I have moved into three apartments in Austin since 2020 and each time I have gotten a little better at knowing what to actually buy on move-in week versus what can wait. My first move I spent over $400 on things I did not need in the first month. My second move I spent about $180 on the right things and nothing else. My third move I had most of it already and spent almost nothing. This post is the list I wish I had before that first move, broken into what to buy on day one, what to get in the first week, and what to skip entirely until you actually need it.
“Just get the basics,” my coworker Sarah said when I told her I was moving into my first solo apartment in September 2022.
Sarah had been renting on her own in Austin for a few years before me and had been through the whole first-move experience already. She works at the same Austin tech startup as me and had seen enough coworkers go through that first solo move to know what usually went wrong.
I nodded like I knew what the basics were.
I did not know what the basics were.
I went to Target that weekend and spent $340 before I even moved a single box in. Half of what I bought sat unused for months. Some of it I still have not used. That trip is the reason I am writing this post.
Day One: The Only Things You Actually Need on Move-In Day
When I moved into my Mueller apartment in 2026 I bought exactly seven things on move-in day and nothing else. That is the version of me that had done this twice before and learned what you genuinely cannot go without on day one versus what can wait.
Here is the day one list.
Toilet paper. You will need this within hours of arriving. Do not assume the previous renter left any.
Hand soap. Same reason. You will wash your hands after moving boxes and you need something there.
Dish soap and one sponge. Even if you are ordering food that first night you will have cups and glasses to wash.
A roll of paper towels. For cleaning surfaces before you put things down, wiping up spills while unpacking, general first-day mess.
Trash bags. Moving creates trash immediately. Cardboard bits, packing material, empty bags. You need somewhere for it to go.
A shower curtain and rings if the apartment does not have one already. Check before you buy. Some apartments leave one. Mine on East Sixth did not and I found that out at 10pm on move-in night.
Laundry detergent if you plan to do laundry in the first week. If you have enough clean clothes to last a few days this can wait.
That is seven things. If I walked into a brand new apartment today with none of my old stuff that is all I would buy on day one. Everything else can wait until you actually need it.
The first time you move into an apartment there are also upfront money things to sort before you even get to shopping. My post on move-in costs for your first Austin apartment covers the deposit, application fees, and first month costs so you know what to expect before move-in day arrives.
The First Week: What to Get Once You Know What You Need
After day one, give yourself two or three days in the apartment before you buy anything else. Walk around. Cook a meal. Take a shower. Figure out what is actually missing before you go fill a cart with guesses.
In my second move in 2023 I waited three days before my second shopping trip and it made a huge difference. I bought things I knew I needed from experience of being in the space, not things I assumed I would need from standing in a store aisle.
Here is what usually makes the first week list.
A mop or a Swiffer if the apartment has hard floors and the previous tenant left it dirty. Check what cleaning tools came with the place first. My first apartment had a broom in the closet I did not notice for two weeks.
A pot and a pan if you do not have them. Just one of each to start. You do not need a full set. I cooked rice, dal, eggs, and pasta in my first months and needed exactly one medium pot and one medium pan.
One sharp knife and a cutting board. One knife. Not a block of six. One good sharp one does everything you need for basic cooking.
Hangers if you have a closet and nowhere to hang things.
A bath mat if one was not left behind. Your feet will thank you.
Extension cords or a power strip if you can see already that the outlet placement is not going to work for how you want to arrange things. Most apartments in Austin have outlets in strange places.
| Item | Approximate cost | Buy on day 1 or week 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet paper (pack) | $8 | Day 1 |
| Hand soap | $3 | Day 1 |
| Dish soap and sponge | $5 | Day 1 |
| Paper towels | $6 | Day 1 |
| Trash bags | $8 | Day 1 |
| Shower curtain and rings | $18 | Day 1 if needed |
| Laundry detergent | $12 | Day 1 or week 1 |
| Pot and pan | $25 to $40 secondhand | Week 1 |
| One good knife | $15 to $25 | Week 1 |
| Cutting board | $8 | Week 1 |
| Bath mat | $12 | Week 1 |
| Power strip | $12 | Week 1 if needed |
Day one total if you need everything: roughly $60 to $65. Week one total adding the kitchen and bathroom basics: roughly $130 to $150. That is the number to plan for, not $340 like I spent on that first Target trip.
The American Red Cross recommends having basic household supplies stocked within the first 72 hours of moving into a new home, including cleaning supplies and basic kitchen tools, as part of general home preparedness. Their moving checklist is at redcross.org.
What to Get Secondhand and What to Buy New
Most of the bigger things in an apartment do not need to be new. I have bought almost all of my furniture secondhand across three moves and paid a fraction of what new versions would have cost.
Facebook Marketplace and the UT Austin free stuff groups are the best places in Austin for this. I got a couch for free, a coffee table for $20, a floor lamp for $10, and a bookshelf for $15 across different moves. All of them were in good shape.
