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My fiancee and I would like to move in together, but the actual date of the move in has been pushed back. A lot. Both of us currently live with our ‘rents and have never lived outside the ‘rents home before, so we don’t have any apartment stuff. I was thinking of purchasing some things for the apartment and keeping them stored in my current abode.My mother’s advice was this: don’t buy too much stuff, because it might not fit in to your apartment – aesthetic-wise or space-wise. So my question to Homies is this: what do you wish you had as soon as you moved in, and what could you have done without or what would you liked to have purchased AFTER you moved? – Aurora
Here are some answers from our awesome readers:
Wait on bathroom items (shower caddy, storage solutions etc.) We got a new shower caddy and a shaving mirror that use suction cups, well, our new tub/shower, have textured walls, so our caddy/mirror had to be returned.
I’d also wait on a lot of decorative things too. The real estate listing had some of the window measurements. So I went ahead and got curtains, pre move. I didn’t notice/pay attention to how our windows open, so I had to rethink the curtains completely. Big headache.
We knew we would have a yard to deal with, so we ordered a lawn mower and organized the shipping so it would arrive on the first day we would officially be moving in. I did this with a lot of stuff we’d need, like some furniture and dishes. Some of the stuff I even had shipped a few days before the move in date so they would be done and out of the way before everyone came schlepping in with boxes. – Tiffany
I’d go with practical stuff.
Toilet paper! My experience is there’s no toilet paper left so you want that.
Paper towels
Basic cleaning supplies – all purpose cleaner, Magic Eraser, dish soap
kitchen towels.
If you don’t already have towels and wash cloths you are taking then take those. Also cheap shower curtain rings and a shower curtain liner. I’ve also moved into a place that had those when I looked at it empty but not when I moved in. Which meant a run to the store after a day of moving.Related PostMoving announcements devoid of flowery language and sentimentality
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If you don’t have kitchen stuff – then you may want to get some basics.
Toolkit. Even living in an apartment you’ll want screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, measuring tape, a small level.
Foldable stepladder – so if you have to hang something high or change a light bulb you’re set
If you have dishes and wrap them in newspaper you’ll want to wash them so dishwashing liquid or dishwasher detergent (if you have a dishwasher).
Is coffee a must have? Do you have a coffee maker? If you don’t I’d get a coffee maker and some coffee. Again so you don’t have to run out the first day to get your fix.
Vacuum cleaner. Dirt Devil makes a compact apartment sized one. Again, this is something I didn’t think of until I needed to vacuum something up.
The little carpet protectors to put under your furniture, if you have rugs I’d do it as soon as you move in. One it makes them easier to move, but it also reduces the risk of holes in the carpet. – Ali
My now husband and I bought random small things we knew we’d need when they were on sale in the year prior to us moving in together (measuring cups, spatulas, glasses, dishes, pots and pans, whisks, can opener) when they were in the clearance sections at Target.
For the big stuff – I had most of it from living on my own, but we did buy a new couch and if you know any sort of rough estimated date most big box furniture stores will work with you on holding the product until you’re ready. (we bought the couch in August, when it was on a killer sale and didn’t have it delivered until Nov.)
Basically, while you’re living with your ‘rents take note of all the things you use daily (towels, dishes, silverware, etc) and see if it’s something that is dependent on your house, if it isn’t try & buy it while it’s on sale now so you aren’t shelling out as much later. Also, if you can start going through your closets and stored items now so you don’t have as much to go through when you do get ready for the big move.
Also, make sure you both agree on chores/rules before moving in together. Talk, talk, talk! My husband doesn’t pick up his socks, I knew this before living with him, so we establish he has to either put his socks in the baskets or they don’t get washed. I’m allergic to grass, so in the summers when there’s yard work – he does that and I do the big inside stuff (clean ceiling fans, scrub the tub, baseboards, etc) and we both split the every day stuff – either one of us washes the dishes and the other one cooks. If he puts the laundry into wash, I move it to the dryer, or put the clothes away when done.
