New flat must-haves

[pingu777]

Moving in to my first flat on my own in January, what are your must-haves/ things you wish you'd bought sooner/ top recommendations?

Thanks :)

Corkscrew
Glasses
Heated blanket

Congrats on your new place.

Spend money on good quality goods for the kitchen. Cooker, fridge & washing machine. Also wardrobe, mattress and a comfy bed.
Ahead of moving in think about floor coverings and spend money on good quality flooring.

You can then kit your flat out with Ikea type furniture which you can replace and build up over the years. Believe me your tastes will change.

Best buys when I first moved were an electric drill and screwdriver set, a folding mini step ladder and a home diy toolkit.

Buy the very minimum ahead of time - kettle, frying pan, tea towels, etc.

Wait until you’ve moved in and have lived there for at least a couple of weeks and then start buying more things.

@pingu777 The best bed / mattress you can afford - I agree with @poundpup - everything seems better after a good night's sleep.

Other than that I would go with buying the important things first e.g. flooring or kitchen goods ( many many years years ago I spent money on a new sofa first rather than living with a a hand - me down - rather than a dishwasher - I would not do that again )

It is amazing if the place is not perfect what some cobbled together furniture can look like with some side lamps for cosiness.

If your budget is limited ( as most people's are ) think about what you do day to day - but here what would suffice - so e.g. clothes rail rather than wardrobes or a mish mash of kitchen pans / utensils etc & decide whether they are most important to buy now or wait for a while. Or what would be a nuisance to replace if the place was filled with furniture etc , so any extra sockets or tv points & go for that first

Congratulations on the flat - how very exciting

Thank you, great advice! Luckily I don't need to worry about appliances as it's a new build, but I think I'll reassess what I actually need brand new, and what can be replaced over time!

If your budget is limited, look for things on free sites like freegle and freecycle, and these will tide you over until you know what you need and want. When you no longer need them, offer then on the free site.

A bed, something to sit on and a table would be my first thought.

I agree completely with a good quality bed (doesn’t have to be expensive, but well made) and a good mattress (the best quality you can afford, and make sure you try it out beforehand if you can). If you want a super comfy cosy bed get yourself a duvet mattress topper - you feel as if you’re sleeping on a cloud! Good quality bedding if you don’t already have it (100% cotton, with a high thread count). You’ll spend on average a third of your life in bed so make it as comfortable as possible.

For everything else I’d wait until you’ve been there a while. No rush, take your time to identify your style (if you’re not already sure of it), and buy furniture and furnishings based on quality not on brand. Some very expensive pieces are pretty shit and you can find some real gems in the lower to mid-range if you have patience and pick carefully.

Curtains and blinds and a vacuum cleaner
Good mattress
Basic Ikea furniture or second hand to upgrade later on