When I was moving into my first apartment, I was overwhelmed by just about everything. Did I really need all that stuff on the Target checklist? How could I afford a bed and rent when I hadn’t started my new job yet? How was I going to find a place we’d like, anyway?
While you can find answers to all of those questions (truly, all of them) in the Ultimate Apartment Handbook here, today, we’re going to solve just one of those problems. Let’s talk about the apartment essentials you actually need!
So listen. If you’re moving into your very first apartment – or maybe leaving your roommates and moving out on your own for the first time – you might think you’ve got everything already. But trust me, there are things you’re forgetting.
So I’ve got you. In this post, you’ll find a checklist of apartment items you’ve gotta have.
Sneaking a peek already? Yeah, I know this list is long. But I promise, I have cut out the extra fluff and kept this to the actual essentials. (I mean, unless you consider a mattress optional and are willing to skip cleaning supplies. Though those are not life choices I’d exactly endorse.) If you want an apartment that’s functional, comfortable, and not growing mold, this is the bare minimum.
For super-simple shopping, nearly everything is linked to Amazon, with just a few Ikea links for bigger furniture items. Using my years of apartment-living expertise, I’ve scoured product listings to find the most budget-friendly options that still had good reviews. You could just put in one big Prime order and call it a day!
However…
How to save money on first apartment essentials
…if you’re working with a tight budget, do not do that! Even if these apartment essentials are pretty budget-friendly individually, they absolutely add up.
To save big, instead of hitting up Amazon or Target or even Marshalls, buy as much as you can second-hand.
This is particularly cost-effective for furniture, which is ridiculously expensive. Nearly all of the furniture in our current apartment is from Facebook Marketplace, with a few family hand-me-downs mixed in.
For smaller items, especially in the kitchen, thrift stores and garage sales can be gold mines. Until Adam and I got married, just about every kitchen item I owned was thrifted, down to the plates and bowls. If you can hit up one thrift store with lots of stock, especially in an area with an older population, you could probably furnish most of your kitchen for under $100. Trust me, your wallet will thank you – and your home will have a little extra character as a result.
Related: looking to upgrade those first-apartment kitchen tools? Check out my very favorite kitchen tools.
Now, let’s get started!
FYI, affiliate links ahead. If you purchase anything through one of the links on this page, I make a few pennies of commission at no extra cost to you.
First Apartment Checklist
Want a printable, editable copy of this first apartment checklist? Click here!
Apartment Kitchen Essentials
FYI, this list is assuming that you will need to make a basic meal at home occasionally.
- Plates and bowls
- Drinking glasses and mugs
- Silverware
- Knives: if you’d prefer not to buy a set, make sure you have one serrated knife, one chef’s knife, and one paring knife, plus kitchen shears
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons: pro tip – if possible, make sure the measurement is stamped into the handle itself, not just painted on
- Cooking utensils: at least one spatula, rubber scraper, and spoon
- Can opener
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Cookie sheet
- Any baking supplies you think you’ll use: a 9×13 pan, an 8×8 pan, muffin tins, bread pan
- Oven mitts
- At least one pot, big enough to make pasta
- At least one pan, big enough to saute meat
- A colander, strainer, or similar way to drain your pot or pan
- Food storage set
- Ziploc and/or Stasher bags
- Chip clips
- At least one large bowl: a nesting set with lids is even better
- Appliances you’ll use: toaster, blender, mixer, etc.
- Sponge, dish cloth, or other means of washing dishes and wiping counters
- Dish towels: FYI, flour sack towels are cheap and almost always more absorbent than the cute dish towels
- Dishwashing detergent and/or dish soap
- Dish drying rack: especially if you don’t have a dishwasher
- Trash can and trash bags
- Somewhere to sit: a table and chairs, barstools, etc. Adam had the linked Ikea table and chairs, and they worked great! If you’re not near an Ikea, this and this from Amazon have decent reviews.
Cost estimate: without any extra baking supplies or duplicate items, buying everything on this list new will cost about $375 before buying a table and chairs. Add in the cheapest table and chairs set, and you’re looking at just over $500.
(So about that secondhand thing? DO IT.)
apartment bedroom essentials
- Mattress and bed frame: If you need to save space or money, no shame in a twin bed. I had this exact Ikea frame and mattress for 3+ years, and they honestly worked perfectly. Zero complaints!
