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Picture this: you’ve secured your lease and are patiently waiting for the months to roll by until your move-in date. Before you realize it, it’s time to get those keys, and walk through the doors when BOOM! You realize all of the home decor and cute trinkets you bought aren’t going to get you through your day-to-day life.
As a student who is preparing to move into their first unfurnished apartment, this is the list of essentials I’ve compiled so far during my many months of planning. We know the basics: kitchen appliances, cleaning supplies, and basic furniture, like a couch, desk, or kitchen table.
In addition to the staples provided in most apparent essential lists, these are some items I’ve thought of that may often be overlooked, but will contribute greatly to your everyday comfort and experience in your new home!
1. ANTI-FATIGUE MATS
As humans, food is a necessity, so many of us spend hours upon hours in the kitchen throughout the weeks, months, and years of living. I grew up in a very Asian-style household, and one item we HAD to have in the kitchen was squishy, supportive mats. I’m not talking about a regular thinly sliced mat to cover the floor, I’m talking about those thick two-three inch mats that are sometimes called anti-fatigue, standing, or comfort mats. Whatever name you may know these squishy mats by, they’re hands down essential.
If you love to cook, this is a MUST. Not only will it make your experience more comfortable than standing on a hard floor, but it’s also better for your body. Incorporating these mats into places where you find yourself standing for considerable periods of time— this could include in front of the bathroom mirror/sink, at a desk if you enjoy standing during work, etc.—relieves pressure from areas on your body, including your feet, knees, legs, and hips.
Anti-fatigue mats are also beneficial because of their ability to increase blood circulation. This is because when you stand for a long time, your neck, back, and shoulders stiffen; standing on anti-fatigue mats actually makes it so that your body moves a little while you stand, which increases circulation and encourages you to switch up your posture.The health benefits are number one, but you can also find cute designs for these mats. One place that has a variety of comfort mats for all different locations in your home, is GelPro. Although they’re a tad more expensive than the simpler designs you may find on Amazon, these mats from GelPro can brighten your kitchen floor. Another plus is that these mats protect the floor from constant high-traffic tracks from your feet.
2. SMART PLUGS
I’m moving into an all-electric unit, which means energy conservation will be key to keeping those utility costs low. What’s my weapon of choice for fighting off any high electric bills? Two words: smart plugs! We live in a wonderful time of smart technology that’s constantly advancing, and I will be taking advantage of this whenever I can. Smart plugs can get complicated, especially when linking your appliances to Alexa, or Google Home but I’m no tech whiz, so I’ll be staying in my lane and only touching on the basics.
Smart plugs are a type of plug-in outlet that reduces energy costs by turning off appliances and eliminating “vampire energy.” Vampire energy refers to all the juicy power that leaks from your appliances when they’re turned off because, although you’re not using them if their plug is in an outlet, they’re sucking up energy still.
This can make up 20% of people’s electricity bills. Take a second to think about all the things you may have plugged in at your apartment: a microwave, coffee maker, TV, computer, lamps, air purifiers/humidifiers, and a handful more outlets for charging phones and other gadgets. These are all adding to your bill even as they sit idly in your home, which is exactly why it’s a smart decision to invest in these smart plugs for your first apartment.
Smart plugs will automatically shut off your appliances when not in use, and depending on what kind you get, may have timers that you can set, or even an app connected to your phone that allows you to control any of the smart plugs in your home while simultaneously eliminating vampire energy. There are no downsides, in my opinion, to this investment.
3. SHOWER EXTENSION & HEAD
In viewing my beautiful future humble abode, when peeping into the bathroom the shower provided me with a tiny jump scare. The shower head is SO low, meaning if you’re taller than 5 ft. 7 inches, then your head will be hitting the shower nozzle. I like a nice rain-like experience in the shower, so I immediately searched for a shower head extension, and they’re surprisingly affordable.
These extension arms can add a few feet to the height of your shower head and are an easy DIY. On Amazon, I found one for about $16, and it is adjustable to your preferred height. Ace Hardware also has a good selection, but my favorite is this $25 adjustable shower extension with a rain-like shower head.
Another option is to buy a shower extension arm and your own shower head. The water in your area may have ore minerals, and if you’re also invested in your hair as much as apartment improvements, I recommend finding a showerhead with a built-in filter. Amazon again has a wide selection, but if you’re looking for extra good quality, there’s also the Jolie Filtered Showerhead.
4. DIY CURTAINS
I love natural lighting. A well-lit room in the morning and throughout the afternoon is my ideal vision for my future home, but there’s one thing standing in my way: the hideous blinds. My apartment has those classic white blinds that have to be fully open to let in the light but provide zero privacy when they are open. My solution: curtains. The only thing is, with blinds, there is no curtain rod. Here is my plan to get my dreamy morning and evening light while still conserving my privacy.
What you’ll need:
1. Command hooks (specifically for a curtain rod)
2. A curtain rod
3. Your curtain (I like to look on Etsy for these because they have a style for any and all tastes)
That’s it! The command hooks are also renter friendly for those of us who can’t drill holes into the wall. I enjoy looking on Etsy for curtain rods because, unlike Amazon, they have more options that stray from the more “modern” look such as wooden rods which are perfect for fellow cottage-core and earthy designs.
WELCOME HOME!
With these few, simple, and not-so-often-thought-of apartment essentials, I hope your future home will be more comfortable and energy-smart! These may not be on top of your priority list in terms of decorations and aesthetics, but in terms of comfortability and efficiency, they (hopefully) are now higher (or at least have a place) on your apartment essentials.
No matter how you choose to make your place feel like home, we can all benefit from incorporating items that will bring value in more ways than one. Whether it be supporting your body’s long-term health, or protecting your energy bill and privacy, these niche apartment necessities are a darn good place to start.