And if you plan on saving money by not eating out a lot and using meal planning, look into a meal planning service (I use emeals & save all their menus in a binder) and start researching some recipes and using your parents kitchens as test kitchens, since they’ll most likely have the supplies you already need. My husband and I thought we knew how to cook a lot of foods, but we were sorely wrong! So at least hit a local bookstore or Pinterest and start putting together a recipe book. – Storm
Everyone else has the furniture and such covered, so I thought of food first. If it’s a completely empty bare-bones apartment, some of the food items for cooking would need to be bought, like salt, pepper, olive oil, etc. The super basics. Often in the haze of moving and getting stuff to and from it’s time for dinner and you’re like “oops.” and then it’s takeout for like 4 weeks. – Melissa
A coffee table! We lived without furniture for 2 weeks while waiting for movers to get our stuff out of storage and move it across the country, and man was I thankful my mom made me stuff a coffee table in my trunk. We camped out on the floor, but having something to eat on was invaluable.
Next most important – a lamp! Any kind will do, but many apartments I have lived in either have no light fixtures at all beyond the kitchen/bathroom or very limited overhead lighting (none in the living room, etc). Our last apartment we had to go out and buy a lamp the first night because otherwise we would have been in complete darkness.
Make sure to have a set of necessary kitchen supplies – pots, pans, strainer, vegtable peeler, knives, utensils, plates, kitchen towels, oven mitt, basic spices
Also pretty basic and some of the first things I always end up buying are trash cans, trash bags, laundry degergent, saran wrap, tinfoil, dish soap, sponges
Wait to buy anything decorative or that isn’t absolutely necessary or something you want. I KNEW I was going to need bookshelves because I have a ton of books, but I waited until we lived here a few weeks to be sure how we were going to arrange furniture first. – Oread
I actually am moving in with the guy in August! But yea, I’ve kinda come up with a system, having moved a lot myself:
Things I know I’ll need an that are not perishable, I’ve put aside, like spices and dish soap, mac and cheese (for when we first move in together-I’m always poorer than I imagine), toilet paper, paper towels (cuz you’re not going to want to run to the laundry mat to wash dish towels), random cleaning supplies that I’m picking up when they’re on sale.
I don’t like the idea of picking up a vaccuum cleaner, cuz who says you’re going to have carpet? Also, you know you’re going to need a bed, but you may have a bar in your kitchen, so don’t buy a kitchen table or chairs yet.
I’ve been pricing out stuff like couches that are comfy, kitchen tables and chairs, benches, extra living room seating, etc., and trying to set aside the money for these items. Because until you move into a space, you’re not going to know what size couch will fit in your living room, or if that huge dresser of yours will fit through the bedroom door. And, if you don’t need the kitchen table, then you’ve automatically got extra money for cuter-than-standard drapes, or saving for a vacation!
Vacuums work on non-carpeted floors too, and many have different settings for carpeted and non-carpeted floors.
My experience based on having moved countries with only 2 backpacks to our names, and moving twice since then:
– mattress of some sort, we slept on a good quality air mattress for 2 months and it was fine. Avoid shitty air mattresses at all costs.
– thick floor cushions and a couple of cheap IKEA coffee tables. Accessorise with a set of chopsticks and have people over for Chinese takeaway or home-cooked anything-Asian. If you get 6 floor cushions, you have a couch while you find the perfect couch.
– good pillows
– a matching set of anything to offset all the non-matching stuff you’ll have
– a broom or vacuum
– curtains or a sheet for your bedroom
– buy anything awesome and vintage that you see now, store it, and take it with you. Do not buy anything new and bigger than a moving box unless it’s something you can’t live without.
– however, if you do plan on buying new, organise a day off the day before moving to stay in the new apartment and coordinate all deliveries for that day.
And lastly – posters, framed art or even your favourite piece of fabric can be hung/pinned/draped as soon as you move in and will make you smile while you gather the other stuff.
Enjoy the nesting, it’s awesome!
If you don’t want to buy too much stuff before you move but still want to minimize the amount of work you have to do all at once when you move, or if you are just excited about getting your own place and want to pick out stuff for it, you can make a wish-list. Do the research and figure out what you want ahead of time and take notes, then when you move all you have to do is go to the store (or get online) and buy things.
