5 Tips for Moving Into Your First Apartment

In this blog post, I’ll share with you all my best tips and tricks for moving into your first apartment!

If you’re moving into your first apartment, CONGRATS! What an exciting time. I moved into my first apartment about 2 years ago. Now that I’ve lived here for a while, there’s definitely a few things I would’ve done differently.

This post is all about what I wish I knew before moving into my first apartment!

Tips for Moving Into Your First Apartment

1. Don’t rush to furnish your place!

It can be tempting to buy everything right away to finish decorating your place. But, it’s actually really valuable to live in the space for a bit. I found that once I actually lived in the space, I changed my mind on certain things that I thought I needed.

Obviously there’s things you need right away (like dishes or a bed), but other items like pillows and artwork can wait! This will also help the move-in process feel less financially overwhelming.

2. Take measurements…of everything!

Before moving in, you’ll definitely want to write down as many measurements as you can. You really don’t want to be guessing the size of things like curtain length, couch size, room for side tables, etc. Taking measurements will help ensure the items you buy fit, and will avoid the hassle of returning items later.

3. Search second hand websites

Furnishing an apartment, even a 1 bedroom, can get EXPENSIVE! Before I moved, I was looking at furniture from Ikea, Wayfair, etc…to furnish my place brand new was going to cost thousands of dollars.

To avoid the hefty price tag that comes with new items, shop second hand! You can often find really great deals on websites like Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, and Craigslist. It may take some digging, but there are so many great items out there.

3. Avoid “trendy” items for large purchases

Home styles will come and go, so you’ll want to avoid buying “trendy” pieces for larger items like couches, headboards, etc. For my first apartment, I chose to go with more neutral, classic pieces for the larger (expensive) furniture and then had more fun with my home decor. For example, I went with a classic grey couch, but over the years have swapped out different pillows and blankets to give it a different look.

5. Create a vision board

It’s important to think about what you want your apartment to look like so that your items go well together. Do you like a modern or rustic look? Bright colours or neutral? If you start randomly buying pieces before thinking of the overall look, you risk everything not looking cohesive when they’re all in the same place. Pinterest boards were my go-to when planning what I wanted my apartment to look like.

This post was all about what I wish I knew before moving into my first apartment!

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