The Important Things You Need For Your First Apartment

The Important Things You Need For Your First Apartment

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
•     For more kitchen essentials, check out our Starter Pantry and Staples Checklist, our Starter Equipment Checklist and Sam’s favorite kitchen equipment sources

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

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, as Alissa detailed after Hurricane Sandy
•     Window air conditioner
•     Internet router and associated cords
•     Light bulbs
•     First aid kit
•     Carbon monoxide alarm
•     Fire alarm