What do I need

[samanthalou]

We are buying our first house together and other than the usual (pots/pans/iron/etc) what essential items do we need to put on our list for when we sign and move in :)

NB: we both live with parents so have nothing! We are going to do an IKEA/Next/Supermarket run at the weekend to start off the collection of stuff that we need.

Thanks!

Go room by room, take measurements and set a budget. Some ideas below, you may n ot need all the furniture but just some suggestions

Bedroom - bed, bedside tablea, wardrobe, chest of drawers, bed linen x 3 sets, curtains
Bathroom - towels, flannels, storage, soap dish, blind
Living room - sofa, armchair, shelving/bookcase/sideboard/coffee table, rug, curtains, cushions, artwork/photos
Dining room - table, chairs, placemats, storage, table linen, curtains
Kitchen - plates, glasses, bowls, mugs, cutlery, cooking implements, pots, pans, tupperware, curtains/blinds
Cleaning supplies - mop, brush, hoover, duster, cleaning cloths, sprays, polish etc

Scissors and broadband.

It depends what the sellers are leaving as to whether you need curtains, blinds, appliances, etc.

The essentials are cooking equipment, crockery, cutlery, basic cleaning kit, vacuum cleaner, bed and bedding, sofa, TV, towels - wash them first if brand new as they often have finishing stuff on them and are more absorbent once washed.

Thank you all so much! We went at the weekend and got cleaning supplies/bedroom furniture and a few basics.

I wrote a list but you know that feeling you get when you know you're missing something but you don't know what it is!

Washing machine, tumble dryer, fridge.

Basic tool kit: 5m metal tape measure, spirit level, screwdriver set, assorted screws, hammer, hammer drill, drill bits, stud detector, at least one decent length extension reel, pencil, metal ruler, junior hacksaw and blades, saw, Stanley knife and blades.

Step ladder - for changing lightbulbs and a multitude of other jobs. One with about 5 steps and a flat platform at the top should work for most things.

Add decorating equipment if you are going to be doing any painting: assorted brushes, roller frames in standard and mini sizes plus a long radiator mini one, various roller sleeves, a paint kettle, two sizes of roller trays, good quality masking tape and dust sheets. Something to stir paint with - a long handled wooden spoon is useful here.

Get at least one bucket, heavy duty bin bags, rubber gloves - you can do anything manky with a pair of rubber gloves on!