By Kellie Oates

Many students know the hassles of moving, but one UK student is hoping to make it easier and cheaper.

Chris Sammons, a business sophomore, recently started Store-A-Dorm, which he describes as an inexpensive and hassle-free storage service for college students to use while away for the summer or other parts of the school year.

Sammons said he had the idea to start his business three or four months ago when trying to find a reasonably priced place to store his own things.

“After doing some research, I realized there weren’t any student-run storage companies in Kentucky, or even in the Midwest for that matter,” Sammons said.

The idea of student-run storage units has been introduced at other colleges and universities, particularly around the East Coast. One example is BoxMyDorm, a shipping company that originated at Pennsylvania State University in 2005. According to the company’s Web site, it now serves students at 10 universities.

Sammons said he did not want to spend hundreds of dollars on renting a truck or a public storage unit, so he started brainstorming the idea of Store-A-Dorm. So far, his project has been a solo endeavor.

“Everything will be insured and kept in nearby warehouses,” Sammons said. “The biggest issue I think students will have with this is the trust factor, but I can guarantee good service and customer satisfaction.”

UK students can call Sammons to have boxes dropped off at their residences. After they load their belongings, Sammons will pick the boxes up and move them himself. Stephanie Wurdock, a business senior, said Store-A-Dorm could be helpful to students living off-campus who are between leases.

“I think this could potentially be a great idea,” Wurdock said. “Especially for situations where students’ leases end before their new leases start.”

The service is also convenient for students moving out of dorms, said Emily Jenks, a pre-nursing freshman.

“I would look into it,” Jenks said. “I’m living in Kirwan Tower this year, and I think a lot of people in the dorms keep the bare minimum because of the lack of space. But there are certain things, like my microwave, that I would like to keep here over the summer.”

Sammons said he is hoping to make moving a stress-free experience not only for students but for their parents as well.

“I figured if I had this problem, then others did too,” Sammons said.

Prices range from $10 to $85, depending on the item to be stored, according to the company’s Web site (www.storeadorm.com).