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Will Southall
a year ago - 5 minute read
Moving into a rental for the first time has its ups and downs.
Finding somewhere new to live can be exciting.
But writing an application, going through tenant referencing, and paying your deposit (which doesn’t always have to be paid upfront, by the way!) isn’t quite as much fun.
Thankfully, it gets better when the boring stuff is out of the way, and you can start buying things for your new home.
Decorating your rental is a fun (albeit expensive) part of the process.
But it’s important not to forget about the essentials while you’re thinking about all the houseplants you can fit in your living room (we know you’re doing it!).
To help you settle in your new rental quickly, we’ve created a handy room-by-room checklist of the essential things every new renter needs.
Before you create a first home shopping list, there’s something very important you need to do.
You need to ask your landlord or letting agent two things: what’s included in the rental and what they’ll provide on day one.
Always ask what’s included in the rental (like which furnishings) before signing the lease. This will help you properly budget for any larger items.
If you’re renting a furnished property, you’ll usually be given things like white goods, beds, a wardrobe, and cutlery.
If you’re renting unfurnished, the property will usually be empty when you move in. Some landlords will provide small things, like a cheap shower curtain, that you can change later.
Many landlords also provide blinds and curtains in an unfurnished rental, but this isn’t guaranteed. Always ask whether this is the case.
Related article: 10 vital questions to ask when viewing a new rental
Some landlords won’t provide anything other than the bare minimum for day one in your new home. But it’s worth asking the question anyway so you can plan exactly what you need.
For example, will the landlord ensure you have local recycling bags from day one, or will you need to pick these up from the council before you move in?
Other than the obvious (like a place to sleep), you’ll need quite a few things on the first day in your new home.
Here’s a checklist of what you need to bring with you for day 1 in your new home:
Most other accessories and furnishings can be purchased in the days, weeks and months after you’ve moved in.
If you’re travelling with lots of boxes, try to keep the essentials in 1 or 2 clearly labelled boxes. That way, you’ll only need to unpack these boxes on moving day and not everything else.
Related article: How to seamlessly move from one rental to another
Getting settled in your new home quickly is the goal. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re living in a hotel for months after you’ve moved in.
To make your new rental feel like home ASAP, here’s a room-by-room checklist of the essential things every new renter needs.
Depending on what your landlord is and isn’t providing in your new rental, here are the things you may need to purchase for your bedroom:
Related article: Quick & easy decorating ideas for small rental apartments
Bathroom essentials are almost always overlooked. It’s easy to forget the basics when you need to do so much other stuff.
Here’s a guide to some of the basic things every new renter needs for the bathroom:
Related article: 6 Pro tips to ensure you get your rent deposit back
If you’re renting a furnished property, your landlord should provide most of the cooking essentials for the kitchen, like cutlery, pots, pans and all the “typical” cooking utensils.
Related article: Should I rent a furnished or unfurnished property?
However, if you’re renting an unfurnished property, you’ll need to ensure you have things like:
Related article: Rent-friendly DIYs to makeover your kitchen
Any renter or homeowner needs to have some basic home supplies – almost like a first aid kit for your home – to fix things if they go wrong.
When you rent, your landlord should take care of all major repairs and maintenance work. But you’ll still have responsibility for fixing, maintaining and repairing some things.
For example, if a pan handle starts to wobble, you’ll need a screwdriver to tighten it up. Or, if your lightbulb goes out, you’ll need to replace it with a new one.
Related article: How to fix wobbly rental furniture
While you won’t need to buy these essentials immediately, you should make time to purchase them in your first 1-2 months.
Here’s a checklist of some basic home supplies all first-time renters need:
Related article: First things to do when you move into a new rental
You no longer need to save up for a deposit every time you move.
For the first time ever, if you already have a deposit protected in a deposit scheme, you can transfer it to your next property.
A Lifetime Deposit will help you keep hold of £1,200 on average, which we think is pretty neat.
We are on a mission to help more people move, so if you are moving soon, don’t forget your Lifetime Deposit!
Guide by
Will Southall
If you're a renter, we've got your back. This corner of the Fronted site is loaded with everything from moving tips, Lifetime Deposits, and anything you need to make renting, or moving, a breeze.
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