Household Essentials That Every New Apartment Needs

Setting up a new household can be overwhelming and terrifying if you don’t know where to begin. We have compiled a list of necessities to help get you started. Follow this general list of household essentials to purchase everything you need to set up your new home.

Wastebaskets and trash bins - Purchase one wastebasket for each room in your new home and a big kitchen trash bin for the kitchen. Depending on where you live, you may need to purchase an outdoor trashcan and recycle bin for the outside.

Trash bags - You will need at least a few rolls handy to toss away any useless items during the moving process. Get some heavy-duty ones for your kitchen and outside trashcan and smaller ones for the wastebaskets in each room. You can also use grocery bags to line your wastebaskets. Wastebasket and trash can liners are essentials that every home needs. Instead of having to wipe down your trash bin every time, all you need to do is cinch the liner bag and take out the trash.

Broom - There are many varieties and price ranges, but the most traditional ones are the old straw brooms. They hold up better and make for great dusters to clean up any dust and debris after you unpack.

Dustpan - Dustpans with the snap-on handle brushes make for great small clean-up jobs.

Mop - Washable mops are necessary for cleaning up the home. You can get one with an empty bucket attached so that you can make your own cleaning mixture and use it for rinsing and storing.

Cleaning rags - You should buy a whole bundle of inexpensive cleaning rags that you won’t mind getting stained as regular home essentials. You can purchase pretty ones for show, but always have cheaper options on hand that you don’t mind getting dirty. These rags will take a beating from all the cleaning that you do anyway, so they don’t need to look nice. Although paper towels are handy to have, you can get through one roll pretty quickly and accumulate a hefty grocery bill.

Sponges - Sponges are essential for cleaning and scrubbing anything from bathroom sinks, dishes, to kitchen counters. A good health tip to implement is colour coding your sponges to prevent cross-contamination. Make each colour specific for a purpose, for example - blue for cleaning kitchen sinks, yellow for cleaning dishwashing, green for scrubbing kitchen counters, black for scrubbing stovetops and so on. You don’t want to use the same sponge for cleaning dishes as you do for scrubbing the sink!

Dusting cloths - You can use old rags that are specifically made reusable dusting cloths that are treated to quickly grab and trap dust to remove allergens for healthier, cleaner air without the use of sprays. You can buy soft, cotton flannel cleaning cloths that leave behind no dust-attracting residue. These types of dusting cloths are great for furniture care. You can use them regularly to keep dust at bay - and can be used on furniture, curtains, blinds, appliances, cabinets, glass and mirrors, ceiling fans, walls and railings, auto interiors…etc. You can even fit them onto floor sweepers (like Swiffer Sweepers) to wipe down the floors of your home.

Glass cleaner - You can buy branded glass cleaner at supermarkets or you can make your own, which works just as well and can be even better for your health. One of the biggest offenders in environmental toxins is household cleaners, so by making your own, you can save the environment and your wallet.

All-purpose cleaner - These cleaners are usually ammonia based and come in a variety of scents to cater to different olfactory tastes. As the name applies, all-purpose cleaner can be used for many purposes - floors, countertops, walls, and general cleaning.

Bleach - Bleach comes in handy for bleaching your whites and also for disinfecting countertops and cleaning toilets.

LaundryDetergent - Laundry detergent comes in a variety of scents, and forms. You can buy them in suds, liquid or pod forms. A good tip is to buy a variety of different brands in small packaging, then narrow down your favourite to stock up.

Fabric Softener - Fabric softener also comes in liquid form or in sheets. It is used when washing clothes and other laundry to soften the fabric and reduce static. They also come in a myriad of lovely scents that you can choose from.

Towels and washcloths - The essential bathroom items that every home needs, you should purchase one set for each person in the home as well as spare sets for guests and as backups. Towels come in many different textures now so you can choose the one you like most. They also come in a variety of sizes ranging from small hand towels, face-washing clothes, regular-sized hand towels, medium-sized bath towels and large to extra-large sizes for other functions like swimming or to be used for the beach. It’s good to buy one of each size to be compiled into a set for every person who resides in the home.

Coasters- Beverage coasters will protect your furniture from stain marks and spills, especially if you have wood furniture. You can get really creative with coasters as there are so many beautiful designs out there.

Laundry Baskets - Purchase one laundry basket per person so that everyone can distinguish their clothes from each other. Keep the laundry basket in each person’s bathroom, so that you can throw your dirty laundry in there whenever you take a shower.

Baskets and boxes - You always want to have these types of containers around because they are so functional and versatile. Baskets and boxes of varying sizes and shapes can be used to hold and organize different products in your home. Large baskets are perfect for stocking magazines in the bathroom and living room. Medium-sized baskets are great for holding any miscellaneous storage items like electronics, cleaning products, and so on. Smaller ones can be used as containers on tabletops and desks to hold things like pens and pencils, keys, cotton swabs, Q-tips, soaps…etc. You can get as imaginative as you like but it’s always good to organize your things by categorizing them into different containers so that they each have a place to call home. If you have things sitting around the home without an actual allocated place to put them, things can clutter up super-fast.

