First Time Living Alone Checklist

If it’s your first time living alone, you’ll want to use a checklist to ensure you’ve met certain minimum goals before getting your own place. These include meeting monetary needs, acquiring furniture, personal and cooking items, and looking out for your own safety.

Moving out to your first apartment or house for the first time on your own can seem a little daunting. There are many factors to consider and lots of new skills you may need to learn.

While everyone can pick up this knowledge along the way, if you don’t want to make a ton of mistakes when you’re first starting out, it’s best to get advice before you take that leap.

In this article, I’ve provided a concise breakdown of the very basics of what you will need to know and acquire before moving out on your own.

What Do I Need To Know Before Living Alone?

First and foremost, you must realize that there will be far more bills to juggle than you are used to, especially if your rent is not all-included.

This means that you’ll need to pay for rent, internet, water, electricity, trash, and maintenance. You will also need to know how to perform basic domestic tasks such as laundry and cleaning.

Speaking of laundry, many of the typical starter apartments don’t include a washer and dryer. For those that do have hookups, be aware that getting these appliances can be pricey.

If you won’t have a place to do laundry in your apartment, you’ll need to figure out where you can go to do it.

This may be a friend’s or a family member’s place, or it could be the neighborhood laundromat (another “bill” to handle).

If you are living completely alone, all of the chores are now up to you. This means you get to decide how clean and organized you want to be.

You’ll also want to make sure not to get on your landlord’s bad side, if you have one. They can be a valuable resource if you need help with your new place.

The best way to stay remain in his or her good graces are to:

Pay your rent and other bills on time
Don’t be the cause for your neighbor’s complaints
Keep the common areas around your place clean
Keep noise levels down
Keep your living space well-maintained

How Do I Know I Can Afford An Apartment?

Apartments are popular options because there are options for every price range. They are also fairly straightforward; in general, all you’ll need to do is show up with your stuff and set up your cable and internet.

Before renting an apartment, though, you’ll usually need to have enough money saved up to cover both the first month’s rent and a deposit, which is typically equal to the first month’s rent.

However, this can vary depending on the building or landlord’s policy.

Apart from the down payment, there are other factors to consider when deciding whether you are financially able to live on your own in the long term.

For example, there’s that pesky income qualification to meet. As a general rule, landlords prefer that your monthly rent not be more than one-third of your income.

This makes financial sense because it leaves the rest of your monthly income available for other things, such as basic living necessities (food, electricity, etc), plus funds in case you have an unforeseen expense like a car repair.

If you can’t meet the income qualifications, however, there sometimes is an option to have a cosigner.

A co-signer would be someone who agrees to be held liable if you don’t pay your rent on time. They would need to provide proof of employment and may also need to undergo a credit check.

Furnishing Options

Sometimes you’ll have an option to rent a fully-furnished apartment. Keep in mind that this will often mean that the upfront rental cost (deposits) and the monthly rent are going to cost you more, however.

In the long run, though, this extra investment could save you a great deal of time and money – not to mention that it will be easier to move in and out if you don’t have to lug around or sell heavy furniture.

You may also want to honestly consider your personal level of responsibility when it comes to renting a fully furnished apartment.

After all, you’d be responsible for ensuring that all of the furniture is well maintained.

If any of the furniture gets ruined, you’ll run the risk of not getting back your deposit or of being charged for damage.

Even if you rent a place and have all of your own furniture, you’ll still need to make sure that all of the apartment’s major appliances are kept in working, clean condition, including:

Fridges
Stoves
Microwaves

The same will be expected for the walls, carpets and flooring. Anything that belongs to the rental apartment will need to be handled carefully.

Consider Location

While you may want to live near the beach or move to a new city, know that prices rise exorbitantly for locations that are more in demand.

On the other hand, if you opt for a place that’s incredibly affordable, be aware of the problems you may run into down the line.

Cheap neighborhoods can often mean they are unsafe. In this case, it is usually worth paying more per month for a place that can provide security and peace of mind.

Cheap can also mean that the place is neglected. If you have a leaky roof (trust me, this can happen in low-cost rentals), it can lead to mold issues and sickness down the line.

If you have shoddy electricity, this may mean consistently poor internet connection – or worse, like the potential for a fire.

Of course, you may be excited to find an affordable, beautiful place out in the country or deep in the mountains, but keep in mind the cost of gas to get to and from town for groceries or work.

