Moving Into Your First Apartment? Here’s What You Actually Need!

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keys to apartment

Getting your first apartment is exciting — right up until you realize how much stuff you suddenly need. A shower curtain. Trash cans. Pots and pans. A vacuum. Something to sit on. And somehow you need to pay for all of it after deposits, moving expenses and your first month’s rent.

The good news is you absolutely do not need to buy everything at once. I’ve put together a first apartment checklist that covers what you really need, what can wait, and a few places where it’s worth spending a little more.

Start with the basics, shop your family’s closets and garages, grab secondhand items where it makes sense, and fill in the rest as you actually need it. Your first apartment does not have to look like a furniture showroom on move-in day!

First Things First — Can You Afford an Apartment?

Before you start picking out furniture, figure out what the apartment is really going to cost you. Rent is only part of it.

You may also be paying for electricity, water, internet, renters insurance, parking, laundry and other monthly expenses. Then there are groceries, gas, your phone bill and everything else you already pay for.

If you’ve never lived on your own before, sit down and make a real budget before signing a lease. Our free printable household budget organizer can help you get everything on paper.

  1. Figure out your take-home income. Use what actually lands in your bank account after taxes — not your gross salary.
  2. Add up your fixed bills. Include your car payment, insurance, phone, debt payments and anything else you pay every month.
  3. Estimate apartment expenses. Include rent, utilities, internet, renters insurance, parking and laundry.
  4. Don’t forget food and transportation. You still have to eat and get to work after the rent is paid!
  5. Leave room for savings. Apartments come with surprises. Having some emergency money makes a broken car or unexpected bill much less painful.
  6. Plan for move-in costs. Deposits, application fees, moving expenses and all those first-apartment purchases can hit at the same time.

And don’t feel like you have to spend exactly what a landlord says you qualify for. Being approved for an apartment doesn’t necessarily mean that rent will feel comfortable in your monthly budget.

affording apartment

How to Find an Apartment You Can Afford

Once you know your real budget, you can start looking. Don’t fall in love with a place first and try to make the numbers work afterward. That usually ends badly.

  • Compare neighborhoods. Moving just a few miles can sometimes make a big difference in rent.
  • Check several rental sites. Don’t assume every apartment is listed everywhere.
  • Ask around. Friends, coworkers and local neighborhood groups can turn up rentals you won’t find on the big apartment sites.
  • Consider a roommate. Splitting rent and utilities can dramatically reduce your monthly housing costs.
  • Look at smaller properties. Duplexes, garage apartments, studios and privately owned rentals may be worth checking along with large apartment complexes.
  • Ask exactly what’s included. A slightly higher rent that includes water, trash or another utility could actually be cheaper overall.
  • Read the lease. Check pet fees, parking fees, late fees, renewal terms and anything else that could cost you money later.

Most importantly, don’t rush because you’re afraid you’ll never find another apartment. This is a bill you’ll be paying every month. Make sure the numbers work.

FREE First Apartment Checklist

Now for the fun part — setting up your place!

You probably already own more than you think, so go through this list before you start shopping. Cross off what you have, ask family if they have extras, and then buy what’s missing.

And remember: you do NOT need every item on this list on Day One.

Kitchen Essentials

Don’t go crazy with appliances yet. A toaster, blender, air fryer, coffee maker and everything else can come later depending on what you actually use. If the apartment already has a microwave, that’s one less thing to buy.

Bedroom Essentials

Bathroom Essentials

Cleaning Essentials

Other Things You’ll Be Glad You Bought

Before buying a smoke detector, fire extinguisher or other safety equipment, check what’s already supplied and maintained by your apartment complex.

first apartment checklist mockup

PRINT THE FREE CHECKLIST

Living Room Essentials for Your First Apartment

Your living room is one place where I’d absolutely wait before buying everything new. Furniture gets expensive fast, and this is one of the easiest areas to furnish gradually.

Start with somewhere comfortable to sit. Then live in the apartment for a bit before deciding whether you really need a coffee table, end tables, bookshelves, TV stand and everything else.

  • Sofa or chairs — check measurements before bringing anything home. Apartment doorways can humble you quickly.
  • Lighting — some apartments have surprisingly little overhead lighting, so you may need a floor lamp.
  • TV — obviously optional. Don’t feel like your first apartment requires a giant new television.
  • Storage — baskets, shelves and storage ottomans can be especially useful in a small apartment.
  • Curtains — check what the lease allows before drilling holes or changing window coverings.

Decor is the LAST thing I’d spend money on. Get the apartment functional first. The cute stuff can come later — preferably on clearance!

cleaning supplies apartment

First Apartment Kitchen Supplies

You can spend a fortune outfitting a kitchen if you let yourself. Don’t.

You need enough equipment to make the foods you actually eat. You don’t need a 17-piece specialty gadget collection because somebody put it on a “first apartment essentials” list.

  • Pots and pans: A skillet plus a couple of pots will cover most basic meals.
  • A decent chef’s knife: I’d rather have one useful knife than a giant block full of bad ones.
  • Cutting board: Cheap and necessary.
  • Sheet pan: Useful for everything from frozen pizza to roasting vegetables.
  • Mixing bowl: You don’t need ten of them.
  • Measuring cups and spoons: Especially if you bake.
  • Can opener: One of those things you forget until dinner is trapped inside a can.
  • Food containers: Leftovers save money!
  • Plates, bowls and flatware: Start small. You aren’t opening a restaurant.

Then add appliances based on how you actually cook. Coffee drinker? Get a coffee maker. Live on toast? Buy a toaster. Never make smoothies? You probably don’t need a blender just because it’s on somebody else’s checklist.

First Apartment Cleaning Supplies

This is another category where you don’t need 14 different bottles. A few basic products will clean most of your apartment.

  • Multi-surface cleaner: One product that works in several rooms saves both money and cabinet space.
  • Microfiber cloths: Wash and reuse them instead of constantly buying paper towels.
  • Vacuum: If you have carpet, this is one item where buying something decent can be worth it.
  • Broom and dustpan: Cheap basics are perfectly fine.
  • Mop: Match it to the type of flooring in your apartment.
  • Bathroom cleaner and toilet brush: Not glamorous. Definitely necessary.
  • Dish soap and scrubbers: You don’t need anything fancy here either.

What Should You Buy New vs. Used?

This is where you can save a TON setting up your first apartment.

Tables, dressers, lamps, shelves, dishes, kitchen tools and plenty of other household items can be fantastic secondhand buys. Check family, friends, thrift stores, yard sales and local giveaway groups before paying retail.

There are a few things I’d personally be pickier about buying used — especially mattresses and upholstered furniture where you don’t know the history. Saving money isn’t much of a bargain if you bring home somebody else’s bug problem.

The Biggest First Apartment Money-Saving Tip

Don’t try to finish your apartment in one weekend.

Get what you need to sleep, shower, eat, clean and live safely. Then stop.

After you’ve lived there for a few weeks, you’ll know what you’re actually missing. That’s a whole lot cheaper than buying 50 things from a giant “must-have apartment list” and discovering half of them are still sitting unopened six months later.

And definitely print the checklist before you shop. Cross off anything you already have and keep it with you while you’re bargain hunting. Your first apartment should be exciting — not the reason you’re eating ramen for the next six months.

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