The Basic-Starter List of Your New Apartment Needs (Free Template)
This blog post will help you get started on your new apartment shopping list.
READ: Easy Steps to Finding an Apartment (Free Template)
READ: 11 Things You NEED to Know Before Apartment Hunting
Moving to a new apartment can be a struggle. But it’s also exciting! Since I’ve always lived with friends (and our apartment was filled with THEIR stuff), I haven’t had to buy much. AKA I own almost nothing. Not even forks. So now that my sister and I are moving in together (along with my boyfriend), we have to fill that apartment with furniture and necessities that will make our apartment a comfortable and fun place to hang out.
This is our basic-starter list for what you may need when you’re moving to an apartment. The key is to think about 3 things.
ONE: What is your moving budget?
This is crucial to making decisions about furnishing your apartment. Ask yourself how much time you have to save up. If you have a good idea of what you need and want, you can set a goal and save. If you don’t have much time, setting the amount you have to buy items will help you navigate the next step. I estimated about $600 for essentials. Plus another $800 for a couch. Check out our free template on Google Sheets to get you started.
TWO: What do you need vs. what do you want? And what do you already own?
Ideally, once you have an idea of what you need and want you should compare that to your budget. I definitely moved things from “need” to “want” once I saw how all of the costs added up. The items under the “need” category are for things you need starting week one, depending on what’s important to you. For example, silverware, plates, trashcan, toilet paper, etc. Every person will have a different threshold of what they could wait a month or two for and what they need immediately. Look for lists online and customize for your own lifestyle. For example, I had a “rug” under the “need” category. After a few minutes of searching for rugs, I decided that this would be an item that I would save up for and purchase later.
I also started a new tab on the spreadsheet of items that we already owned between the three of us: dining table, bookshelf, fruit basket, etc. This way we could prevent unnecessary purchases and we know who owns what when our lease is over (I included an “Owner” column on the free template so you can note who would be in charge of purchasing, in case you want to split up the work or costs). We don’t own alot, but by noting what we already have, we won’t have to worry about having multiple of an item.
THREE: Prioritize.
Review your NEEDS vs WANTS. Needs are immediate – AKA you would struggle or be unhappy without it during your first week or month. Wants include items you know would be a great fit in your apartment but will have to wait due to budget or time constraints. Once you feel great about where items have landed on each respective list you can move to researching your options for those items to stay within your budget or personal preferences, like color and style.
You can download the FREE spreadsheet template we used to organize what we already owned, what we *needed* to buy, what we *wanted* to buy, and an action items list HERE.
Whether you have roommates or not, it relieves so much stress to have your lists organized. BONUS if you can fill in your spreadsheet a month before your move-in date so you have plenty of time to check prices at several websites, watch out for deals, or find cool items.
You may not be able to capture everything perfectly but the best first step is to START!
