An apartment checklist is a must have when you are moving. Not only will it help relieve the stress of thinking you forgot something important, but it will also help you get an idea for what you absolutely need to buy before you move in and what can wait for a week or two while you are unpacking and settling in.

Below you’ll find an exhaustive list of everything my boyfriend and I purchased prior to moving in and everything we purchased shortly after move-in. I should mentioned that we did not have much between the two of us prior to moving in together, so we were essentially starting from scratch.

What we bought prior to moving:

1. Keurig K-Duo Plus Coffee Maker
2. Toaster
3. Tupperware – The Rubbermaid tupperware are by far the best.
4. Mixing bowls
5. Pots & Pans
6. Bed frame
7. Mattress – If you haven’t decided on a mattress yet, I highly recommend Purple. I was skeptical because of the price, but it’s honestly worth it.
8. Couch
9. TV stand
10. Storage shelving – This was essential in organizing our closet.
11. Over-the-door shoe rack – I purchased this in college, and then purchased another for my apartment since my mom decided she couldn’t part with the original. I highly recommend this one.
12. Flatware
13. Serving utensils
14. Pillows x 4
15. Sheets x 2
16. Duvet cover
17. Comforter
18. Hand towels, bath towels, and dish towels
19. Knife set
20. Cutting boards
21. Pyrex baking dishes
22. Shower curtain – Hookless is by far the way to go here.
23. Dinner plates and bowls
24. Tea kettle
25. Hand mixer
26. Blender

What we bought after moving:

1. Throw pillows
2. Throw blanket
3. Decorative baskets
4. Nespresso Essenza Mini (if you haven’t read my review, check it out here!)
5. Milk frother – There are a lot out there, but I purchased this one and love it so far!
6. Baking pans
7. Springform pan
8. Cake pans
9. Cupcake pan
10. Bread loaf pan
11. Kitchen table – this was mainly because we didn’t know what would fit in our apartment)
12. Paper towel holder
13. Decorative bins
14. Jars for flour and sugar – these took me forever to find, so I’m linking them here.
15. Dry measuring cups and spoons
16. Liquid measuring cups
17. Hangers – The non-slip ones from Amazon work great, and they are a lot cheaper than alternatives.
18. Welcome Mat
19. Stand Mixer
20. Wine Rack
21. Spoon rest
22. Salt and pepper shakers
23. Full-length mirrors
24. Pie dish
25. Cleaning supplies
26. Vacuum
27. Trash can
28. Flatware drawer organizer
29. Bottle opener
30. Area rug

If I could give any advice, I’d say you probably don’t need as much as you think you do your first week or so there. So whatever you can hold off on buying, do. That will give you less to move initially, and it will also free up some space in your apartment to organize what you do have. Keeping it clutter free was essential to keeping my sanity during the moving process.

Be prepared to roll with the punches too. I remember being so stressed because the couch delivery wasn’t happening on the first day and thinking it was the end of the world. It wasn’t. I promise whatever issue you are having on move in day, it’s not as bad as you think it is; you’re just stressed.

Finally, have fun! In my case, I was moving in with my boyfriend, and that’s a really exciting thing! Whether you’re moving in with your significant other, your friends, or into your own place, take a second to enjoy the day! It’s a big step.

I hope this apartment checklist takes a bit of stress off of you as you prepare for your move. Some of this stuff you may find you do not need (for example, cake pans if you never plan on baking a cake), but it should give you a good idea of where to start!

What were your “must-haves” on your apartment checklist when you moved?

The post New Apartment Checklist appeared first on Sheer Peach.

As a bit of a background, about a year ago, my boyfriend was offered a job in Massachusetts–we were currently living separately in Pennsylvania. Having dated for 2 years at that point, we gave it a lot of thought and discussion and decided that we wanted to take the next step and move to Massachusetts together. That was the easy part.

Next, we had to have the hard conversations to make sure we were on the same page and that we were setting ourselves up for a happy, successful living situation. Now that we are almost a year in (with a majority being 24/7 together time in quarantine), I believe a lot of the happiness and ease we’ve experienced was taking the time to talk and plan prior to our move. Here’s what I recommend discussing before moving in with your boyfriend:

1. Money

I’m putting this first because it’s one of the most common sources of arguments in relationships. I cannot stress enough the importance of talking about money. Whether it’s who is going to pay for groceries, if you’re dividing rent down the middle or a percentage based on income, and even what existing debt you may already have like student loans, it’s important to have these conversations. It’s often uncomfortable for people to talk about money, and I get it, but you want to have all the information and be aligned prior to move-in so you aren’t met with unexpected information too late.

2. Cleaning

Do you have similar cleanliness expectations? Personally, I’m a neat-freak, but my boyfriend knew that about me beforehand. And while he is on the cleaner side, I’m on a whole different level. For those reasons, I’m completely fine doing more of the cleaning, especially because it’s something I enjoy, and I recognize that I often have unrealistic expectations. It all comes down to finding a balance in your relationship and deciding what works for you.

3. Alone time

Have you ever sat back and thought about how much “alone time” you may actually need? It’s likely that you and your boyfriend have different needs here, and it’s something you need to consider to make sure your expectations are aligned. For me, I need to have at least 30 minutes a day to myself to dedicate to my summer reading list and decompress for the day, but everyone is different! So talk about it, and find a balance that works for you both.

4. Chores

How will you divide chores? This piggy-backs off of cleaning above, but more broadly, who is going to handle what? Are you going to take turns cooking? Who is going to grocery shop? Will you do laundry together or separately? Side note: I highly recommend getting a laundry sorter. Regardless of if you separate it by yours vs. his or colors vs. lights, this is going to save you time and energy (and possibly a few arguments).

5. The Future

When you look 5 years in the future, what do you see? What about 10 years? What does your partner see? These overall goals should be aligned. For example, if you want to get married and have children, but your partner is not looking for either of these things, that’s something to seriously consider before signing the lease. You want to make sure not only that you are compatible living partners, but that you are compatible long-term as well.

This list is by no means exhaustive. There are absolutely other things you’ll want to consider before moving in with your boyfriend. However, I hope it gives you a place to start in having these conversations.

Once you’ve decided to move in, the fun begins! Check out this apartment checklist to make sure you have everything you need.

The post What to Discuss Before Moving in with your Boyfriend appeared first on Sheer Peach.