Although the internet existed when I rented my first apartment, it was mainly chat forums and wasn't exactly full of the helpful information it is today. Ready to move out on your own for the first time? Here's a check list to get you started. Old pro? Add your basics to ours and help out those moving newbies!
1. Kitchen Basics: The important things that might top this list might be a can opener, sharp knife or wooden spoon. Check out this list at The Kitchn for more ideas on these essentials.
2. A Toolbox: You'll at least need a screwdriver (or two), a hammer, a tape measure, a level, adjustable wrench, and set of allen wrenches for all those IKEA purchases. The rest is up to you.
3. A Plant: Even if you kill it in a few months, the breath of life they bring to a space is unmistakable. If your thumb isn't exactly green, try a succulent that only has to be watered every few weeks.
4. Books: Even if you have a Kindle, a few books are always good to have around. Sometimes you just want to flip through the pages for inspiration or a little reading. If you're not big on collecting such things, make them classics that even a visitor might enjoy picking up.
5. Baking Soda & Vinegar: It doesn't matter what mess, mold, or grime the last tenant left, this combination of ingredients can clean just about anything. Save your money for other things like food and curtains to block out the view of your neighbor who refuses to wear a bath robe.
6. 3 Light Sources: Many apartments can feel lacking in light and often your first apartment isn't as awesome as you wanted it to be. Remember 3 light sources for your main room and it will always feel more like home. Plus, as a rule of thumb, all overhead lighting in apartments is ill-placed, too harsh, or too dim.
7. A Place To Lay Your Head: Yes it seems overly basic, but it's easy to get caught up in the smaller things you might need. Just because you think you can get away with sleeping on a futon doesn't mean your back will agree. Sleep comfortable and everything else, even the smallest space with the worst bathroom is suddenly tolerable.
8. 5 More Extension Cords Than You Think You Need: Unless you designed and built your own home, there's a 99% change your outlet ratio to products that require them will suck. Having a few extension cords or power bars on hand will save you frustration and trips to the hardware store later on.
9. A Box Knife: This small simple tool will save you a great deal of headache when it comes to opening moviing boxes, unpacking furniture or taking off zip ties held into new packaging that needs to be disassembled. You won't need it until you have no other choice but to go buy one and then you'll think back and say, "Apartment Therapy was right."
10. $50 Emergency Money: It doesn't matter if you keep it in the bank or stashed in your secret hiding spot, every first apartment has some sort of emergency. It might be the need to escape and have a night out, a lamp you didn't think you'd need or possibly a fan due to the lack of air circulation. Big or small, there will always be something.
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Comments (55)
i would agree with all, and add 'rugs' to the list.
not only for a 'homier' feel, but to dampen sound. if you've never lived in an apartment before, you might get annoyed with the sounds of your neighbors, and they could even get annoyed with the sounds of you, the new tenant.
A roll of duck tape always comes in handy.
My daughter just moved out of a shared apartment into a condo of her own. She sold 3 pieces of her old furniture for $180 and later that day spent the entire amount on a trip to Target for cleaning supplies, bathroom, kitchen, and laundry sundries. Easy come, easy go.
definitely agree about the rugs... my apt doesnt have blinds so i spent hundreds on curtains and hardware... cheap cheap curtains from target!! i loved all the windows... until i realized how much would be spent on curtains.
This is key stuff for the first couple of days.
Flashlight
Window coverings, with binder clips/string/duct tape for the first night.
Several 3-prong to 2-prong adapters
Coffeemaker with coffee, scoop, filters, sugar, creamers in one marked box.
Juice/seltzer/Gatorade, bottle of wine, 6-pack of beer to go right in the fridge. Your helpers will be grateful! Snacks/energy bars too.
Overnight bag with: 2 changes of clothes, sheets, towel, toiletries, meds, other essentials.
