We have curated a checklist of some basic essentials that you need to get into place before you move in your apartment.

# Tip: Spend wisely and stick to the immediate needs to help you get started.

Assess your current inventory:

We always think of buying everything new while furnishing our homes. But take a step back and first, assess if there are some things that you already have. There are some fresh pieces which you may need but also take stock of your existing inventory.

To achieve this, take a long hard look at everything you want. The first thing that you need to start with is staple pieces of furniture and then move on to smaller items like accessories and textiles. The criteria that you need to keep in mind while deciding this is the condition of the item, how useful it is and lastly if it fits your personal sense of style.

The next thing that you need to decide is to decide where to place each item in your home. So keep an open mind and consider all the arrangements of your living situation. However, in case there is something which does not fit in your new surroundings consider letting it go.

Rank your purchase by priority:

People usually end up spending most of their money on purchasing the home, which leaves them with lesser to spend on furnishing it. This thing coupled with the excitement of purchasing a new home makes for some very costly mistakes.

However, don't fall into this trap and go about furnishing the home piece by piece rather than furnishing a whole room at one point in time. However, in doing this make sure that you have some essentials in a place like a bed, a sofa and a dining table set in and the rest can be moved in over a period of time.

So, after you have assessed your entire inventory, determine the things that are missing. Now start listing these items in the order of priority that you need them and make the purchases accordingly.

Moving in essentials:

Before you decide to move in, make sure that you have all your essentials taken off, like your gas, water, electricity, and internet turned on before you move in. This will make the unpacking process much easier.

The Living Room:

The living room is the center place of your home and it is also the first place that you step into once you enter your home, so it needs to be set in perfectly.

Some of the essential items that you need to include are:

•  A comfortable sofa set which is a critical investment since you will be spending most of your time either sitting or watching TV.
• This brings us to the next item which is the Television. The living room usually substitutes for the TV room as well thus making it a necessity for your home.
• Another basic necessity for your living room is the coffee table or the center table. There are many options which you can choose from right from a huge bulky wooden table or a minimalistic option depending upon the availability of space.
• Adding a shoe rack is also a good buy for the foyer and to keep things neat and tidy.
• If you want to have the dining area in the same place, you also need to get a dining table and chairs depending upon the number of people and the size of the room.

 

The Kitchen:

The kitchen is that area of your home that you need to set up very carefully since there are many different things that go in your kitchen all the way from cooking equipment to appliances and some other necessary essentials.

Some of the items that need to go in the kitchen include:

• Silverware: knives, spoons and forks, knives
• Dishware: plates, bowls, glasses, and mugs
• Utensils: tongs, spatulas, skimmers, pans, pots
• Cutting boards
• Measuring cups and spoons of different sizes
• Appliances: Toaster oven, coffee maker, kettle, blender, mixer, microwave, stove, grinder, refrigerator, kettle, and any other additional appliance which you may wish to get.
• Cleaning essentials: sponges, dish soap, dish towels, paper napkins, and paper towels, drying rack, trash cans, and bags.
• Other items: magnetic hooks, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, plastic bags, oven mitts, step stools, ice cube trays.

You may prioritize the items depending upon your immediate needs and procure them accordingly.

The Bedroom:

After having a long and busy day, the bedroom is the place where you want to relax and wash away all the tiredness of the day and enjoy your alone time or spend some quality time with your loved ones. You can customize your bedroom the way you want but you just need to keep in mind some basic essentials for each room.

• The bedroom should definitely include a bed- king size or queen size depending upon your need and the available space in the room, along with some soft and comfortable pillows to help you tuck into a beautiful slumber. 
• If we are talking about the bed how can we forget the comfortable sheet of the mattress to lie on and a quilt for the best beauty sleep?
• Buying a side table is an option and it can also perform the dual function of being your dressing table if you attach a mirror to it.
• For the cooling and heating add a fan or also an air conditioner depending upon your needs.
• Add some beautiful curtains to lift up the room and adjust the lighting.
• Fill in your closet with some essentials like hangers, shelf organizer, storage bins and drawer organizers.

The Bathroom:

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms of the home and is necessary that you have all the bathroom essentials in place to look after all your hygiene needs.

Some basic essentials include:

• Toiletries:  Bath soap, hand soap, shampoo, and lotion.
• Toothbrush
• Toilet paper
• Bath mat
• Air freshener
• Tissues
• Towels
• Trash can
• Shower curtain
• Washing machine
• Washing powder

Other essential items:

Apart from the basics and essentials from the different rooms in your home, there may be some items which you may have missed out to include.

• Basic tools
• First aid kit
• Batteries
• New locks
• Light bulbs
• Modem/Router
• Vacuum cleaner
• Flashlights
• Welcome mat
• Stationery
• Extension cord
• Food items

Conclusion:

The beginning of your time in a first apartment will generally require lots of trips back and forth to the store, and that's totally fine. Start with the things you really need, and then add on an upgrade as you can. A lot of these essentials will stay with you for years, so you won't have to go through this every time you move.