Written by Kendall Shepard, Photo by Jordan Petteys
As spring quarter comes to a close, student’s priority is to find where they’ll be over the summer. While some may head home for the summer, others begin jobs or internships. Here’s a guide on what to think about as you plan for moving out and moving in.
Storage
If you plan to move out of SCAD housing, consider using a storage unit to keep your things in over the summer. A lot of students travel from far in the fall, and not having to transport everything back and forth is a great relief. Savannah has many options for storage, and SCAD offers Campus Carriers where students can pay for the exact number of things they have.
Students can also choose to go with self-storage. If you have your own car or someone willing to help you move, everything from your dorm can be stored at another location. Not too many storage locations are available downtown, but there is City Storage River Street close to the Hive buildings. Other self-storage units are located off the nearby highways or farther south in Savannah. Even if you plan to stay in SCAD housing over the summer, there are a couple of weeks in between quarters that you will have to move out and then move back in. Having short-term storage in the city can aid in the transition.
Subletting
Subletting is a great option if you plan to take classes and didn’t get on-campus housing. Luckily, a lot of students who live off-campus, choose to leave Savannah for the summer for a variety of reasons. Most of them search for someone to live in their rooms [to cover rent] while they are gone. Student can join Facebook groups that are dedicated to those looking for roommates and subleases.
Here are some good questions to ask if you are looking for a place to sublease:
- When are you planning on leaving Savannah/coming back to Savannah?
- Is the room fully furnished?
- Will other roommates be staying over the summer?
- What utilities will I have to cover?
- Who do I pay utilities/rent to every month?
- How often/on what day is rent due?
- What chores do you take care of in the house?
- What items (i.e. toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, bread, eggs) does everyone contribute to?
- Are pets allowed? (if you have an animal that you will be keeping with you over the summer)
Renting
If you plan to live off-campus starting rent in summer is easy, especially if you want your lease to end closer to potential graduation dates.
Similar to subleasing, many students look for roommates and rental properties on Facebook groups. Rentals can also be found online through websites such as Zillow and Realtor. Additionally, there are a few companies in Savannah that can help you look for a place to rent. Large apartment buildings such as The Blake and The Hue have appointments to look over leases, but usually, have specific dates you need to sign a lease by.
Here are some things to consider when looking at places to rent:
- Do you have a car? Are there parking spots/off-street parking?
- How close is the apartment to SCAD buildings?
- Is there an on-site washer/dryer?
- Who do I get in contact with about maintenance?
- What utilities need be covered? (i.e. electric, gas, water, wi-fi, trash)
- Who are the neighbors? (if the apartment has more than 1 unit)
- Are pets allowed?
- Is the rent per person or one sum divided among roommates?
- What’s due at lease signing? (deposit, first month’s rent, last month’s rent) Can we hang pictures/curtains?
- Can the walls be painted?
- Are there apartment check-ups?
Once you’ve found a place and have an agreement to sign a lease, make sure you read over it thoroughly and ask questions about anything that’s unclear. If something isn’t mentioned in the lease, ask about it. Usually, your landlord will tell you when and how to pay them. There’s a lot to consider when deciding whether or not to stay in Savannah over the summer. If you haven’t already, figure out your plan so you can enjoy your summer.