Shower Curtain. People always forget to buy a shower curtain
Ditto the 3-prong to 2-prong adapters, and I would add COMET to the list. If it's your first apartment, it's likely that the bathroom floor and tub will be much improved after some major Comet treatment. Less green than baking soda, but that stuff WORKS.
Toilet paper. I always leave a roll behind despite the fact that no one else seems to do the same and I bring a roll with me.
Seconding the 3-prong to 2-prong (grounded to ungrounded) adaptors.
Also, any tool you need to borrow twice, you should probably buy for yourself, which means I'm getting a stud finder this weekend to hang up some IKEA shelving in my kitchen!
I would add a nice bottle of wine, some candles and an ambien if you live below someone else.
Ear plugs. I moved in to the cutest place but the walls and outside noise are unbearable on some days!
Replace the "$50" Emergency Fund with a "6 month salary" Emergency Fund, and you'll have me in agreement.
I would add paper towels, rags, or something to dust with. I find that it's easier to make sure everything is clean before all your stuff is moved in and you have to work around it to dust every inch of the place.
Also maybe a fan if you are moving in the summer.
A bottle of good champagne for celebratin' the first apartment with!
..."set of allen wrenches for all those IKEA purchases"
I can't recall ever purchasing something which required an allen wrench for assembly but didn't come with one.
Adding to the list:
- a vacuum
- a toilet brush
- a toilet plunger
- a water filtration pitcher (Brita or Pur)
- 1-quart and 2-quart Pyrex measuring cups, which can double as mixing bowls.
- a toaster oven, which is much more efficient than using the large oven.
I agree w/all of the above, especially seawhitney's comment.
Your landlord presumably has a spare key. I suggest making yourself a second: a spare, spare key that you can retrieve from the source 24/7. Locksmiths are expensive and I invariably lock myself out on long holiday weekends. ;)
My newbie essentials are, in order of importance: a box/pocket knife, Philips and flat head screwdrivers, tape measure, level, hammer, flashlight, and plunger. Everyone always seems to forget the plunger, but it always seems to be the thing you forget about until you REALLY need it.
I'd go even further and say to figure out how to turn the water off on your toilet before you use it. There are few things worse than panicking because of watching a toilet overflow due to old pipes and aren't sure how to stop it. Also, immediately locate your breaker box. I once sublet an apartment and had a brown out. I did a search for the breaker box by flashlight, looking in all the usual places, but couldn't find it. I finally called the power company, who basically decided I was a moron who didn't know what I was looking for. Turned out that the breaker box was in the basement (I was living in a house that was broken up into apartments) and didn't know it.
And really, multiple flashlights are a good idea, with extra batteries. Put one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen. I haven't lived in an apartment in years, but the power to my house goes out about 6-8 times a year, so I've got flashlights, candles, and lighters scattered in every room of my house.
The plunger is an excellent suggestion!!! And not something you really move with from apartment to apartment always, good thinking!
A corkscrew, coffee machine, and a good saucepan.
This is more for moving in general, but I always start by marking one box "Open First". Then when I'm packing I put anything in there that I'll need the first day. Tea, cereal, change of clothes, toiletries kit, etc. Works out pretty well. You can live out of that box the first couple of days.
I agree with most of what everyone said, and I would also add:
1) Steak knives. Yes, you need silverware, but steak knives can be used for just about any kind of food in a pinch - my husband and I have yet to invest in a real knife set, but we did get a set of steak knives.
2) Rugs. Depending on where you live and what kind of floors you have, this can get important. Rugs in the entry are a MUST - especially if you live anywhere with snow. They absorb the water, dirt, and salt while keeping the floors dry and not slippery.
3) I agree with plunger for obvious reasons. If you're REALLY lucky, there may be one provided with the rest of the utility stuff.
4) Vacuum. Even if you live in a building with a communal one (like the plunger) it may not always be available, reliable, or have the necessary settings or attachments. I also prefer to have a HEPA filter to help clean the air.
5) Flashlights and reliable sources of power. Whether that means a crank light or an extra set of batteries at all times, it's just a good idea to have one.