- Mattress topper: Don’t skip this! It protects your mattress, plus, a similar mattress topper made even a crappy college dorm mattress quite passable.
- Sheets: two sets, ideally
- Other blankets, quilt, duvet and cover, etc.
- Pillow(s)
- Somewhere to store clothes: depending on the type of clothes you own and your closet size, you may or may not need a dresser. If you hang most of your clothing, a small set of cloth drawers or plastic drawers in your closet may suffice.
- Hangers
- A place to store shoes: a large plastic bin, over-the-door shoe holder, or a shoe rack
- A nightstand: may be a traditional nightstand or a side table, shelf, or even an extra chair
- Laundry hamper: you can save money on a super basic pop-up hamper, but I have to say that a laundry sorter cart is 100% worth the extra cost
- A lamp you can turn off from bed
Cost estimate: with the cheapest options, this will cost about $450
apartment bathroom essentials
If you have more than one bathroom, make sure you’ve got these essentials in each!
- Shower curtain, liner, and hooks
- In-shower organization
- Bath mat
- Hand soap
- Towels: washcloth, hand towel, bath towel; two of each, ideally
- Toilet paper
- Trash can with a lid
- Plunger
Cost estimate: this totals about $125 (and you’ll probably want to refresh most of these items each time you move)
apartment living area essentials
- Comfortable seating: if you can’t find a secondhand couch, I don’t think you’ll find a cheaper new option than Ikea’s Ektorp. The Pello chairs are also surprisingly comfortable.
- Coffee table
- A way to stream shows and watch movies: depending on your preference, this might be a smart TV, your laptop and a cord to connect to a TV, or projector set-up.
- A bookshelf or other place to store books, DVDs, games, etc.
- Throw blankets and pillows: just make sure to buy inserts if the covers are sold separately! If you’re not easily cold or don’t plan to take naps on your couch, you could skip these if you have to, but I think they’ll make a huge difference in your comfort.
- Somewhere to put your keys
Cost estimate: if you had to buy a couch and skipped the extra cozy accessories for now, this comes to about $500.
apartment cleaning & Home Maintenance essentials
Please, for the love of God, your health, and your security deposit, clean your space at least occasionally! It doesn’t take a lot to keep the mold at bay.
- Broom and dustpan
- Swiffer or mop
- Vacuum: If you can’t afford a regular vacuum, a stick vacuum like this will work for lighter jobs
- Cleaning cloths
- Toilet brush: Ideally, you’d have one for each bathroom. One might come with your plunger!
- Scrub brushes: an all-purpose one and one for grout lines
- Mirror spray
- Multipurpose spray
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Sink/shower cleaner: my personal favorite is equal amounts white vinegar and Dawn in a dish wand (scrub, let sit for an hour, then rinse well), but this also works!
- Laundry detergent: just make sure to check if the machine is high efficiency or not!
- Dryer sheets or wool dryer balls
- Lightbulbs
- Basic tools: at least a screwdriver, hammer, and measuring tape
- Nails and wall hooks
- Power strip and extension cords
- Scissors
- Tape: scotch tape, packaging tape, and/or duct tape, depending on your preferences
Cost estimate: this will run about $175 – and fair warning, it’s hard to get most of these things second-hand. Your best bet for saving $$ would be asking a generous parent with too many cleaning supplies or potentially posting on a neighborhood Buy Nothing group.
What’s the total cost of these apartment essentials?
If you bought everything new from these links, your total cost for furnishing an apartment would be about $1750.
Eek. I know.
If that number is making you hyperventilate, keep this in mind:
- If you had to, you could live without most of these items until you got your next paycheck. Couldn’t get a couch right away? You could sit on your bed to watch TV. No clothes storage? You could stack your clean laundry neatly on a closet shelf and you’d live for the short-term. You can make almost anything work for a few weeks.
- Check in with your roommates! Especially for things like kitchen items and cleaning supplies.
- You could cut this total in half if you bought your kitchen gear and furniture second-hand. (Do I sound like a broken record yet?)
Don’t forget…
If you’d like a copy of first apartment checklist you can edit, paste into a note in your phone, or share with your roommates, click here or enter your info below! You’ll get it delivered straight to your inbox.
Any other apartment essentials you think should be on this first apartment checklist? Tell me everything in the comments below!
P.S. If you liked this, you’ll love the Ultimate Apartment Handbook – it will walk you through everything you need to know about renting your first apartment. Check it out here!
