came to a door decorated with a Chinese New Year poster still on display from months earlier. Inside, to my surprise, I found about 30 people frantically cleaning this student’s apartment. Having zero context of what was happening in front of me, I grabbed my mattress and ran out as fast as I could. As I said, Facebook Marketplace can be weird, but sometimes a great tool.
Don’t underestimate the power of a U-Haul
Being twenty years old myself, I assumed I can not rent a U-Haul, being unable to rent cars at my age. This is a misconception. Any person with a driver’s license can get a U-Haul, and this is a great help to anyone’s quick furnishing journey.
Instead of going back and forth with a single container of belongings in your 15 year old Sedan, invest in a U-Haul, and do everything in one trip. Small trucks are $20 plus $.60 per mile. Those $30 are worth your time, for sure.
Take advantage of your ex
We all know that here in Western Massachusetts we do not leave our broken-up relationships cut and dry, and now is the time to cash in. Maybe you two broke up when we first got sent home from school, or maybe your beau ended things badly and now they want to make it up to you. Whatever the case, you deserve their help.
Personally, my roommates and I got several home-cooked meals from my ex before our kitchen was set up. Additionally, one of my roommate’s exes gave us plants to fill our house and jam for our cupboard. Take up their offer to help move your stuff from trunk rooms — you will need that extra car space, even if they are a jerk. I know that whatever the emotional damage they have caused you won’t be completely compensated with their help, but you might as well use them while you can.
Get creative with milk crates
I’m not suggesting you should steal anything, but if you happen to come upon milk crates on the side of the road, or perhaps behind a store, they are incredibly useful and versatile. Milk crates can be used as seats, tables, shelves, and anything else you might need. You can furnish most of your apartment with a piece of wood and a couple of milk crates if you try.
My dresser is currently eight milk crates stacked like shelves, each serving as a compartment for a different type of clothing. Not only is this a chic, urban look, but it also cost me zero dollars.
The side of the road is your friend
People are constantly cleaning out their houses, moving, and more. No matter what season, no matter the reason, there is tons of abandoned furniture in front of people’s houses — especially now. One day while I was taking the classic walk by the neighborhood next to the Quad, I found an incredible coffee table sitting on the street. I strapped that table to my car, and now it is a perfect bed stand.
On Facebook people will often post when they are leaving extra good stuff on the side of the road. Keep an eye out for that, and go quickly. That’s how I got my silverware set.
It is a daunting task to turn your unfurnished apartment into a home, but with the right amount of savviness you can become that independent person you decided to be when you moved back to the Valley, and not worry too much about your bank account.
