The Ultimate First Apartment Checklist: What You’ll Need for Every Room
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Moving into your first apartment is so exciting! You’ve worked so hard to get your first place, now you need to make sure you have everything you need to start out with this first apartment checklist!
When we moved into our first apartment after graduating college, we were so excited! We couldn’t wait to move in and decorate our space and make it our own.
There were so many items we needed to think about before, during and after moving in, that it made it overwhelming at the time.
If we were to go back in time and have this first apartment checklist with us, we 100% would! There were so many times, after we moved in, that we realized we didn’t have a baking sheet or a pot to cook with. We made too many unexpected trips to the store during that time.
We do not want you to go through the same thing! We want you to be organized and prepared, so you can relax in your new space sooner!
Our ultimate first apartment checklist will help you get everything you need when you move in.
You certainly don’t have to buy everything on the list right now. Maybe you already have some of the items. However, it’s a great checklist to have whenever you need it!
This post is all about the first apartment checklist.
First Apartment Checklist (Free + Printable)
You can get this totally free, printable PDF sent straight to your inbox in a matter of minutes! It will make the moving process so much easier!
Everything You Need to Know Before Moving Day
1. Facebook Market Place Is Your BFF
We have found so many amazing pieces on Facebook Market Place over the years. You have to consistently check items and snag them before someone else does, but it’s been one of the best ways we’ve gotten amazing furniture for less.
2. Look Out for Sales
The end of summer months (August and September) is one of the best times to shop amazing deals for your new apartment. Luckily that’s when a majority of people are moving into new apartments during college, after they graduate, or before the school year starts.
We were able to find so many amazing deals on kitchen items and decor for our apartment during this time (we moved in mid-September).
3. Get Hand Me Downs
Getting hand me downs of kitchen utensils, furniture or bedding from your parents, is a great way to save money when you move into your first apartment.
4. Shop at Thrift Stores
Before we moved into our apartment, we went to multiple thrift stores t shop for furniture. We found a beautiful solid wood dresser for $170 and refined it to make it look like a west elm dresser.
Thrift stores are great places to find hidden gems that you can DIY to fit the aesthetic you want for your first apartment.
First Apartment Kitchen Must Haves
The kitchen is our favorite place to be. It has the longest list of items, but we promise that you will and can use all of these in your first apartment. You’ll need pots, pans, cookie sheets and utensils. We found that Walmart, Target and Bed Bath & Beyond were the best places to shop for these items.
What you’ll need for your kitchen:
- Large + medium pots
- Small + large skillet
- Knife set
- Kitchen utensils
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl set
- Wooden spoons
- Spatula
- Dinner plates
- Drinking glasses
- Toaster
- Tea kettle
- Coffee pot
- Baking pans
- Cookie sheet
- Coffee mugs
- Blender
First Apartment Bedroom Must Haves
if you’re planning on ordering any furniture items, we suggest starting with your bedroom. We regret not buying a bed frame sooner. So if you don’t want to sleep on the floor for a couple of weeks, like we did, you’ll want to get your bed frame, head board and mattress first thing!
What you’ll need for your bedroom:
- Bed frame
- Headboard
- Mattress
- Mattress cover
- Sheets
- Pillows
- Duvet/bedding
- Nightstand
- Dresser
- Curtains
- Under-bed storage box
- Wall art
- Hangers
- Shoe rack
- Laundry basket
First Apartment Living Room Must Haves
So many of our items in our first apartment living room were Facebook Market Place finds, hand me downs and Target items.
What you’ll need for your Living Room:
- Couch
- Accent chair(s)
- Coffee table
- TV
- Apple TV/streaming device
- Internet moden
- Bookshelf
- TV stand
- Floor lamp
- Table lamp
- Area rug
First Apartment Bathroom Must Haves
Starting out, you don’t need much for your bathroom. Some essentials we recommend are a shower curtain and liner, bath mat, a bath towel set and a tooth brush holder.
What you’ll need for your bathroom:
- Shower curtain
- Shower liner
- Shower curtain hooks
- Bath mat
- Shower organizer
- Under cabinet organizer
- Bath towel set
- Soap dispenser
- Toothbrush holder
- Makeup organizer
- Trash can
- Toilet brush/plunger
First Apartment Laundry Room Must Haves
You can’t forget about the laundry room! It actually has some of the most important things you need to move into your place, like a toolbox, broom, mop and cleaning supplies.
What you’ll need for your laundry room:
- Detergent
- Fabric softener
- Dryer sheets
- Wall hooks
- Tool box
- Ironing board
- Iron
- Steamer
- Broom + dust pan
- Swiffer mop
- Cleaning supplies
- Supply caddy
- Vacuum
First Apartment Misc. Item Must Haves
There’s always those miscellaneous items you need when you move into your apartment. We’ve included a few below that we needed during the process.
Other items you may need:
- Command hooks
- Nails/hammer
- Key hook
- Door mat
- Fire extinguisher
- Toilet peper
- Paper towels
This post is all about first apartment checklist.
Other Posts You May Like:
21 Things You Need for Your First Apartment in a Big City
12 First Apartment Bedroom Decor Ideas We Found on Pinterest