Wall-to-wall plasma TV and house slippers, or a set of towels and detergents? What are the first things you’ll need when moving to a new home? Who else if not professionals could help us with this checklist! This is why we asked Movoto.com for advice for new settlers on how to select the must-have items to bring to the apartment or house first. And here is what we learned:
Detergents, toilet paper, sponge, mop and vacuum cleaner
How does the move to a new apartment begin? You are right! It starts with general cleaning. Therefore, take care of cleanliness and hygiene before buying furniture. Detergents, sponges, an electric mop, a floor steamer, or a vacuum cleaner are those things that you will need right away.
Slippers
During the first days after the move, you will be busy cleaning, arranging furniture, sorting the things brought, and you will not have time to buy slippers.
Even if you are used to walking around the house barefoot, at first, you will need indoor shoes in a new apartment: they will help you not to get into a wet spot with your bare foot (grrr!) and will save you from small accessories that painfully dig into your heels.
Pillows, bed linen, and mattress
Buy pillows, bed linen, and a mattress for the first nights in an empty apartment. You will have to lay the mattress directly on the floor until you clean your new home. Therefore, you can buy a mattress cheaply so that you can throw away it without regret when it is time to choose a good quality bed.
Another option would be to put the mattress on a large sheet of plastic or some big garbage bags to keep it clean if you plan to use it later again.
Kitchen and fridge
You will almost certainly bring full boxes of kitchen utensils. You need a well-organized kitchen to arrange them on the shelves quickly. And you also need a fridge for the food not to be spoiled. Actually, the arrangement of kitchen space is the first thing you should start within a new apartment or house.
You should find out the exact dimensions of the room and understand what kind of kitchen you want before you move. At this stage, you need to think over the composition of furniture, select equipment, decide on the exterior, choose storage places, and it is better to know every last detail. Experienced people plan the move so that they settle their new apartment on the day when kitchen utensils are delivered.
The second purchase is a refrigerator. The requirements are the same. While moving into your apartment, you should already have a clear plan: what size the fridge should be and where it will stand.
A table and a couple of chairs
Buy a cheap plastic table and a couple of chairs in a chain store immediately after you move. They will help you get through difficult times: you can dine at the table, or you can use it as a place for sorting other things. When the hustle and bustle calm down, think about a perfect table that will fit into your interior, please the eyes, and last for many years.
A set of towels, soap, hygiene products
You will use the bathroom on the very first night in your new apartment. Therefore, do not forget about the main things: a set of towels for family members, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, and shower gel.
We don’t think that you want to go to the store at night, do you?
Portable lamps
While you are deciding which chandelier should be hung in the living room and which lamp you want to hang over the crib, a couple of small portable lamps will solve a lot of lighting problems. Furthermore, it is easy to get rid of them. A set of bulbs will be helpful as well: even if they are not needed now, they will be useful later.
If you are going to renovate your apartment, buy LED lamps, while you are already living in a new home. They do not break easily if you hit them accidentally with a ladder or a mop. Besides, LED lamps are energy saving.
A wardrobe
A sliding wardrobe or, perhaps, a massive wooden wardrobe with legs, made in the pre-revolutionary style – it’s up to you. However, the wardrobe should be one of the first purchases for a new apartment. When you sort your clothes, your home will look more comfortable: boxes of linen and ball gowns will not clutter up space.
