Recently I had the pleasure of moving out into a brand new apartment.
I had always gotten complimented for the way I had my places set up in the past so this brand new move gave me the idea to write this article on some cool stuff I think a lot of dudes overlook when moving into their first apartment.
Now this list isn’t going to be a comprehensive A-Z list which includes everything like your toothbrush to a plunger (that stuff should be common sense and there are a bunch of apartment lists of that nature out there)
This list is more about stuff that will make your place look better, be funner and give you an edge, or an upgrade in the way you live.
1. Landing Strip / Launching Pad
This is basically somewhere to dump your wallet, keys, glasses, mail, and every other miscellaneous item you can think of.
Having a big wooden bowl, or a specific shelf where you ‘drop’ the day when you come home.
The process of emptying the contents of your pockets will become a simple ritual that says “I’m home”.
Having a landing strip also means the chance of you losing any of your pocket necessities are a lot lower.
The landing strip also works as a launching pad. The last place you look before you leave your apartment to make sure you have everything you need.
And not just your keys or wallet – if you have a certain gift or paperwork you need to bring the next day, leaving it by the launch pad will guarantee you don’t forget.
2. LED Tape Lights
These are super cheap and a very interesting way to make your place look cool and interesting.
3. Scented Candles
This was taught to me by a relative who is a realtor and shows houses on a regular basis.
Overtime your apartment will develop a scent that is unnoticeable to you. This is true for pretty much everyone, you simply get used to the smell and your nose stops noticing it.
Having a pleasant smelling candle you can light when you’re expecting company is an easy way to eliminate odor and make your place that much more presentable.
4. Crock Pot & Rice Cooker
One of the biggest issues guys have when moving into their own place is cooking.
This disdain or lack of skill in cooking usually ends up in excessively eating out, which isn’t good for your health or wallet.
A crock pot and rice cooker are the easiest ways possible that you can cook great tasting, healthy food.
A rice cooker is straight forward and simply googling “crock pot recipes” or “slow cooker recipes” will show you thousands of ways you can easily make meals for very cheap.
5. Your Preferred Way Of Making Coffee
This could be a simple drip coffee maker, a single cup coffee maker or even a french press.
Whatever you prefer, it will pay off dividends as oppose to going to Starbucks everyday.
6. Pots & Pans
Even if you’re not the greatest cook it’s very useful to have some pots and pans to make simple recipes.
Something as simple as frying up some bacon or ground turkey will take you just a few minutes, will be super easy to clean, and decently tasty.
7. Entertainment
When I moved into my first apartment I made the mistake of having absolutely nothing in there to entertain guests. I had my laptop which I personally to watch shows, do work, etc.
I quickly realized my place was an absolute bore for anyone but me.
Here are some easy ways to have guests and friends always entertained at your place:
- Some kind of TV
- A Netflix subscription
- A console and some games
- An extra computer / laptop
8. Bottom Shelf Liquor
Nothing too expensive, just some cheap vodka / wine to have handy when you have people of interest over, or even friends.
It’s not a big money sink and people will appreciate you for it.
Also keep a bottle of champagne in the fridge. It looks great and you’ll never know when you might need it!
9. Plants
Put a plant somewhere where it will (hopefully) get some light. A little burst of organic living color will give your place some life.
There’s so many different kinds of plants you can get here that even if you’re terrible at taking care of plants, you can just get a cactus (you have to literally be trying to kill a cactus).
10. Hand Held Vacuum
I don’t know how some guys live without this baby.
Shards of glass? Little dust mites? Whatever it might be, nothing is handier and will make your place look cleaner than an easy to use hand held vacuum.
11. Panini Press
Your sandwich game is weak. Your sandwiches are soggy and have no crunch.
Get one of these and your sandwich game will reach new heights. Now, all my sandwiches are toasted and tasty as hell.