You can even set up an online wishlist at Amazon or any of a number of registry websites so that when friends and family ask what they can get you to help you get set up in your new place, you can point them at your list.
It could also be useful to start putting money aside now for furnishing your new place so you have savings to use on the flood of stuff you are going to find that you need in the first month after you move.
I totally second the wish-list thing! I’ve got one that I have been making for when I move to someplace bigger. (our little one bedroom is tiiiiiny) Sometimes having a wish-list and idea of price ranges is good because you know what you want to aim for once you do move!
Cooking equipment and eating utensils, I’d buy ahead of time. I mean, you’ll probably be getting pizza d1 anyways, because moving is exhausting and who has time to cook, but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to eat off a plate, even if you don’t have a table yet?
Also, stock up and get basic cleaning supplies ready to go. It’s annoying to have to run out just to buy washcloths or paper towels, especially when you’ve spilled your drink because moving is exhausting.
As for furnishings, the only big one is a bed to sleep on. Or a mattress on the floor. If you have that, then you have enough to get by on. HOWEVER, if you can’t get the furnishings you want delivered to you cheaply, or if they won’t fit in a vehicle you or a helpful family member owns, it’s a very good idea to arrange purchases of large items (mattress, sofa, large dressers, some tables) ahead of time so that you can pick them all up on the same day so you only have to rent a large truck for a single day. That can get expensive.
Accessories, home decor items, and small furniture items can easily wait until after you have the basics in. Because the less you have to haul in a single day, the easier your life will be. Again, moving is exhausting. If you can stagger it so you only have a few big pieces to do for your first big run, and you can work on getting the smaller stuff slowly over the course of a week or month or so, it’ll be so much easier.
And don’t let anybody make you feel like you’re not a proper adult if you don’t have a sofa, or dining table, or whatever piece of furniture that seems essential but really isn’t. At the end of the day, your home is the place you come back to, rest your feet, and keep your cat or husband or art or whatever is important to you.
I’ll be honest and say I didn’t read most entries, so sorry for duplicate stuff.
This is what we needed absolutely when my husband and I moved:
-folding table and chairs. I saw folding because it will obviously move easily.
-a decent vacuum, especially if you have pets.
-a basic set of pots and pans, not one of those huge sets as you won’t know if it will fit in the new place.
-a futon. We took the mattress when we bought our house and it was literally the first piece of furniture that entered our new home (then the above mentioned folding chairs).
-disposable plates, cups, napkins, cutlery. Because you will want to eat.
If you want bigger items, just start a savings account and save up money for them for now. You will have no idea how much room you will have when you move, but having he money to get the bigger furniture will be a nice treat for after you move (as well as a deserved dinner out).
I cannot agree enough with the people who have already listed the following:
Bathroom essentials (shower curtain + rings, plunger, drain cleaner)
Comfortable mattress (inflatable bed THAT DOESN’T DEFLATE, awesome foam mattress)
Kitchen basics (frying & saucepan, knife + cutting board, olive oil + condiments)
Vacuum
Trash can + trash bags
But no one has mentioned:
Curtains! Apartment window treatments are terrible at keeping out sun and heat. I cannot live without curtains making my sleeping space dark and manageable. Curtains also mean power drills/screwdrivers to put up the rods.
Space heater? Fan? Consider what you need to make the place livable in terms of temperature.
Hangers. Almost every place has a closet now, but it will be infuriating if you can’t unpack your clothes because you can only strew them about in piles without a way to hang them up.
The following would be nice to have, but not vital:
Two sets of linens (sheets, towels, kitchen towels)
Extra pillows, bed and floor
1-2 chairs
Surrogate coffee table (trunk, storage cube, etc)
Flat decorations (textile hangings, posters, framed pictures)
Basic tools & decorating supplies (hammer, mallet, screwdrivers, nails/hooks, putty/sticky tabs if you can’t hammer into the walls)
The following you shouldn’t buy in advance, as per suggestions:
Furniture/appliances (pain to store)
Dishes/flatware/kitchenware (ditto)
Multiples of anything but textiles
Safety measures (alarms, weapons, etc)
It took us more than a year to get a real kitchen, so that stuff can wait. We did, however, go out right away and buy a bed.
