The printable first apartment checklist
Grouped by room, short enough to print, and every line names a specific pick with what it costs today — so you can tick it off in a store or split it with a housemate.
This is the short, printable version: 34 lines across five rooms, one named pick each. Print it, or select the tables and paste them into a spreadsheet to split with a housemate. The long version, with budget / mid / comfortable tiers and the reasoning behind every pick, is the complete first apartment essentials checklist.
Two rules before you print. First, buy the kitchen and the bathroom before anything else: you can live for a week with no furniture and not for a day without a way to cook, wash and clean. Second, do not buy storage of any kind until you have stood in the apartment with a tape measure — storage bought from a floor plan is storage returned.
Prices update daily from the live Amazon listing and are shown as-of the date in each table header, so what you print is what it costs today rather than what it cost when this page was written.
Kitchen
| What you need | Our pick | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cookware setA complete low-cost set. Four pans is all a small kitchen can store | CAROTE 20-Piece Detachable-Handle Nonstick SetSee all our picks | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Nonstick egg pan8 in. The one pan you will use every morning | Blue Diamond 8 in Ceramic Nonstick Frying PanSee all our picks | $15.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| KnivesFive pieces is plenty. Add an in-drawer tray rather than a block | Henckels Solution 5-Piece Knife SetSee all our picks | $68.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| Cutting boardsWood or plastic. Never glass | Totally Bamboo 3-Piece Reversible Board SetSee all our picks | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Can openerSide-cutting if anyone in the house has a weak grip | KitchenAid Classic Multifunction Can OpenerSee all our picks | $15.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Dish rackTwo-tier or over-sink if there is no counter to spare | Kitsure Compact Dish Drying Rack, 12 × 15.5 inSee all our picks | $19.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| Food storageA dozen containers. In a studio these double as pantry storage | Rubbermaid Brilliance Tritan Plastic Container SetSee all our picks | $32.48 | Buy on Amazon |
| Trash can13 gallon if there is room; 7 to 10 under the sink if not | Glad 13 Gallon Trash Can with Clorox Odor ProtectionSee all our picks | $37.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| Microwave0.7 cu ft fits almost anywhere. Check the circuit before a 1,000 W unit | Toshiba 0.7 cu ft Countertop Microwave, 700 WSee all our picks | $90.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Air fryerBuy this before a toaster oven in a small kitchen | Cosori Lite 4 qt Smart Air FryerSee all our picks | $89.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Utensils, colander, measuring cups, sheet pan, mixing bowlAround $50 together, and identical at every price point | Whatever you already own works | — | |
| Dish soap, sponges, tea towels, bin bagsFirst shop, not a considered purchase | Whatever you already own works | — | |
| #ad — Amazon links in this table are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this site is funded. | |||
Bathroom and laundry
| What you need | Our pick | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| TowelsTwo per person in rotation beats one big bath sheet | Amazon Basics 6-Piece Cotton Towel SetSee all our picks | $14.08 | Buy on Amazon |
| Shower curtain and linerMeasure the rail height first. A walk-in needs 78 in, not 72 | Barossa Design Oeko-Tex Shower Curtain LinerSee all our picks | $8.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| Bath matQuick-dry over memory foam in a bathroom with no window | Gorilla Grip Absorbent Chenille Bath Rug, 24 × 17See all our picks | $11.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| Plunger and toilet brushBuy before you need it. This is the whole lesson | MR.SIGA Toilet Plunger and Bowl Brush ComboSee all our picks | $23.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Laundry basketVentilated plastic or mesh. Never a lined cloth hamper | Rubbermaid XL Hip-Hugger Laundry BasketSee all our picks | $39.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| Drying rackEssential if there is no dryer, useful even if there is | Honey-Can-Do 6-Tier Collapsible Drying Rack, 24 ftSee all our picks | $30.72 | Buy on Amazon |
| Under-sink organizerMeasure around the trap before ordering | Vtopmart 4-Pack Pull-Out Under-Sink OrganizersSee all our picks | $30.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Toilet paper, hand soap, cleaner, binFirst shop | Whatever you already own works | — | |
| #ad — Amazon links in this table are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this site is funded. | |||
Tools and safety
| What you need | Our pick | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tool kitA hundred-piece kit covers everything a rental generates | Amazon Basics 142-Piece Household Tool KitSee all our picks | $30.44 | Buy on Amazon |
| Tape measure16 ft for an apartment. Buy it before move-in day, not after | Milwaukee 25 ft Magnetic Tape MeasureSee all our picks | $21.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| Stud finderOnly if you are hanging anything heavier than a picture | DEWALT Stud Finder with LED ArrowsSee all our picks | $22.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| Damage-free hanging stripsThe renter's answer to every wall. Follow the weight rating | Command Large Picture Hanging Strips, 15 lbSee all our picks | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Fire extinguisherA 1-A:10-B:C unit, kept near the kitchen door, not under the hob | Kidde Basic 110 Fire Extinguisher, 1-A:10-B:CSee all our picks | $19.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| Torch, batteries, first-aid kitWeek-one items. The power will go out before you expect it to | Whatever you already own works | — | |
| #ad — Amazon links in this table are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this site is funded. | |||
Bedroom and living room
These two rooms are the ones to buy slowly, because they are the expensive ones and because a sofa that does not fit the stairwell is a very costly mistake. Measure the doorway, the stair turn and the lift before ordering anything large.
