You found an apartment, you signed the lease, you wrote the check. Congrats, you’re now all ready to move into your first apartment! Except, wait a minute, you’re not. You need things to put in the apartment. And what, exactly, do you need?
Here’s a handy checklist of things you’ll need (or at least want, in all likelihood), organized by room, with extra blanks for YOU to fill in. Our suggested top priorities are in bold, but before you panic keep in mind many of these items can be bought cheaply second-hand or even picked up free. And if we’ve missed anything, please let us know in the comments!
Entrance area
- Welcome mat (for outside the door)
- Small area rug (for just inside the door)
- Wall hooks for jackets, keys, etc.
- Small table or bench for shoe storage
- Lamp, if there’s no other light source by the door
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
Living room
- Couch, chairs, or other things to sit on
- Coffee table
- Bookshelves
- Television
- Stand for TV
- Throw pillows for couch/chairs
- Artwork
- Lamp(s)
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
Kitchen
- Food!
- Silverware
- Silverware organizer (drawer insert)
- Dishes (e.g. plates, glasses, mugs, bowls, serving platters, etc.)
- Trash and recycling cans
- Pots and pans
- Oven mitts
- Spatulas, ladles, whisks, etc.
- Container for countertop storage of spatulas, ladles, whisks, etc.
- Dish towels
- Dish drying rack
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Bottle opener and corkscrew
- Plastic containers for food storage (e.g. Tupperware or Gladware)
- Rolls of aluminum foil, wax paper, plastic wrap, and parchment paper
- Paper (or newspaper) to line cupboards and shelves
- Zip-top plastic bags of various sizes
- Cutting boards
- Toaster or toaster oven
- Microwave
- Coffee maker
- Kettle or hotpot
- Ice cube trays
- Blender
- Hand mixer
- Can opener
- Good, sharp knives (at least one large chef’s knife and a small paring knife)
- Serving spoon
- Colander
- Additional free-standing shelves or storage, as needed (e.g. metal shelf units from Target or IKEA)
- Dish soap and sponges/scrubbers
- Trash can
- Small area rug
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
Dining area
- Table and chairs
- Tablecloth or placemats
- Napkins
- Candles/tealights and candle holders
- Trivets
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
Bathroom
- Shower curtain (and rings to hold it up)
- Shower caddy
- Toothbrush
- Toiletries (e.g. bath soap, hand soap, shampoo, lotion, etc.)
- Toilet paper
- Toilet brush
- Toilet plunger
- Bath mat(s)
- Air freshener
- Tissues
- Trash can
- Over-the-door towel hook
- Towels (bath and hand) and washcloths (be sure to have extras for any guests who spend the night)
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
Bedroom
- Bed!
- Pillows
- Mattress and box spring
- Mattress pad
- Sheets and comforter
- Night stand
- Lamp
- Dresser
- Hangers (more than you think you need)
- Hamper
- Trash can
- Curtains
- Alarm clock
- Desk
- Chair for desk
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
- __________________________________
Miscellaneous
- Cleaning supplies (e.g. rags, paper towels, sprays)
- Laundry soap, fabric softener, stain remover (e.g. Shout) and a jar of quarters for laundry
- Trash bags
- Vacuum cleaner
- Small broom and dustpan
- Extension cords
- Surge strips
- Basic tools, including screwdrivers (flat and Phillips-heads), hammer (and some small nails), duct tape, box-cutter or X-acto knife, duct tape, pliers, wrench, and masking tape (at the very least, get a Leatherman, which includes basic versions of most of the above-mentioned tools)
- Large plastic bins or other storage
- Pens
- Paper (for grocery lists, doodles, etc.)
- Flashlight(s)
- Batteries of various types, including backups for your flashlight
- Candle
- Matches
- Tweezers
- Fans
- Emergency Kit
- Window air conditioner
- Internet router and associated cords
- Light bulbs
- First aid kit
- Carbon monoxide alarm
- Fire alarm
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
- _________________________________