I would strongly advise against buying any furniture before you actually have a place to plan with. However, you might want to consider buying flatware and such before. Maybe go through your parents’ homes with open eyes and make a list of things you really need – I moved into my home without a can opener. ^^
My husband and I have been living together for years, but we’re moving to our first house next week. We’ve prepared a giant box labeled “First Night” that has all the stuff we’re going to need right away, so we don’t have to dig through tons of boxes. Plus our official big-truck moving day isn’t for another week after we close.
So here’s what’s in our “First Night” box:
-toilet paper
-a plunger (just… you don’t want to be without it when you need it, and you never know when you’ll need it. Trust me!)
-a bottle of champagne (important!)
-all purpose cleaner
-paper towels/rags
-paper plates, plastic utensils, Solo cups (I normally hate this stuff but I am *not* putting my dishes away night one)
-shower curtain, shower rings
-towels
-one set of sheets
-an air mattress
-two pillows
-shampoo, conditioner, body wash, loofah/washcloth,toothpaste, toothbrushes
-handsoap (another thing that sucks to not have as soon as you walk in the door, you’d hate to use the restroom and then realize no soap!)
In your situation, I’d avoid buying:
-microwave – lots of apartments around here have them built in
-much in the way of furniture – it might not fit, you might find a furnished place
-products that aren’t multipurpose, like a wafflemaker, a panini-maker,a spaghetti boiler… my first roommates had all kinds of things like that (a french toast stick maker? what *is* that?) and it just took up a lot of room and never got used. Stick with a couple of decent quality pots and pans and maybe a George Foreman type grill. I would avoid the cheapest pots and pans – get a $30 pan that will last years and years instead of two $8 pans that will last maybe a year.
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In the same vein as the air mattress as a bed for a bit, get a couple of camp chairs if you don’t already have some. Wait to get a couch, kitchen table, and bigger furniture like that unless you have set foot in the actual place you are going to live and have measured and all that. Good luck!
Ok, So I’ve only briefly glanced at what others put and I’m probably parroting a lot of what they have said but I’m going to list a few “essentials” that for the first few weeks you will probably need and everything else can come afterwards.
– a can opener (because if you move and you don’t have a fridge you may indeed be having a lot of canned food at first.)
-a toaster oven (PB&J, toast, and you can make hashbrowns and warm soup etc.- I would say microwave but some places have them built in and others don’t. A toaster oven is always a surefire thing that you can use for a number of different things.)
– plastic/paper cups, plates, and utensils (honestly you can buy these right when you move in. If your place needs work or you haven’t figured out a theme, if you want one, then this is what I recommend. Cups and utensils can usually be rinsed but while your kitchen is a disaster zone -admit it, because moving is cray-cray- and plates can be rinsed and tossed into burnables, recyclable, or even re-used if it’s plastic.)
– a bag or box for garbage (ok I just used a leftover box from unpacking stuff for the first…. eh maybe three months. You don’t need a trash can right off usually and why use bags when you have PLENTY of boxes available right? Right.)
-something to sleep on and blankets (ok it can be a mattress, a blow up bed, a futon that your friends lend you till you buy a bed, a stack of pillows- whatever it is that means you can sleep and feel somewhat comfortable. Buying a bed beforehand is a baaaaaad idea because you never know the measurements of a room. growing up a had a fabulous four poster canopy bed- my apartment…… had a ceiling fan. Yeah. Suckage.)
-bug/critter traps. (I reccomend this for ANY house. you don’t usually know what it does or doesn’t have and NOTHING is more freakout inspiring than waking up to roaches, ants, spiders, mice, rats, snakes, whatever. Get a few traps as a precaution- set them up right away in out of the way places and check regularly. If you don’t have anyhting- GOOD. If you do….. well now you KNOW and you already have precautions set up and you can start with a solution.