| Buy now | Buy in month one | Buy when you can |
|---|---|---|
| Mattress, pillows, sheets, duvet | Bed frame, bedside lamp, blackout curtains | Dresser, mirror, rug |
| One lamp per room (ceiling lights are usually bad) | Sofa or two chairs, coffee table | Television and stand, shelving, art |
| A clothes rail or hangers | Laundry sorting, closet organizers | Desk and chair, if you work from home |
A mattress on the floor for three weeks is normal and costs nothing. A sofa bought in week one that does not fit is a thousand-dollar error, and it is the most common one on this list. The full sequencing, including what each tier costs, is in the cost to furnish a first apartment.
How to print or share this
- To print: use your browser’s print command. The tables print as tables; the navigation and images drop out.
- To put in a spreadsheet: select a table, copy, and paste into Google Sheets or Excel. The four columns land as four columns, so you can add a “who’s paying” column and split it.
- To shop in a store: print the kitchen and bathroom tables only. Those are the two rooms you buy in one trip.
If you are moving into a dorm rather than an apartment, the equivalent page is the printable dorm checklist. If you are furnishing a house, start at first home essentials.
The short version
- Buy the kitchen and bathroom first. Furniture can wait; washing and cooking cannot.
- Buy no storage until you have measured the actual apartment.
- Every line names one specific pick so you can shop without re-deciding in the aisle.
- Copy a table straight into a spreadsheet to split the list with a housemate.
- Measure the doorway, stair turn and lift before ordering anything large.
Common questions
What do you really need for a first apartment?
A way to cook, a way to wash, a way to sleep and a way to clean — in that order. Concretely: a cookware set, a pan, knives, a board, a dish rack, food storage and a trash can; towels, a shower curtain, a bath mat and a plunger; a mattress, bedding and one lamp; and a tool kit with a tape measure. Everything else is an improvement, not an essential.
How do I print this checklist?
Use your browser’s print command. The tables are built as real tables, so they print cleanly with the item, our pick and the price in columns, and the site navigation and images drop out of the printed page. To shop in a physical store, print just the kitchen and bathroom sections — those are the two rooms you can buy in one trip.
What should you buy first when moving into an apartment?
Toilet paper, hand soap, a shower curtain, towels, a trash can with bags, and something to cook one meal in. Those six things get you through the first night. Everything else, including all furniture and all storage, can wait until you have slept there once and measured the rooms.
What should you not buy for a first apartment?
Storage bought from a floor plan, a sofa ordered before you have measured the stairwell, matching decor sets, a full-size vacuum for a 500 square foot flat, and specialist kitchen appliances before you own a saucepan. The expensive mistakes on this list are almost all things bought before the apartment was measured.
Sources
Read next
- The first apartment checklist for couplesWhat to double, what to size up, what stays single.
- First apartment essentials: the complete checklistThe long version, with three budget tiers.
- Cost to furnish a first apartmentWhat the whole list adds up to, by tier.
- What to do before moving inThe nine jobs, six of which are free.
- The printable dorm checklistThe dorm equivalent of this page.