What Do You Need When Moving Into A New Apartment

If you aren’t moving into a place that’s fully furnished from top to bottom, you’ll need to purchase a lot of stuff.

The list of what you need in a first-time apartment can seem endless, but there really is just a handful of key items you’ll definitely need.

Before buying anything, go through your new place room by room. List the essentials you’ll need in order for each space to function best and for your purposes.

If you want to keep costs down, avoid buying new (even at IKEA!) and instead check out thrift stores, estate sales, and garage sales.

Here are some starter lists of furniture and other items that are typically the bare minimum for furnishing a household:

Bedroom Furniture

You will most likely need furniture for sleeping, lounging, studying, eating, and entertaining.

These are some of the items that can provide both storage and comfort in your bedroom:

Bed Frame – nice to have
Mattress – needed
Dresser or a shelving unit with storage containers – nice to have
Nightstand – nice to have
Desk and desk chair – nice to have

Also think of how you will store your clothes and other personal belongings.

A closet will need hangers and shoes may need a rack. In addition, you’ll need sheets and a blanket for comfortable sleeping.

Living Room Furniture

Your living room can double as a guest room or an office and it is probably where you’ll be entertaining people the most.

This means that you’ll want it to be comfortable, with ample lighting and seating.

Couch and loveseats – having at least one of these is a necessity
Entertainment center (for TV, gaming consoles, DVD players, etc.) – nice to have
Lamps and lighting – possibly a necessity (does your new place have built in lighting?)
Coffee table – nice to have
Shelving unit – nice to have

Kitchen / Dining Room Furniture

Often the living room and kitchen area doubles as a dining room, so a separate eating area doesn’t typically come with an apartment.

If your place doesn’t have a kitchen bar option, consider getting a:

Table
Chairs

Kitchen Items

Most rentals provide their tenants with refrigerators, oven/stovetop, and a microwave, but you’ll want to consider getting the following:

Dish towels
Pots and pans
Cutlery and dishes
Cutting board
Can opener

Bathroom Necessities

Apart from personal products, there are a few staple items to consider for a fully functional bathroom.

Bath mat
Towels
Plunger and toilet bowl scrubber
Shower curtain and rod (if not already provided by the landlord)

Cleaning Products

The bathroom and the kitchen are arguably the most important rooms to keep clean and tidy, but if you want your deposit back (and if you want to avoid mold, insects, and mice), maintaining a clean space is essential.

For cleaning, there are a wide range of products on the market. Some are more versatile, but you’ll generally need a variety of products to keep everything clean.

For cleaning your floors, consider:

Vacuum cleaner or electric broom
Mop or Swiffer-type of product
Broom

For cleaning all other surfaces, consider:

Sponges
Rags
Glass cleaner
Disinfectant
All-purpose surface cleaner

Dustbusters are also handy to have around for getting into corners or cleaning up broken glass.

You may also want to use special products for wood or stainless steel, depending on your floors and appliances.

Apart from the above mentioned items, it might be worth getting some of the following miscellaneous items that can make your first time living alone a bit easier:

A sharp kitchen knife
Space heater
Portable fan

Safety Products

When you are living alone, you want to ensure your personal safety. That means taking steps to stay safe as a woman alone. Consider getting:

A SimpliSafe home security system (they’re easy to install and portable so you can take it to your next place). They even have outdoor security cameras (a definite burglar deterrent)
Invisible smartlock for your door
Fire extinguisher – read our article on what size fire extinguisher to look for
Sliding door lock
A fireproof safe to store your important documents

If you simply can’t afford to get these security items, you can still stay safe on a budget with some cheap home security hacks.

First Apartment Tips

Apart from the items and products you’ll need, there is a certain etiquette that you’ll need to follow when moving into an apartment with neighbors close by.

For example, if you live above someone, don’t go around stomping on the floor or shouting. This means taking it easy on high-intensity workouts or intense gaming sessions.

You’ll also need to figure out where visitors can park.

The last thing you want is an angry neighbor calling the landlord to have you or your friend’s car towed because you parked in their spot.

Do You Have Any Suggestions To Add To A First Time Living Alone Checklist?

I hope I’ve provided a thorough list of the things you’ll need to consider (and purchase) for your first time living alone, but if I missed something, please contact me and I just might add it to this article!