-board games (ok assuming that you have no computers, tv, table, seats, or whatever you are going to want entertainment! right? Well sure, there are books but you totally want to interact with your loved ones. Awesome memories are formed on the floor, eating toaster oven steamed veggies with cheese melted over them in a plastic bowl, and playing clue. I kid you not- floor picnics and board games are the shizzaz. Oh- and you can totally make your own too. We got chalk from the dollar store and played a homemade twister game in our parking space and some dice -we colored the dice for what color and Foot/hand we would do- the dollar store is totally your friend btw.)
-hygiene stuff (ok, until you have the time to start going “hey I need that” like shower curtains -themed or not- you will need to go out and right away get the basics Toilet paper, at least one towel, maybe shampoo, hand-soap, deodorant. Oh, and at least a raggedy towel to use as a rug when you get out of wherever you bathe. )
Things you will need while you move and adjust ( at least I think so)-
-cleaning supplies (while you move things get dirty. If repairs are made or there ARE pests then you need to clean. )
-shelf liners (if you move into a place , like I did, that has NASTY shelves even after they are cleaned- you probably will want to line them. Never put it off because if you do- you probably will never do it. I actually used newspapers because I had a TON for cleaning the windows. 😛 whatever works is good.)
-a phone book. (ok if there are repairs or pests, or even you are exhausted from unpacking or cleaning and you just want to order pizza instead of cook- you need a phone book. Probability is- you don’t have your internet hooked up right off so try to snag a phone book to the area right off. this REALLY helps because then if there is an emergency -like you break a light fixture while moving the bookcase and you get a nasty cut across your arm- then you have the address of the local hospital or you can call the fire-station direct or whatever. I know people think they can just 911 it but some cities have odd rules- for example, where I live if you call 911 and they deem the issue to be your fault for being “thoughtless” then they will bill you. This really sucks because I’m now incredibly gun-shy for calling 911 even when I know it’s legit. My phone book has saved my ass in that respect. )
-learn the local quirks (like previously mentioned my town has a funny local law. I suggest looking up the quirks to your new neighborhood so they don’t surprise you and give you a bad day when you may already be stressed from moving.)
-something scented (I think there was a post mentioning this at some point but a sent that you find comforting or you want to associate with home is super important.)
– wall hangings (ok if you are like me and can’t stand blank walls- posters, pictures, paintings, and more are really important there have been lost of low/no damage posts so I don’t need to go into that but wall hangings can make things waaaaay more bearable.
Some tips for buying furniture once you have moved-
– measure your friggin doorways before you shop (omg this has caused so much grief- we had to lift our couch in through the window and I’m not sure how we can get it out now that the landlord changed our windows. XD this might not be a problem if you own but make sure you have a window/door that can fit a couch/desk/whatever into the room you want.
-When you buy cabinets/bed-sets/etc. remember that you will probably have that FOREVER. (I learned this one from my mother. When she and my father first moved they bought a pale walnut (or something) bed-set -that she thinks looks hideous in shape as well. My mother loves Cherry wood though- she has had to put up with the set for over 20 years and honestly that set isn’t going anywhere. Yes you could probably change the colors but…. will you? lol I know for crafty folks this isn’t too much of an issue, but keep it in mind.)
Ok that’s all the wisdom I could think of 🙂 and most of that is my experience as a young (and broke) kid freshly moved out of the ‘rents place.(with generally only the clothes on my back and a couple of books I had brought with me.) You can survive without a lot- but those are definitely some of the things you will probably want to get by till you get your feet under you. Remember- take it slow. you don’t need EVERYTHING all at once.
Goooooood luck!
Others may have said this, but it’s worth reiterating, IMO: Lamps. Whenever I moved (likely because I kept moving into places that got increasingly bigger), I never had enough lamps and was always walking into dark rooms. Find something that will blend into whatever decor you choose and have them available when you move in.
