Locke00000

Ello all. I just signed a lease on my first apartment (I'll be a sophmore in college next semester, and wanted to get an apartment so that I can work here over the summer instead of returning to my home town -- which felt like a terrible step backwards). Anyway, I'll be able to move in next Monday (4/18). I went through all the threads here that have to do with apartments, and have a meeting with my landlord on saturday to go through the place and note any probems. Just wondering if anyone had tips on the "best" order to move things in (considering I have housing on campus so I really dont need to move everything in at once). Also, any ideas on other things I should go out and buy -- perhaps things I haven't thought of (I have the basic kitchen/bath/cleaning stuff figured out, though if there is anything else...)

ryfo

Can never have too many spare lightglobes. And candles just in case the electricity cuts out and get a spare key cut and leave it with someone you trust. Good luck...moving into somewhere new is always hectic so the day before the move put your kettle,coffee,sugar and longlife milk and some nibbles into a box and move that first!!!! Have fun!!!!

abaya

Congrats!! First apartments/leases are always a big step. Of course I have gone "backwards" several times (back to living at home), but it's not always a bad thing. Depends on how you establish your image of independence with your family, because then they'll see you differently no matter where you are living.

Do you need furniture? If so, hit up IKEA if it's nearby... not a bad place for relatively short-term living needs, though I hope you liked Legos as a kid (self-assembly). Of course, garage sales/Craigslist are great for used furniture, too. Have picked up some really quality stuff just poking around at garage sales (a nice oak coffee table for $5, etc).

You'll discover things that you need as you go along...

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Coppertop

Move in the large furniture first. Once the smaller things start making their way in they'll likely be all over the place and in the way of moving in/setting up the larger stuff.

Locke00000

Ahh yes, I'll add those to "the list of stuff to drain the funds in my bank account". I'm lucky on the key thing as one of my very close friends lives just down the hall and I will definetly leave the key with her (Though we have joked that it will be very... Seinfeld).

IKEA..have to hit up the yellowpages..

F-18_Driver

I always moved my music source in first. Made moving everything else go better. A digital camera would be a good idea, to take pictures of any existing damage so you won't get blamed for it when you move out.

Give the power people a few day's notice to get your electricity on, if the apartment doesn't already have that handled. Water is usually already on, but you should make sure.

Plastic cups, utensils, and plates are needed at first. Paper towels and trash bags are necessary.

If you don't have a bed yet, an air mattress or thick roll of foam rubber is a quick and dirty solution, and can be used later as a guest bed.

Other than that, I have two words for you:

Toilet paper.

spindles

Don't forget some nice cold beer for when you finish getting everything in!

And after everything is in - make your bed first - the rest of it can wait, as long as you have somewhere to sleep.

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who hid my keyboard's PANIC button?

lindseylatch

ha, you'll be bound to forget something, and make a couple runs to Bed Bath and Beyond.
make sure you have enough lighting...hmmm...fire extinguisher, if one doesn't come with the apartment. *looks around room* cleaning supplies, like vacuum, windex, rags, etc. Dishwasher soap if you have a dishwasher. um...ha, ant poison! We're having a major infestation right now...
That's all I can think of.
It's crazy to live on your own for the first time! Do you have a roomate, or are you all by yourself?

__________________
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him."
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."
-Voltaire

Locke00000

Im alone in a pretty nice 1 bedroom place thats about a mile from campus. It comes with dishwasher/full oven-stove/etc and is running me 410 a month (he just put in new carpet, hence the 10). A good friend lives 2 doors down the hall so she and I will hang out quite a bit I can expect....only problem is my lack of transportation at the moment...Ill have to look at the bus schedule and see if there is anything there...

lindseylatch

A mile? Cha, you can walk that...

__________________
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities"
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him."
"It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong."
-Voltaire

thalakos315

i HIGHLY recommend you get some wall art (posters, pictures, anything really) as bare walls tend to make a place seem artificial and empty. which can seriously dampen your mood.
also.. invest in some good bath/hand towels and washcloths. figure out how many showers you take during a week average.. then add 1/2 of that figure
hangers for your closet, those are important. a microwave, as living alone you'll probally be nuking a lot.
extention cords, can usually pick up a decent powerstrip for 2 or 3 bucks at most stores.

if you can't spring for real furniture, go down to your local home depot (or equivilent outlet) and pick up some boards and cinder blocks for shelves, book cases, and in come cases seating (you can always get some good cushions and cover with an old blanket can make a decent stool at least)
a good trash can for your kitchen, and a smaller one for your bathroom.