6) Shower curtain and liner, or combination of the two. If a fabric curtain gets wet without a liner and it should have one, then it can get moldy.
If you move into a place with carpet, go to Home Depot or its twin and buy a roll of butcher block paper to put on the carpet when your friends or movers are moving the stuff inside. They will track in lots of dirt going from the moving van to the apartment. Then when they are finished just throw it away.
Curtains or a way to pin up thick, dark sheets until you get curtains. Our first week in my first apartment I got no sleep and therefore was an emotional wreck. Oh, and sleeping on an air mattress while you wait to find a real bed SUCKS. Especially with 2 people! And if you're a nonsmoker, I'd say make sure you take care of smoker smell before any of your stuff gets moved in. Windows open, fans on, febreeze and maybe some dog pee enzyme spray to get out concentrated smells (even gets paint out of carpet!) Oh, and bleach any walls your bed will touch. Nothing like waking up to your nose pressed against an unknown occupant's hair that has been painted over on the wall *shudder*
a fire extinguisher!!
While not a must, the next thing i would add to the tool box would be a nice small to midsize wireless drill/driver. It makes a HUGE difference in making it easy to put stuff together and make repairs around the house. Plus my nice mid size drill does about everything I throw at it.
Trash and recycling bins. I've known too many peers whose "trash bins" were just plastic grocery bags hanging from a drawer pull in the kitchen.
nearby pizza and chinese food delivery menus.
trash bags, for all the packaging you will be opening and tossing in one day! Also, I just did a few lists on how to set up your first kitchen, the first part being this http://thefirstapartment.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-equip-kitchen-basics.html
Thanks for the list!
Can I also add that keeping large amount of coffee will always help, not only to consume, but also to get rid of any unwanted smell in the kitchen.
Based on personal experience, on my first night & day at the apartment, these things are so necessary:
1. Yes, the place to lay your head upon, be it a mattress, futon, sofa bed, or even a large rug & a pillow. And the blanket, of course.
2. Toilet paper.
3. Shower curtain and a bath mat.
4. Of course, the towel.
5. A box of tissue, that you can even use as kitchen towel.
6. Utensils.
7. At least one standing lamp.
8. A torch.
9. Non-stick saucepan, that you can even use to boil water :D.
Night lights. I even take them to motels for the bathrooms.
A mother who likes to paint and sew
*and will teach you how to do both.
And a father who can fix anything
**and will supply you with a complete tool box as a housewarming gift so that next time you can do it yourself...advice is a phone call away if needed.
We're the See One, Do One, Teach One kind of parents.
Command hooks... you can place them on any surface and they don't leave holes. Also, you can move them around easily.
Hand soap and a towel in the "essentials" box-- nothing grosser than that post-move grimy feeling.
Also: command hooks, hammer and nails, screwdriver, trash bags, and a good all-purpose cleaner. Everything else you can sort out as it comes.
Adding to Megan303's excellent suggestion for the "essentials" box: throw some Chapstick, hand cream, and a travel packet of face-cleaning wipes in there (not WetOnes--something that will make your sweaty face feel nice). After using Comet all day and washing your hands 18 times, your skin will be like sandpaper.
the title says TEN. 10 things. It's about 147 things now.
@tdubb2008
The post also says "add your basics to ours and help out those moving newbies!"
Your mom. I'll never forget my parents hauling all my stuff from their house to my apartment an hour away. They loaded up the farmtruck, a 1976 seafoam green Ford Pickup and brought it all down for me. And trust me, Mom's will think of something you'll need that you would have never thought of. :)
I would add :
1. Plunger
2. Tissues
3. Coffee
4. Matches
5. Beer or wine
6. Scissors
7. Measuring tape
8. Bug spray
9. Simple and energetic snacks
... All for the first day after the move... Easily accessible
2 more:
New toilet seat, and
Stepladder high enough to reach ceilings, to change light bulbs, etc.
