What to Actually Bring to a First Apartment

Every first apartment is furnished by guesswork, and the guesses are consistent. People bring four saucepans and no bin. They bring a full wardrobe and no tin opener.

Just-In-Time Moving works across West Valley City and Salt Lake County. Here is the honest version.

Find out what is provided first

Before buying anything, ask the landlord or the leasing office what the place actually has: refrigerator, cooker, microwave, washer and dryer or a hookup with nothing in it, window coverings, and any furniture.

People buy things they did not need and arrive without things they assumed. One question prevents both.

The first-night box

Packed last and travelling with you, not on the truck.

Bedding and a pillow. Towel, soap, toothbrush, toilet paper. Chargers. Medication. A change of clothes. Basic tools, which means a screwdriver, a knife and tape. Bin bags. Something to eat and drink with.

That single box is the difference between a fine first night and a miserable one.

Things people forget every time

A bin. A shower curtain. A tin opener. Light bulbs, since fittings are often empty. Cleaning products, because the place will need it. An extension lead, because the outlets are never where you need them. A basic first aid kit. A torch.

None of these are expensive and all of them are needed on day one.

Bring less of this

Clothes. Bring one season and collect the rest later. Nobody needs a winter coat in August, and clothing is the bulkiest thing students transport.

Kitchen equipment. One good pan does more than five poor ones. Buy specialist items when you find you actually need them.

Books, which are extremely heavy and mostly stay unopened.

Decoration bought in advance for a room you have not lived in yet.

Furniture from home that will not fit. Measure first.

Buy the rest locally

Everything on the forgotten list is available a short drive away and none of it needs transporting across the state. Take the list, do one shop after you arrive, and it is done in an hour.

It is also worth waiting a fortnight before buying anything beyond the basics. You will know by then which cupboard is awkward, where the light is poor and what you genuinely reach for, and that is considerably better information than a checklist written before you had lived there.

If there is furniture or a truck involved, we book short hourly jobs.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.