The day has come for you to truly step into adulthood. Your folks have their place and you have yours. Leaving behind the comforts of home and the safety of the dorms may not be so exciting, at first. But with a few home staples and some very necessary accessories, your new place will be the fresh chill spot.
First, do the boring part, the part that ensures your safety. Check the batteries on your smoke alarms and either locate the fire extinguisher or go out and buy one.
While on the subject of safety, carbon monoxide (CO2) can kill, so check to make sure your CO2 alarm is plugged in and operating correctly. Safety devices are not safe unless they work right.
Next on the list is your privacy. Get some window treatments, something to block the prying eyes of your neighbors. They don’t want to watch you vacuuming the floor in your tight-whiteys, just as you probably don’t want them to either. Do them and yourself a favor and part with a few bucks for curtains or blinds.
Now that you are safe and have your privacy, you can take a shower. Hey, you’re going to need towels for your body and hands. The hand towels are for your guests mostly, but you can use them too.
You must also get kitchen towels – real terry cloth type kitchen towels. A storage unit full of paper towels will still get used up and thrown away. Cotton dishtowels can be washed over and over and will last you for years.
If you need a shovel to forge a path through those dirty clothes lying all over your place, get a clue and purchase a collapsible clothes hamper with wheels. You can wheel the thing all over, picking up clothes and putting them in the hamper as you go. On laundry day you can roll the hamper to the laundry room. Once the laundry is done, roll it back full of clean clothes, put the clothes away, collapse the hamper and you have saved yourself some precious floor space while being tidy as all get out.
Throw pillows aren’t just for decoration. Use them as extra seating. A pile of large throw pillows or cushions can double as an extra comfy seat for movie night with friends. A plushy pillow bed can also make a great crash spot for unexpected sleepovers or drunk friends.
As for kitchen appliances, don’t buy what you will never use. Come on, will you really be making gruyere fondue, paninis or Belgian waffles? I don’t think so. You do not need specialized cooking appliances. All you need is a microwave, a toaster oven and crock pot.
Every once in a while you need to hunker down and get dirty. The right cleaning products can save you cash and time. Your cleaning kit should include:
– Dish soap
– All purpose, preferably antibacterial cleaner in as big a jug as you can find
– Scrubbing compound
– Micro-fiber clothes
– Sponges
– Empty 1 liter spray bottles
This will take care of your kitchen and bathroom. You can clean your floors with a Swiffer. You also must have a broom, dustpan and vacuum to keep your floors free of dirt and spills.
A coat rack can be a real space saver even in warmer weather. Hang your keys, backpack, purse, or the bikini you need to take back to the mall. With all this free floor space, you might have enough room for a table and some chairs!
A place to put a table is at a premium in most apartment units. If you and your friends want to chow down and chat instead of watch TV, you should be looking for a small kitchen table with chairs. Depending on your entertaining style, you may be just fine with a large coffee table instead, a place to set down your drinks and chips when you and your guests are not eating or drinking.
Now that you’ve got it all together, invite your friends over so they can ooh and aah over what a fine thing you have done with your new place. Hmmm…come to think of it, you may need that blender for Margaritas.
In the event that you liked the previous article, you could go and take a look at other comparable content at Sunswept Apartments or this Sunswept Apartments Blog Post.