Moving into your first apartment is definitely an exciting experience. It can be a great feeling standing in your new apartment and realizing that you finally have a place of your own. However, along with the freedom and excitement of apartment life also come the task of outfitting your new home with all of the essentials. The list of must-haves for an apartment can be long and costly, which is why it's important to prioritize the things you actually need so you can budget and plan accordingly. Without a true essentials list, you could quickly end up spending way more than you anticipated on things you won’t be using every day. The following checklist is a helpful guide for crossing off the things you already have and narrowing down the things you need to buy to make your new apartment a home.

Furniture Essentials

You are definitely going to need some furniture to make your apartment feel like home. Many first-time renters don’t have the budget to buy all new furniture, so they either take items from their parents’ home or they purchase things from yard sales or social media sites. Here are a few pieces of furniture you should be on the lookout for:

●Couch

●Bed

●Dresser

●Dining table/ bistro table

●Barstools

●Coffee table

●Television/ TV stand

●End tables

●Nightstand

Kitchen Essentials

While you may not anticipate cooking fancy meals every night, eating out every meal can get costly so you will probably end up cooking more than you realize. Whether you are a novice cook or you consider yourself a seasoned chef, here are some kitchen essentials everyone needs in their apartment:

●Pots and pans

●Dishes (plates, bowls, glasses, mugs)

●Utensils (spoons, forks, knives)

●Cutting board

●Microwave

●Food storage containers

●Dish towels

●Sponge

●Dish soap

Bedroom Essentials

You want to make your bedroom feel cozy and comfortable so you can get a good night’s sleep. Here’s everything you will need to create a relaxing bedroom space:

●Mattress

●Pillows

●Sheets

●Comforter

●Hangers for the closet

●Laundry hamper

Bathroom Essentials

In addition to your regular toiletries, there are a few items you will need to purchase to make your bathroom complete. These items include:

●Shower curtain and liner

●Bath mat

●Toothbrush holder

●Soap dish

●Plunger

●Towels

Cleaning Essentials

Now that you have your own place, you are responsible for keeping it neat and tidy. You don’t need to buy an expensive vacuum cleaner right away, but there are a few things you will need to keep your apartment clean:

●Trash can

●Broom and dust pan

●Mop

●New or used vacuum cleaner

●Bucket

●Sponges

●Kitchen cleaning spray

●Bathroom cleaning spray

●Rubber gloves

●Soft rags for dusting

Decorative Essentials

It’s the little things that really make an apartment feel like home so spruce up your new place with a few of these basic items that can make the space feel warm and inviting:

●Throw blankets

●Lamps

●Curtains

●Throw pillows

●Decorative rugs

●Decorative objects such as vases, books, picture frames, or other objects that can be added to bookshelves or end tables to make the space your own.

There are many things you can add to your apartment as you can afford it such as artwork, decorative pieces, or additional furniture. Your best bet is to start with the items that you really need, then add on and upgrade along the way.