Advice on Bedroom Legacy of Teen Leaving for Uni!

[Nahameb]

I posted this elsewhere but I don't think it was the right place so shall try here!
First world problem, I know but...
DS planning to go to uni in Sept. His bedroom is currently very overcrowded due to his obsession with Lego (he's been a serious collector since he was 3) It's in boxes on industrial racking behind shower curtains (lol but are ideal!) so not too much of a problem. But he has loads of odds and ends and general clutter and things on display around the rest of his room so I have no chance of keeping it dust-free for visits home. How have other people handled this? Ideally I would have it all packed away but don't want to make him feel anxious or alienated (he's, imho, slightly on the Asperger's scale regarding his 'things' - even a torn piece of paper can have great meaning to him so I never throw things away without checking). Any advice gratefully received! Thank you!

I think you should leave his room exactly as it is unless he wants to change it! :)

Why change it? It's still his room. I just shut the doors on my DD bedrooms when they're away (after checking for food!), then air them out a couple of days before they come home.

In my house uni child gets demoted to sibling smaller room.

If you don't need bedroom for other siblings then leave it or ask if wants to have sort out, sell things to help towards uni?

Just leave it as it is.

My son was about to be a first year this time last year - he liked the comfort (and comparative luxury) of his room, with all his 'treasures' when he visited.

The only thing we do is keep a window open and put fresh bedding on when he's due home. It' still his space.

My DS is off to uni this autumn, we are in the process of redecorating his room now that he's taken down his revision notes and had a clear out. It's very much still his room so he's choosing new colours for it and getting new bed linen etc so it's lovely and welcoming when he has run out of clean clothes and so has to come home is missing us too much.

We're also redecorating younger DS's bedroom so he's got a decent new room and isn't tempted to ask to move into DS1's room as it's quite a bit larger. Again, he's chosen the colour scheme and artwork for the walls.

I've told DS1 that his room will be his room as long as he wants it and that I'll always have a room available for him if he needs to come home in the future.

When I went to uni I didn't view myself as leaving home at all. I viewed myself as going away for term time. Home was still my home around that and at weekends; I needed that continuity especially as I was very homesick and struggled.

However perhaps you could have a chat with him and say it would be good if the room was tidy when he left so you can keep it clean while he's away, and is there anything he'd be happy to box up or any surfaces he could easily clear? If he's so attached to his things presumably it will appeal to him to keep them in good condition, not getting covered in dust?

Thank you all for your responses!
To those who advise leaving it...even though I'm a very messy person (our home resembles a cross between a dog kennel and a sixth form block) there is no way I could leave it as it is. I would post a pic but that would break every teen/parent rule in the book!
He knows he is expected to do a certain amount of tidying. I usually don't apply much pressure to DS or DD in terms of tidying but think I better had in this case, even just a bare minimum so I can get from the door to the bed and window. He also suffers from chronic rhinitis (like year-round hayfever nose) so I do need to try to keep the dust under control to a certain extent.

I agree with cleaning it! And changing bedsheets etc by do it with him or say he if hasn't done it by X day then you will do it for him.