The things I always buy new are anything that touches food or my body directly. Kitchen sponges, dish soap, my own plates and cups if I need them, towels, pillowcases. Secondhand towels and bedding feel fine to some people and if you wash them thoroughly that is okay, but I personally buy those new.
Mattresses are the one big item I always buy new. A secondhand mattress is a hygiene and allergy risk that is not worth the savings. A basic new twin or full from IKEA or Amazon runs $150 to $250 and is worth paying new price for.
For everything else, secondhand first. Check what is available before you buy anything new.
If you are moving across Austin on a tight budget and trying to keep the whole move cheap, I covered how to do that in my post on how to move across Austin for under $400, which includes transport, supplies, and timing tricks that save real money.
The Guilt About My First Move
I said this post carries some guilt and here it is.
In September 2022 when I moved into East Sixth, I bought things I was embarrassed about later. A salad spinner I used once. A full knife block with six knives when I needed one. A decorative tray that served no purpose. Two picture frames I never put photos in. A yoga mat for a practice I did not have.
Each thing felt reasonable in the moment. I had just gotten my first real job. I wanted my apartment to feel like a real adult home right away. I was buying an idea of what the apartment should look like rather than what I actually needed to live in it.
The salad spinner is still in a box somewhere. I am not joking.
I wrote about this pattern in more detail in my post on what first-time renters waste money on in their first apartment, because it is one of the most common and most avoidable money mistakes that first-time renters make.
What to Skip Completely Until You Actually Need It
Decorative things of any kind. You do not know what your apartment feels like to live in yet. Wait at least a month before you buy anything just for looks.
A full set of pots and pans. Start with one pot and one pan. Add more only when you actually find yourself needing a specific size for something you cook regularly.
A coffee maker, air fryer, instant pot, or any other kitchen appliance beyond the basics. Wait until you are actually cooking regularly and know what you would use. Appliances take up counter space and gather dust.
Cleaning tools beyond a basic broom and some spray. Your apartment probably came with something. Check before you buy.
Any furniture beyond what you need to sleep and eat. A bed, one place to sit, something to eat at. That is enough for the first month. Add more once you know how you actually use the space.
The Difference Between My Three Move-Ins
My first move-in in 2020 into the shared three-bedroom near UT, I was splitting costs with roommates so the individual damage was lower, but I still brought too much and bought too much in the first week.
My second move-in in September 2022 into the East Sixth one-bedroom was the worst financially. Solo, excited, no experience, $340 at Target before I even unpacked. Lesson not yet learned.
My third move-in in 2026 into the Mueller apartment, I barely bought anything. I had two apartments worth of stuff already. The only things I needed to buy fresh were toilet paper, some cleaning supplies to start clean, and a new shower curtain because I left the old one behind.
The pattern is clear. Every move you do, you need less and you buy smarter. The problem is the first move is when you have the least money and the least knowledge and that is when most people overspend.
Knowing the list in advance is what closes that gap. Buy what you need on day one. Wait and see what you actually need in week one. Skip the rest until life in the apartment tells you what is missing.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a free tool for planning big expenses like moving at consumerfinance.gov which helps you build a realistic number before you go shopping rather than adding up the damage after.
FAQ
What is the one thing most people forget to buy before moving in?
Toilet paper. Almost everyone thinks of it eventually but a surprising number of people arrive at a new apartment after a long moving day and have nothing in the bathroom. Buy it first, before anything else.
How much should I budget for move-in essentials on a tight budget?
Around $60 to $65 for day one must-haves and another $70 to $90 for the first week basics if you are starting from scratch. So roughly $130 to $150 total for the first week if you stick to what you actually need. You can do it for less if you buy secondhand kitchen things and already have some supplies from a previous place.
Should I buy furniture before or after I move in?
After, always. You do not know how the space actually feels to live in until you are in it. A couch that seemed perfect in your head might block the only window. A desk that felt necessary might not fit where you imagined. Move in with the basics, live there for a week or two, then buy furniture for how you actually use the space.
Where is the best place to find cheap furniture in Austin?
Facebook Marketplace and the Buy Nothing Austin groups are the best for free or very cheap items. Thrift stores like Goodwill on North Lamar and the Austin Habitat for Humanity ReStore at austinhabitat.org sell used furniture at very low prices and the ReStore money goes to a good cause. Check those before buying anything new.
What kitchen things do I actually need in my first apartment?
One pot, one pan, one sharp knife, a cutting board, and a can opener. That covers probably 90 percent of what you will cook in your first few months. Add things only when you find yourself actually needing them for something specific you want to cook.
Is it worth buying a full cleaning supplies kit before moving in?
No. Check what came with the apartment first, a surprising number of places leave a broom or a mop. Then buy only what is missing. Start with a basic spray cleaner, a sponge for the bathroom, and dish soap. That covers the first week. Add more only when you actually clean something and realize you need a specific tool.
How do I avoid overspending at the store on move-in week?
Write the list before you go and do not add anything to the cart that is not on it. Move-in week is not the time to browse. You are tired, excited, and the store is full of things that feel necessary in the moment and are not. List only, nothing extra, go home.