start saving both paper and plastic bags from the grocery stores, they make great trash bags for the smaller trashcans, and paper bags can be put inside larger trash bags to help prevent ripping (especially if your getting lowgrade trash bags)

asprine is always a must, as well as any other frequently used medication. a vacuum cleaner should also be something you should get, as well as some of that carpet cleaning powder.

you said you were pretty set on the cleaning supplies.. but might i suggest some of those mr clean magic erasers.. those things rock :P

your first time living alone is always a little nerve racking, can also be kind of depressing, so its good you have a friend living nearby..

good luck and congrats

Sage

I totally agree with the posters thing- make this place your own! make it fun, funky, have it reflect your personality! Go scouting at goodwill, the salvation army, and garage sales to find amazingly funky stuff to make your place super awesome! I know that my apartment wasn't ever really "mine" until I got to put my stuff up on the walls!

Good Luck!

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abaya

May I suggest investing in some Ramen noodles for the first day or two? (I always take them for emergencies, and end up eating them because I get too tired to do anything other than boil/microwave water).

POSTERS, yes. A new place always feels like a depressing hotel room to me until I put up posters, pictures, and books on the shelves. I usually do that stuff within a day or two or moving in so that it starts to feel like home. Also, lit candles do wonders to make a place feel cozy.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Locke00000

Being a film major, I have a monstorous collection of posters, though I think I will keep it to a select few in the living room. (well, I'm kind of forced to because I think that film posters without frames just look tacky; and when they are in frames they look like they really "mean" something to you instead of just "look at this poster I found at the theatre")... As for furniture, I'll probably be picking up new stuff as soon as the paycheck allows, but for the time being I have my couch from the dorm (its one of those black-metal futon things that look VERY college), my bed/dresser from home. A pair of nice standing floor lamps and (I believe) a pair of barstools my parents don't want (for my kitchen counter)...I also think they want to give me one of the nice recliners..but I wouldnt hold my breath. My main annoyance is that its going to look pretty disorganized. Any ideas on how to make that dumb couch look less like what it is. I suppose the other option is to just buy a shelf or two in the same "black aluminum" as the couch and go with that kind of a blue-black modern thing. Meh. Good ideas for the cleaning though, hadn't thought about that. And I honestly didnt have a trash can on the list of stuff to buy...bleh!

ryborg

Don't forget a god damn coffee maker. You need that, badly. I can't wait to come visit you once you're moved it. Damn lucky bastard.

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Solve two problems at once. Feed the homeless to the hungry.

Sage

you can always go to goodwill to check out cheap couches- then make a DIY slipcover out of a king sized sheet-
step 1- buy king sized sheet, perhaps from wal-mart, perhaps from same goodwill
step 2- throw over goodwill couch/your futon
step 3- saftey pin to the cushion/to itself to cover ugly black rails, beer stains, etc.

you might want to get two, just to make sure you have enough to cover up everything (sides and back). Pin it down good so that it won't shift around a lot. you could also perhaps cover just the futon frame, then put the cushon on top.. I don't know how that would look tho. Look for cool pieces of fabric to pin on the "slipcover" to add some funkyness... or to make simple pillowcases out of. (you don't even need to know how to sew- you could use fabric glue on the seams)

If you have a hammer and some nails you can go to Lowe's and get different sizes of pressboard, and make simple wood boxes you can then paint and use at endtables/coffeetable/DIY bookshelves. Actually, that's a good idea.... might have to do that meself....

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thalakos315

i completely agree, everything looks better when put in a frame. not only does it make it appear to have special meaning to you, but it makes it look 100x more professional. i'd suggest keeping these down to 2 or 3 in the main living area, otherwise you run the risk of clutter, and it doesn't leave the impression that these are important to you.
however wherever you decide is going to be your "creative area" i would go as wild with them as you want, clutter be damned.

this can be solved by a big enough piece of fabric. i'd suggest going down to your local craft store (or walmart even) and picking out a fabric that you like the feel of, and has a pattern you like. or you can do with some king sized bedsheets
also.. invest in a couple of throwpillows. if this is the same type of futon i have, i suggest getting some pillows firm enough to be used as armrests, and putting them under your makeshift slipcover.
i would also suggest getting one of those king sized egg crate foam matress things, and putting it between the futon matress and the support bars. it will go a long ways into making a crappy futon matress more comfortable.

oh.. you might want to look around for some end tables, and maybe even a coffee table as well. personally, i think most places look bare without some kind of coffee table, and end tables are just a necessity.