One thing to say: if you have no storage space – LAYAWAY!!!! if there’s a store in your area that still has it, that is. When i first moved into an apartment of my own, I went to Kmart and put a lot of things on Layaway. This included some dishes, kitchen things (measuring cups, knives, silverware, etc), towels, sheets & blankets (a “bed in a bag” set is awesome for starting out), a stepladder, a cute matching bathroom set (rug, waste basket, shower curtain, toothbrush holder, etc) and among other things: two big floor pillows since my living room furniture wasn’t set to be delivered until a week after i’d moved in.
I already had a bed (bought when living at home), a dining room set (Mom’s old one that was older than me and fell apart before i moved again ;-)) as well as a couple book shelves and my tiny school desk. Mom decided when i moved out that she wanted new pots & pans, so i inherited her old ones (but a new set can be tossed into the layaway).
We moved my very little bit of furniture and boxes in the morning, and then went and picked up my layaway. I didn’t even have a tv for most of the first year that i lived there, and when i finally did get one, i didn’t even have cable.
I could have done without..majority of our stuff. When I moved in with my boyfriend I had a couple of suit cases from never having my own place other than a dorm. He, on the otherhand, moved out of state to be with me and had a whole house ready to go. We have too much stuff now for our 2 bedroom apartment. We can do without the 2 bikes that are never used, the scooter that sits in our livingroom/dining room, his 4 boxes of clothes that he doesn’t wear and his DJ set. However I am grateful that we didn’t have to buy dishes, a kitchen table, or a dresser.
We found out (after moving for the entire day) that we needed a shower rod to hang the shower curtain on. Some people (especially if they are unloading a house for super cheap/it’s a foreclosed home) will take all the items like that with them before the house goes on the market. Foraging around a freezing Target store after moving for that one item wasn’t fun after 14+ hours of moving.
Also- I programmed the utility company & local pizza place phone # into my cell phone before the big day- this helped.
My partner and I just moved in together and out of our respective parents’ houses, too! We started shopping for things before our place was ready (we’re still in the process of fixing up our 1973 Argosy travel trailer), and these were some of the first things we bought (mind you, we moved into a travel trailer, so we didn’t need to buy furniture):
Before the move:
– Essential cooking utensils (This depends on your cooking style and frequency. We’re pretty avid cooks, so our “essential” list was actually more extensive than the bare bones list you need when you first move in. Basically, get anything you use at least once a week.)
– Dishes, glasses, and silverware
– Food (All those little pantry staples you took for granted at mom/dad’s house are going to be missed when you move! When you’re cooking before the move, take note of any herbs/spices and other pantry items like oil you use regularly. Don’t get anything that can spoil, obviously, until after the move.)
– Towels, wash clothes, etc.
– Cleaning products
– Bedding
– Something to sit on (We didn’t need to worry about this, moving into a trailer, but if you’re moving into an empty space, you’ll at least need some folding chairs and a table for your first night/morning in.)
Right after the move:
– Food! (Fast food is okay for moving day, but get some real food as soon as possible!)
– Curtains (The ones that came in our trailer were the originals (!) and falling apart, so one of the first things I did was sew some new ones. Privacy is pretty important when you’re parked in the suburbs and your kitchen, bedroom, and living room are all in the same space!)
I am getting ready to move out and feel semi-prepared. If anyone wants to offer advice (much appreciated), here is the link to my blog:
http://leapingaround.blogspot.com/2014/04/moving-on-out.html
I moved cross-country with my boyfriend, and when I checked into shipping our stuff, it would have been almost $2000. I decided for that amount of money, I could replace all my basics. (I did pack high-value small items, like silverware and spices.) I started an Amazon cart, and had fun picking out dishes, appliances, linens, etc for later. We took just what could fit in our cars.
Once we’d leased a place (in that waiting period before keys) I edited my cart to be realistic for the new space, and my kitchenware & household items arrived the day after move-in. We got a few basics from Ikea immediately (kitchen table and chairs, and two Poang living room chairs) and waited for the rest to arrive as needed, via Craigslist mostly. One thing I wish I’d planned ahead was mattress delivery. We spent the first two nights in our place sleeping on the removable chair cushions.