What to Buy (and What Not to Buy) After Moving
So, you are in your brand new apartment or house. Some of the boxes are still waiting to be unpacked, but you’re so excited to make this space a home that you spend hours on Amazon or Bed Bath & Beyond comparing sofa cushions and loading up shopping carts to see how much you can. want, it will cost.
But take my advice: buying everything you want at once is a mistake. It’s worth taking some time to get to know your new place before filling it with furniture or appliances. Here are what you should buy right now and what you should avoid until you have lived in your new home for a while.
BUY: Pantry detergents and staples – and see if you can deliver.
Moving around is messy – your floors may be covered in shreds of wrapping peanuts, and any clothes you tuck in your suitcase may need to be washed (or ironed) well before they’re ready to be used in public.
So go ahead and grab the broom, mop, vacuum, dryer, and Tide Pods economical packaging.
While you’re at it, start stocking up on paper clips for your pantry. You don’t need me to tell you to buy groceries after you move, it’s a pleasure to eat your first day delivery pizza, but doesn’t get old – you may need a reminder to buy spices, olive oil, extra pasta and dried beans, everything you’ll be glad to when it comes time to choose between “cook dinner” and “order food to go.”
I ordered a huge pile of food / toiletries / cleaning supplies from my local grocery store in advance and arranged for them to be delivered on the day of the move. If you have a grocery store that does delivery, use it for your first large order, especially if it’s one of those grocery stores that don’t charge shipping if your order is large enough.
AVOID: Cheaper versions of what you really need
When you place that first shipping order – or when you go to Target for that first big run – you’re tempted to save some money. Remember that you will have to use whatever you buy, so if you want branded facial lotion wipes, don’t buy store-bought facial wipes that feel like sandpaper.
It’s the same with things like vacuum cleaners, ironing boards, water jugs, etc. You will be handling these items over and over again over the next few years, so don’t let that initial “I’m spending SO MUCH MONEY” anxiety convinces you to reduce the cost. I used to buy a cheaper vacuum cleaner. It sucks, but not in a good way.
BUY: The luxury you wanted in your previous home.
What would you like to have in your last apartment or house, but could never justify a purchase? I sat on a cheap, uncomfortable couch for years because I didn’t want to look for a better one. (I told myself it wasn’t that bad.)
Do you know what I like best about my current apartment? My new comfortable sofa. It’s soft! I can lean on my hands without poking the plywood! It’s deep enough for me to curl up in a ball if I want to!
I know you have a luxury or upgrade that you never bought for yourself. Maybe this is a set of really good sheets. Maybe it’s a set of very long bath towels. Go buy it or figure out how to save money on it. It will make your life so much better.
AVOID: filling your new home with furniture
If you’re not taking a lot of furniture with you to a new location – maybe because you’re moving out of a roommate, or moving into a larger apartment or house – you might be tempted to buy a bunch of furniture all at once. away.
Do not. At least until you figure out the natural traffic patterns and crowds in your new home.
We cannot always foresee how we will move through space before we have the opportunity to live in it. The coffee table that you plan to put in front of the sofa can, for example, make the space cramped or block movement between the living room and the kitchen.
So don’t buy a coffee table yet – or a bedside table, or lamps, or whatever you add to your Amazon wishlist. You don’t know what the light looks like in your new home, so how do you know which lamps you need?
Set aside yourself at least a month in your new room before you start adding new furniture. It’s worth the wait.
BUY: Stuff to make guests feel comfortable
You are not the only person who needs to be comfortable in your home, so take the time to fill your space with guest-friendly items.
Perhaps this means that every bathroom has a trash can with an insert and a lid. Perhaps that means buying a mirror and clock for your guest room, or getting an extra set of bedding – blankets, sheets, pillows, and pillowcases – for someone who might someday sleep on your couch. Maybe it means stocking up on coffee if you are drinking tea, or vice versa. (Don’t forget sugar and cream.)
Think about people who might visit you in the future and what they might need to feel comfortable while they are there.
AVOID: Buying too many jewelry.
I know you want to decorate your home, but – as with the furniture offering – it’s really better if you wait. This does not mean “leave all the walls bare,” but it does mean “don’t hang so many things that there’s no room to add something new.”
Part of moving to a new home is realizing that it brings new experiences with it. You might see a local artist’s work in a gallery near your home and want to hang it on your wall. Perhaps your children will bring home paintings or clay sculptures from their new school. Perhaps a new friend will give you a decorative owl sculpture for your birthday.
If you fill your home before you can live in it, you will have less space to fill it with new experiences and memories. (You can take this literally or metaphorically.) Pick the best parts from your old life to reflect in your new one, and leave the rest of the space ready for whatever comes next.