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Your First College Apartment Checklist: Everything You’ll Want & Need

Written by Jorge Gaitan

Your First College Apartment Checklist – The Ultimate List

Moving into your first college apartment is an exciting milestone in your life. It’s an opportunity to express your personal style and create a space that feels like home. However, furnishing and decorating your new apartment can also be a daunting and expensive task, especially if you’re new to interior design or have only had a single dorm room to work with before this.

That’s where FlexShopper comes in. Offering flexible payment options and a wide range of furniture and decor items, FlexShopper is the perfect solution to avoid high upfront costs and make decorating your college apartment a breeze. In this ultimate college apartment checklist, we’ll cover everything you need to turn your living space into a cozy and functional home, from furniture essentials to decor must-haves.

Furniture Essentials for College Apartments

Furnishing your college apartment can be a challenging but rewarding experience. The right pieces can transform your place into a home away from home, perfect for studying, entertaining, and resting. Here are the key furniture items we recommend for each room:

Living Room

A comfortable sofa is non-negotiable as the starting place for your living room. It’s not just a place to sit; it’s a space for hanging out with roommates, watching movies, or even taking a quick nap. Choose a size that fits your living room while leaving some walking space.

A coffee table is a great complement to this, giving you a space to put your things, display your favorite books and magazines, and study. Across from that should go a TV stand with a TV, providing an all-purpose entertainment area. Don’t forget a floor lamp to light up your evenings and some wall art to give your space a personal touch.

Bedroom

Every bedroom needs a bed. Invest in a comfortable, durable mattress that will ensure you wake up refreshed each day. Finding a good bed frame is also smart since it supports your mattress and provides extra storage space underneath. It’s also worth having a bedside table to set your things on, rather than tossing everything onto the floor. Add pillowcases and linens to your list to make sure you have everything for a cozy night’s sleep.

Study Area

Having a dedicated study area is great for productivity and separating your leisure space from your workspace. If you’ve got the room for it, set up a part of your apartment with a sturdy desk with room for your computer, textbooks, writing supplies, and anything else you need for studying and homework. Make sure it’s well-lit, which means using a desk lamp or floor lamp. You’ll also want a comfortable, ergonomic chair since there’s nothing that makes studying harder than back pain. Keep extension cords and power strips handy to ensure all your devices stay charged.

Decor Essentials for Your College Apartment

Your apartment isn’t just random pieces of furniture floating in a void. To really make your space feel like yours, you need appropriate decor that provides the right atmosphere and shows off who you are. Here’s what you need to bring a little life into every corner of your apartment:

Bathroom

In a bathroom, much of your decor needs to be just as functional as it is stylish. Shower curtains and liners, for example, are a fun way to decorate, but they also need to be able to keep the floor dry. The same goes for a bath mat, preferably one that matches with your curtain and potentially your toilet seat cover (if you want one). Bath towels, washcloths, and hand towels are also great ways to accessorize given how much they can vary in both look and feel. Don’t forget to add a toilet brush, plunger, and trash can to your list of essentials.

Kitchen

What you need in your kitchen can depend a lot on how big it is and how much you cook. Assuming it’s decently sized, look for kitchen essentials that you can really get some use out of. Toaster ovens have a lot of uses beyond just toast, ranging from reheating food to even broiling depending on the temperature settings. A good coffee maker can help you save by cutting down on those Starbucks runs before class. A cutting board, frying pan, and mixing bowls will be necessary for cooking, and don’t forget silverware and food storage containers for easy meal prep. A dish rack for drying dishes and dish towels for wiping them down are also handy.

Walls and Floors

Simple touches can make a big difference. Express your style with wall art, be it a poster of your favorite band, inspirational quotes, or beautiful landscapes. An area rug can add a pop of color to your living room and make it feel more homey. Other decorative items like potted plants or vintage trinkets can also add a unique touch all your own. Try to keep to a unified style, though, as a bunch of disconnected items with no theme can make your apartment feel confusing and disjointed.

Flexible Payment Options With FlexShopper

All of these decorative items and furniture can add up, so it’s in your best interest to find a way to pay that won’t empty your savings. FlexShopper offers a seamless shopping experience, letting you purchase furniture and decor items with flexible payments.

How FlexShopper Works for Purchasing Furniture
Select your desired items and choose the lease-to-own payment option that fits your budget. This way, you can spread the cost over a manageable time period.

Avoiding High Upfront Costs With FlexShopper
With FlexShopper, you don’t have to worry about paying for your college apartment essentials all at once. This method of payment makes it much easier to manage your budget and avoid unnecessary financial stress. Your biggest concern should be acing your exams, not whether you can afford all the things that make life worth living in your apartment.

Additional College Apartment Essentials

Furniture and decorations are good, but they don’t cover everything you need for your apartment. There are a number of other essential items you need to keep your home in good shape.

Cleaning Supplies

It goes without saying that you’ll need to keep your new place clean. Essential cleaning supplies include dish soap, laundry detergent, and versatile cleaning tools like a broom, mop, and dustpan. Sponges are also essential for keeping your dishes and surfaces clean.

Toiletries

You’ll need some basics like toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, and conditioner to keep in your bathroom. A shower caddy can also be a lifesaver, keeping all your toiletries neatly organized and easy to reach. Remember to stock up on toilet paper and hand soap, too, since those are things you really don’t want to run out of if you’re living on your own!

Get All Your College Apartment Essentials With FlexShopper Today

Moving into a college apartment is both exciting and challenging. With this checklist, you’ve got all your college apartment essentials covered. The added benefit of using FlexShopper for your purchases is flexibility and convenience, making the process much more manageable. Have fun turning your new space into a home that’s all your own!

About the author

Jorge Gaitan

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