First Apartment Checklist

So, you’ve moved to a new town to study at an upper-secondary school of your choice or you’ve had a big row with your mom about curfew and she’s thrown you out. Whatever the case may be, you’ve moved into your first own apartment. Home.

The following list is a condensed version of your first apartment checklist: everything listed here is a must-have. Before you move in, make sure that you’ve checked off all these items. Remember, not everything needs to be bought. You can just as well rummage through your parents basement or attic (if your still talking to them, that is). 

1. A bed

This is the number one item on your list for a good reason. It should also be the very first thing you unpack, because nothing is as irritating as having to prepare your bed after a tiring day of lifting, carrying and unpacking those heavy boxes.

2. A toolkit

You will most likely need to assemble a few pieces of IKEA furniture, or take them apart. And those pegs aren’t going to nail themselves to the wall. For that end, you will need at least a screwdriver (both a flat-blade and a Phillips head) and a hammer.

3. A stepstool 

You probably aren’t tall enough to hang your lamps in the ceiling standing on the floor. Nor do you want to be teetering on a three-legged stool while doing this, so a sturdy stepladder is a must. It will also come in handy later when you want to reach the top shelves in the kitchen. Just remember, you won’t be needing it all the time, so make sure it’s easy to store.

4. Toilet paper

Well, just because.

5. First-aid kit

Moving house can be downright dangerous. You may cut your finger opening a box, trip down the stairs or sprain an ankle. At the very least you will need bandages, cold packs, antiseptic wipes and anti-inflammatory ointment. These will come in handy later as well.

6. Cleaning supplies

This should probably be higher up on the list, because the very first thing you want to do before unboxing your belongings is to go through the apartment and see if the previous tenants missed a spot or two. Pay special attention to cupboards and closets. Make sure you have the following: a vacuum cleaner, a mop, multi-surface cleaning solution, cleaning wipes, trash bags, toilet scrubber and toilet bowl cleaning solution.

7. Kitchenware

You probably want to eat something sooner or later, right? Although eating pizza out of a box with your fingers is fine up to a point, you may eventually want to eat real food. To that end you will need utensils: forks, knives, spoons, pans, kettles, you name it. It might also be a good idea to stock up on necessities like flour, pasta, rice, spices etc.

8. Batteries, extension cords and spare light bulbs

So, you've found the perfect spot for your arm chair that you like reading in. However, it is likely that your apartment doesn't have electrical outlets in every corner (unless it's relatively new, in which case you can't afford it), and that is why you need extension cords because you probably don't want the placing of the outlets to determine the placing of your table lamp. 

Batteries and spare bulbs are there for just in case. You'll need extra batteries when your remote control starts acting up and spare bulbs so that you don't have to go to the toilet in the dark because you have forgotten to buy a replacement bulb for the third time in a row.

Original text: https://www.updater.com/moving-tips/first-apartment-checklist
Edited by Lauri Hakanen