I second a fire extinguisher. For a small place, you can get a marine one that tucks nicely under the kitchen sink.
Along those same lines, renter's insurance! Apartments are notorious for fires (and the related flooding), because it's not just about how responsible you are but also your landlord and your neighbors!
First aid kit....
Made that mistake last weekend, nearly cut off the end of my thumb. Took the subway to the store with bloody paper towels around my finger. Not fun!
@textiles-
Agree, the step ladder is crucial.
six month salary emergency fund? if i could save that much i wouldnt have been in a cheap apt for my first place. i'd be in a house. and be rich.
I agree with cccb12. 6 months salary of emergency fund is a little short of what I have now while owning two homes and is quite excessive for a first time apartment. But I also think $50 is severely short. Try collecting one month's salary. More than one thing will go wrong at once. I think they call it Murphy's Law...
Renter's insurance. A friend had her video game stuff stolen, and then was surprised to find that the theft wasn't covered on the landlord's building insurance. You need renter's insurance for your possessions.
This is a really scattered list. Half the stuff is useful, the other half feels like stuff a guidance counselor would say or beyond common sense! Half the stuff feels like a list for when you first move in, the other for after you've lived there a long while lol
The only of the list and above comments that I readily agree with is (for more immediate moving in) having basic tools, a plunger, a small fire extinguisher (not mentioned but come on, super important and many apts dont come with one!) Curtains you can easily get up soon after moving in, shower curtain. For cleaning stuff, a roll of paper towels and a bottle of windex cover about everything for me when I first moved in apts (obviously you could get more later as you settle)
For long term, yes to rugs, even with carpet. It feels more homey and bonus when you move out, thats all the more untouched carpet your landlord will leave you alone about. Lamps. We took the bulbs out our overheads and never used them once. Too harsh of light. And the biggie for me, if you cook at all, take a good look at your apt kitchen- odds are its not your dream kitchen. Figure out one easy way you can make it more functional without ruining it and do it. For me, that was getting a cheapo ikea cutting board island. It was my kitchen after that.
And yea, don't listen to the 50 buck thing (doubt anyone would) If you're moving in an apt and don't have 50 bucks in the bank to where you'd need emergency funds (real emergency funds, not lamp buying money!) might be time to reconsider getting that apt in the first place.
I read the $50 emergency money as more of a small necessities fund - things like picking up a lamp or a fan you didn't realise you would need or needing a break from settling in and going out for an evening are not crises but can be important when you are setting up house. Having a decent amount of money set aside for those kinds of things is a good idea. And of course, in an ideal world everyone would have a six month emergency fund but in this economy it is not always possible unfortunately.
@tdubb2008 LOL! "147 things." And I don't think anyone's yet mentioned light bulbs? In case any are missing, or too dim, or too bright.
The other "thing" I'd add is, if possible, paying a day or two of double rent, so you can sleep at your old place but get in and clean the new one thoroughly - even paint, if allowed - without boxes everywhere and/or cleaning/paint smells while you sleep. This also gives you time to measure windows etc; and to realize more things you'll need like the great suggestion of push-pins for temporary curtains.
I remembered everything when we moved, including the shower curtain, and then remembered that you need something to HANG the shower curtain with.
LOL - i know! It's just funny to imagine the person who is ready to write down these ten awesome things ... then they see the comments. Carpel tunnel is on its way!
Folding stepstool. Cost $18 dollars and still using it a few times a week, couldn't get by without.
Arkay has a point. Gotta know where the coffee and supplies are and some clothes. It's easy, especially if you've been short on time, to pack everything up in a day or two and then get to the new place, look around and wonder which box your work clothes are in and which one the toiletries are in, even if you mark them well.
HAHA yea. I forgot that one, shower curtain rod! I had to take baths for the first week at my place and ended up making an emergency store run one night to buy one. It was overpriced and not what I wanted, but live and learn. This one's mine, it's comin' with me.
a place to put your dirty laundry until you wash it