Moving to university: what to pack for digs

First, ask what is actually there

Before you buy anything, ask the landlord or residence for a list of what is in the room and what is shared. The three questions that save the most money: Is bedding provided? Is there a kettle, microwave and fridge, and are they shared? Is the Wi-Fi included and does it reach the room? Check your lease for the inventory — if it is in writing, you can hold them to it.

The night-one essentials

If you arrive with only a backpack, this is what should be in it.

• Bedding for the bed size the landlord told you (single is common in residences; three-quarter and double in shared houses) — sheets, pillow, duvet or blanket. Also a mattress protector.
• A towel, toiletries and a toiletry bag you can carry to a shared bathroom.
• Phone charger, a multi-plug adaptor and an extension lead — South African rooms often have one two-pin socket in the wrong corner.
• A padlock for your cupboard or locker, and a small torch or headlamp for load-shedding.
• A refillable water bottle, a mug, one plate, one bowl and a set of cutlery.
• Any medication you take, plus paracetamol and plasters.
• Your ID, proof of registration, the signed lease and proof of the deposit payment — printed as well as on your phone.

What makes the room liveable

• Study: a desk lamp, a power bank, headphones, a laptop stand or a thick book, notebooks and stationery. If the room has no desk chair, a folding one is worth it.
• Kitchen: a small pot, a pan, a chopping board and a sharp knife, a wooden spoon, dish soap and a cloth, containers with lids, and a kettle if there is none. Label your things in a shared kitchen.
• Laundry: a laundry bag, pegs and washing powder. Ask whether there is a machine, a laundromat nearby, or neither.
• Power: a rechargeable LED lamp and, if you can, a small inverter or power bank rated for a laptop — load-shedding is easier with one.
• Comfort: a rug, a fan (for Durban and Pretoria summers), a hot water bottle (for Stellenbosch and Johannesburg winters), curtains or a blackout blind if the room has none, a door wedge.
• Cleaning: multi-surface spray, bin bags, a small broom or dustpan. Shared houses run out of these first.

Documents and admin

• ID or passport, and a certified copy. Student card once issued.
• Lease, inventory list and move-in inspection photos (take these on day one — see our lease checklist).
• NSFAS or bursary letters, and your financial aid office contact.
• Medical aid details, your GP’s number, and the campus clinic number.
• The landlord’s name, number and bank details as they appear on the lease.

Leave at home

• Big furniture and appliances until you have seen the room — most furnished rooms have no space, and many leases forbid heaters and hotplates.
• More than a week of clothes; a shared cupboard is smaller than you think.
• Anything valuable you would be devastated to lose. Student houses have people coming and going.
• Printers — campus printing is cheaper than ink.

Buy after you arrive

Groceries, a fan or heater once you know the room, a bike if the campus is close, and anything you find the house already has. Ask housemates what they wish they had brought; the answer is usually a decent knife and an extension lead.