First apartment: the $300 list
Moving into a small first apartment? A prioritized list of what to buy in week one, month one and later — with a $300 starter budget and what to skip.
What it costs
| Mattress-in-a-box sheets, pillows and a duvet set | $95 |
| Basic kitchen kit: pan, pot, knife, cutting board, utensils | $70 |
| Bath towels (2) and bath mat | $30 |
| Shower curtain, liner and rod | $30 |
| Cleaning kit (all-purpose spray, sponges, broom, trash can) | $40 |
| Warm LED bulbs, extension cord, power strip | $25 |
| Basic toolkit and picture hooks | $10 |
| Total | $300 |
Rough US prices at the time of review. Prices change — check before you buy, and skip what you already own.
In week one, buy only what you need to sleep, shower, eat and clean — about $300 for the list below. Furniture and decor come after you’ve lived in the space for a few weeks and know what’s missing.
Week one: the $300 starter list
| What | Why now | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sheets, pillows, duvet set | You need to sleep tonight | $95 |
| Pan, pot, chef’s knife, cutting board, utensils | You need to eat without takeout every night | $70 |
| Two bath towels and a bath mat | First shower | $30 |
| Shower curtain, liner and tension rod | Many rentals don’t come with one | $30 |
| Cleaning kit: spray, sponges, broom, trash can | You’ll find dust the previous tenant left | $40 |
| Warm 2700K LED bulbs, extension cord, power strip | Rental bulbs are often cold or missing | $25 |
| Toolkit and picture hooks | Assembling and hanging anything | $10 |
Month one: after you’ve lived there
By now you know where you actually sit, eat and work. Buy in this order:
- A real place to sit — sofa, loveseat or two chairs. Check the size first: the apartment sofa size guide has the chart and the doorway check.
- Curtains hung high and wide — privacy, and the room looks bigger. See how to hang curtains.
- A rug the furniture can stand on — the rug size guide has the numbers.
- Two lamps so you can stop using the ceiling light — layered lighting under $100.
- A table to eat at, even a small drop-leaf one — dining table size guide.
Later (or never)
Decor objects, a second set of everything, specialty kitchen gadgets, a TV stand if the TV can be mounted, matching furniture sets. Wait until something is missing for a month before you buy it.
Safety basics on move-in day
- Test the smoke alarm and ask the landlord to fix it if it doesn’t work. The U.S. Fire Administration’s home fire prevention pages cover the basics for renters.
- Use UL-listed power strips and extension cords and don’t run cords under rugs, where heat builds up and damage goes unnoticed.
- Anchor tall furniture to the wall as soon as you assemble it.
- Find the water shut-off and the breaker panel before you need them.
Where to save
- Secondhand: chairs, tables, lamps, mirrors and frames — often half the price of new.
- New: mattress, bedding, towels and anything electrical you can’t inspect.
- IKEA-style flat-pack: shelves, drawer units and side tables — cheap and easy to hack later.
What not to do
- Don’t buy a furniture set on day one. You’ll end up with a dining table you don’t use and no place for the desk.
- Don’t buy storage before you unpack. You might not need it.
- Don’t decorate the walls in week one. Live with the light and layout first; then follow the focal point guide.
Sources
Quick answers
What should I buy first for my first apartment?
Things you need to sleep, shower, eat and clean in the first week: bedding, towels and a shower curtain, a pan and a knife, cleaning basics and a few warm bulbs. Furniture and decor can wait.
How much does it cost to furnish a first apartment?
The first-week essentials can come to about $300. Furniture is the big variable: buying secondhand and over a few months keeps a small apartment under about $1,000–$1,500 for the basics.
