Essential things to buy and do when moving into your new home
While reading this list, you might think, "oh I already knew to bring/buy that" but it's actually really easy to overlook those items.
When I first moved to SF, I was fortunate to have my two older sisters with me. They both moved out of our parents home and started a new life elsewhere. One of which moved to the mainland just like me! They helped to find all the moving essentials I needed for my new place of living. I added a bunch of items that were specific to my apartment so if you feel like it's not necessary, that's cool. But for now, let me share with you what those items are.
Sidenote: HP stands for Hawaii People (specifically) who are not familiar with the mainland
New city, new weather
This first one is a no brainer. When moving, you have to think about the location and weather. It's important to ask yourself: what's the normal temperature like? When I move, will it be cold or is it summer already? Do I need heat-tech clothes? Is it humid or dry weather? Does it rain a lot? For me, coming from Hawaii, I didn't have the appropriate winter clothes. My jackets were light and thin, which of course did nothing when the temp reached to 45 degrees. My suggestions:
- A warm jacket, coat and scarf (HP)
- Raincoat and/or umbrella: For those random down pours
- Lotion
- Portable heater: Using the in-house heaters will be expensive, sometimes you just want to warm up your room (HP)
- Non-slippery Socks: I'm not used to the cold at all, so I sometimes where socks to bed or in the mornings cause the floor is un-walkable (is that a word?/HP)
The small things / Misc items
My sisters and I went to target almost everyday. While there, they added random things to my cart, which I thought were totally unnecessary. I mentioned, "I don't think I need to buy that. When will I use it?" Ha. Within the first week, I would use all those items at least once and on multiple occasions overtime.
- Pens and sharpies
- Eraser
- Scissors
- Tape
- Ruler
- Medicine: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, vitamins
- Portable phone charger: This charger saved me on countless occasions — a MUST buy (HP)
- Rubber bands
- Clips: For cereal, chips, and misc items
- Toolkit: Another must! I needed this to put my desk and shelves together. It also came in handy for random household fixer uppers. Target has a great 39-pc set!
Cleaning essentials
- Laundry detergent, softener, and dryer sheet
- Washing bags for your delicates
- Drying rack: Good to have even though I don't have one. I just use hangers to dry those extra damp jeans. My room is small so I felt like it'll take up too much space
- Swiffer (Dry): Don't get the wet ones cause it'll ruin your hard-wood flooring
- Scratch guard: I had to buy them because my landlord didn't want the floors to get all dinged up
- Lint remover
- Dish soap, scrubber, and dish towel
- Garbage bags: Large and medium sizes
- Trash can (x3): Buy a large one for the kitchen and two small ones for your bathroom and bedroom. Non-mesh ones are better incase you're feeling ill and can't make it to the bathroom. Of course you'll have your garbage bag in there but just in case, you don't want any spillage. Trust me.
- Paper towels: Costco!
For your bathroom
- Cleaning supplies: For toilet, mirror/glass, all-purpose cleaners
- Shampoo, conditioner, body wash and scrubber
- Bath towel and face towel: I have three sets incase someone visits...which they did on four separate occasions within the first three months of moving
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, toothbrush holder
- Facewash
- Ear cleaner
- Toilet paper
- Bath matt
- Hand soap
- For the ladies: Tampons, pads and midol
- Air freshener and matches
For your bedroom
- Bed, of course: Futon or air mattress is good to start off with if you want to save money
- Bedding: Blankets, pillows, bedsheets, bedspread, mattress cover
- Hangers
- Extension cord: At least 6ft in length, I needed this because the outlet in my room was located in a inconvenient location
- Dresser/plastic drawers
- Shelf: For books and miscellaneous items
- Rug: Needed a rug for the main area in my room because the hard wood flooring is too cold in the mornings (HP)
- Desk and chair: I work in design and tech so this was a must
- Curtains: Don't want any creepers looking in!
- Kleenex
- Hamper
Food / kitchen
- Pots and pans: Invest in good ones if you're planning to cook all the time, which I do to save money
- Plates, bowls, cups, a mug, wine and can opener
- Utensils: fork, spoon, butter knife, and chopsticks
- Strainer
- Knife and cutting board: Invest in a good one
- Salt/pepper (and shakers), sugar, shoyu (soy sauce), flour, vegetable oil, and baking soda
- Ziploc bags and/or tupperware
- Foil, saran wrap, and wax paper
- Dish rack
- Strong grocery bags: They charge $0.10/paper bag, at least they do in California (HP)
- Water pitcher
- Rice cooker and measuring cup: I love rice so I needed this
- Basket for dry goods: Onion, garlic, things like that
Get to know your neighborhood and the city at large
When I finally moved into my new home, I dedicated days figuring out what was around me. It's good to know whats in walkable distance and what will take you 30 – 45 minutes to get to.
- Public transportation: Every city is different so if you don't drive, it's good to hop on the city bus or train and get lost. A friend and I made a scavenger hunt so that exploring the city was more fun.
- Grocery stores
- Post office
- Bank
- Nearby printers: In case you need to print some important documents
- Restaurants and bars
- Explore the city for favorite eateries, cafes, and shopping: Ask the locals, they know all the good places!
Connect with Family and friends
- Family: If you have family in the area, it's good to meet with them a few times when you move. When I did, my cousins helped a lot by showing me whats around, introduced me to some people, but mainly showed their support by telling me that if I'm in any trouble, they're there to help. Family first! They also helped me to save money by giving me a bunch of things they didn't use anymore, like plates, bowls, shelf, measuring spoons/cups and tupperware.
- Friends: It's always scary moving to a new city alone. For me, I wanted to make sure that I knew at least one person who lived close by in case something happened. Make a friend who you can trust and count on for those emergency purposes!
Important documents: try to do this within the first month of your move
- Establish residency
- DMV for your new state ID
I hope this is helpful to everyone moving to a new city for the first time, alone. I wish I had known about some of these earlier, it would've saved me a lot of trouble. This list may seem long and daunting at first, but it'll help you get settled in easier. Good luck in your future endeavors and enjoy your new city!
– Kat
PS, Sorry for any grammatical and spelling errors!