First Apartment Tips You Actually Need (From Someone Who Didn’t Have a Trash Can for 3 Days)

First Apartment Tips You Actually Need (From Someone Who Didn’t Have a Trash Can for 3 Days)

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Let me just start with this:I didn’t own a trash can.I moved into my first apartment with one suitcase, a box of mugs, and an air mattress that deflated halfway through the night. I had no idea what I was doing. I cried in the bathroom because I couldn’t figure out how to screw the shower rod in. And I ate dry cereal for dinner because I forgot to buy bowls.

So if you’re freaking out right now, welcome. You’re in the right place.

I know there are a million lists out there that say “Don’t forget your can opener!” or “Make a budget!” but here’s the thing — until you live alone for the first time, you have no clue what’s actually important.

This is not one of those lists that assumes you’ve got your life together.This is the list for the rest of us.The chaotic, sleep-deprived, semi-excited, semi-panicked “I-just-signed-a-lease-what-now” crowd.

Start with a list. Then make another one.

You will forget things. I promise.I had no soap the first night. I used shampoo as dish soap. Do not be like me.

Make a checklist now — even if it’s messy, even if it’s on a napkin. Put literally everything you can think of.

Cancel old utilities

Change your address

Pick a move-in date

Find someone with a car that isn’t full of mystery crumbs

Start with the obvious. Add the stupid stuff later (spatulas, light bulbs, forks). Print it, write on it, tape it to your wall. You will thank your sleep-deprived future self later.

Tour the neighborhood before you move in (even just virtually)

I moved into a place once because the photos looked “bright and charming.” It was neither.There was a dumpster fire — an actual dumpster, on fire — the day I moved in.

So, yeah. Learn from my pain.

Even if you’re moving to a city you don’t know, try to:

Walk or drive around during the day and again at night

Check forums, Reddit, Facebook groups (people love to spill the tea)

Ask strangers on TikTok (seriously, someone will answer)

Text a cousin’s friend’s ex who lives in that area if you have to

A cute apartment isn’t worth it if you don’t feel safe walking home at night.

Let go of the Pinterest apartment dream

Here’s a truth I learned the hard way:No one’s first apartment looks like the ones on Instagram. Not even the influencers — theirs are staged.

My first place had:

Yellowish overhead lights

Mismatched hangers

One chair

An entire colony of mystery ants

I hated it. Then I loved it.Because once I cleaned the floors, hung some $3 curtains, and bought a thrift store lamp that smelled vaguely like cinnamon, it felt like mine.

Perfection is a trap. Function > aesthetics when you’re just starting.

Buy a plunger before you need one

I don’t care how new your apartment is. Toilets betray people. It’s what they do.

You do not want to be standing in 2 inches of questionable toilet water at 2 a.m., Googling “can I unclog this with a coat hanger?” because you forgot to buy a plunger.

Get one. Stick it under the sink. Never think about it again — unless you have to.

Your neighbors will hear everything. And you’ll hear them.

First night in my new apartment, I heard full-on karaoke at 11 p.m.Second night? A breakup. Loud. Dramatic. In Spanish. I don’t even speak Spanish but I felt it.

You’re not in a dorm anymore. But apartment walls are basically cardboard.Try to be respectful. Headphones are your friend. So is understanding that everyone’s life gets loud sometimes.

(Bonus tip: get a white noise machine or use a fan if you’re a light sleeper.)

You’ll forget to eat actual meals. Plan snacks.

You’re gonna be unpacking, panicking, searching for that one box labeled “IMPORTANT” (spoiler: it’s always the last one), and then realize it’s 7 p.m. and you’ve eaten a Tic Tac and half a granola bar all day.

Have real food ready. Or at least frozen pizza.Even better: make a little “first night survival bag” with water, snacks, paper plates, and toilet paper.

Future you is already clapping.

Command hooks are your best friend

Especially if you’re renting.They hold everything — keys, towels, wall art, your sanity. And they come off without ruining the walls.

You’ll start off just needing a few… and then somehow you’ll end up command-hooking your entire life. Just go with it.

Nothing will be “done” right away. That’s normal.

You won’t get everything set up in one day. Or one week. Or even one month.

You might live out of boxes for a while.Your shelves might stay empty.You might use a cardboard box as a coffee table and call it “minimalist.”

That’s okay.

You’re not failing. You’re just starting.And that’s honestly kind of beautiful, even when it’s annoying as hell.

 Buy curtains. Trust me.

Apartments don’t come with privacy. That’s your job.

My first week, I had no curtains and lived across from a gym. I cannot tell you how many people saw me eating cereal in pajamas at 6 a.m. Like a zoo exhibit.

Even cheap curtains will make a difference. Bonus: they make the place feel 100x more finished.

Things will break. Keep a mini tool kit.

You don’t need to become Bob the Builder. But a screwdriver, wrench, tape measure, and some nails will save you.

I once used a butter knife as a screwdriver.And I don’t regret it. But my drawer definitely does.

Just… get the kit.

Pick one corner to make cozy. Start there.

When everything feels like a mess, pick one small area — maybe a chair by the window, or your bed, or even your bathroom sink — and make it feel nice.

Clean it. Light a candle. Add a plant. Boom.

You’ll feel somewhat in control, even if the rest of the place looks like a tornado passed through a cardboard box factory.

Budget more than you think. Then double it.

I swore I could furnish my whole apartment with $300.That was cute.

Between trash bags, cleaning stuff, light bulbs, random Target runs, and the “I forgot this too” items, your wallet’s gonna feel it.

So plan ahead. Save more. And always leave a little room for an emergency pizza fund.

Accept every hand-me-down you can

Your aunt’s ugly but functional couch? Take it.Your friend’s blender that smells like garlic? Take it.Your cousin’s side table with a wobbly leg? TAKE. IT.

This is your patchwork chapter. Mismatched = lived in.One day you’ll have the Pinterest living room. Today is not that day. And that’s okay.

Give yourself grace. This is huge.

Moving out, starting fresh, being alone — it’s a lot. Like, emotionally.

There might be tears. There might be panic. There might be days where you sit on the floor eating chips in silence wondering what you’ve done.

Recommended Amazon Products for Your First Apartment

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