Shoe holders - You can keep your shoes organized in a variety of ways. You can either purchase a shoe shelf (given that you have room in your home to put it), or you can invest in foldable linen shoe boxes that are stackable inside closets or under the bed (for homes with less space). If you have very minimal space to store your things, then the best option would be to buy a shoe holder that hangs over the door. They are functional and great space-savers. You can have one in each room as long as there’s a door available for you to hang it over. You can even use them to organize kitchen supplies, bathroom toiletries, arts and crafts supplies, office and work tools, jewellery and accessories - the list goes on and on.

Welcome mat and area rugs - Welcome mats are pretty to put outside to welcome guests but the main purpose really is to allow anyone who walks in to first wipe their feet before entering. You can bring in all sorts of dirt from the outside, so consider leaving at least one at the entrance, and even some additional mats in front of the kitchen sink and anywhere else you find useful to have it in your home.

Light bulbs - Buy a variety of light bulbs that are suitable for the light fixtures in your home and stock up. You never know when a light bulb will run out of steam, and these are essentials you need to have stocked in your home at all times. Consider purchasing energy-saving light bulbs.

Toilet Paper - Sounds like a no-brainer but you would be surprised by how often people forget to buy this one very necessary item when grocery shopping. You don’t want to be stuck in a situation with no toilet paper and no bidet to clean up! Always stock up on much more toilet paper than you think necessary. You don’t ever need to worry about toilet paper being wasted purchases because you will always have a use for them.

Paper Towels - Paper towels are good to have around the home because they act like disposable washcloths. You can use them to wipe down large surfaces, soak up spilt liquid, and clean up after your pets.

Smoke alarms - If you don’t already have them installed in your home, it’s essential that you have one to sense smoke and detect the onset of a fire in your home. You may accidentally leave your stove on or a candle burning, which can all cause fires in your apartment.

Fire extinguisher - Most apartment complexes will have at least one fire extinguisher on each floor. Definitely check to make sure that your home has one in place in the case of any fire emergencies.

Houseplants- Houseplants are good for overall ambience and to help freshen up the air. Be careful what kind of houseplants you get if you have pets though because some plants can be toxic to animals if ingested.

Shower Curtains and shower rod rings - Most bathrooms have a bathtub with a standing shower. Standardly speaking, unless the apartment you rent comes fully furnished or is a serviced apartment, you will need to buy your own shower curtains and shower rod rings. Without a shower curtain, you will flood your bathroom every single time you attempt to take a shower. However, some modern apartments now don’t require a shower curtain because the whole shower is enclosed in a glass box or with a shower door.

Curtains and rods - I once made the mistake of believing that I wouldn’t need curtains or blinds in my home. That was a big mistake. I thought that natural sunlight would be a wonderful thing, but little did I know what a big regret this would be. Not only will you need curtains in all windows of your home to block light from entering at odd hours, but curtains also serve to give your home more privacy. Whether you live in a house or an apartment, it’s not safe to have windows that are completely transparent from outside view. This can give you security problems. Please note that not all homes will come with curtain rods installed on the window frames, so make sure you check first whether you need to measure and install your own rods for curtain customization.

Toilet bowl brush with holder set - Good to have around for regular cleaning. There is nothing more gross and unsanitary than a dirty toilet.

Mail Holder - Install a box of some sort in the entryway to hold your mail, bills, important notices, newsletters and any other paper trails. It’s good to keep one in the front door so you don’t have important paperwork lying around in a mess.

Dry-erase board and markers - every home needs a board where family members can write down important things to remember. It can serve as a communal to-do list or a daily reminder of things that may need to be taken care of.

Basic toolbox - You don’t necessarily need a state-of-the-art, fancy tool kit, but at the very least you should have a standard box with things like a hammer, screwdrivers, nails of different sizes and shapes, a level for hanging things up on the wall, measuring tape, wire cutter, electrical tape, duct tape and any other tools you may need to make small alterations and fixer-uppers around the home. You can’t always call in professional help for small tasks, so it’s good to learn these basic skills to do them yourself.

Picture-hanging kit - You can buy these kits at home hardware stores, or even in places such as IKEA. These tool kits come with a full set of brass hangers, nails and wire for hanging up pictures, art, and decor frames.

Toiletries - These are the most basic toiletries you will need: hand soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, cotton swabs/balls, Q-tips, band aids, antibiotic ointment, rubbing alcohol, scissors, and peroxide.

Nightlights - It’s nice to have a number of night lights spread out across your home, especially in the hallways so that you can make your way around your home at night without having to turn on and off the main lights whenever you need to find something. Night lights are a great economical option, they are cheap and practical for every home.

Lamps - Most apartments will come furnished with basic light fixtures like overhead lighting, but you should also consider purchasing some tabletop and desk lamps for working and a couple of nightstands.

Hangers - You can simply never have too many hangers. I have never heard of anyone having so many hangers they couldn’t use it up. Always have enough and more just in case, plus they don’t cost much to just keep on hand.

Mirrors - Each home should have at least one floor length mirror and one regular sized hanging mirror. Usually, you will already have a regular sized wall mirror in the bathroom over the sink, but most homes won’t come furnished with floor length mirrors.

Bookshelf - You should purchase at least one small bookshelf to keep all your books organized. I once naively thought I wouldn’t need a bookshelf and laid out all my books on the floor in an attempt to be artsy - unsurprisingly, this didn’t work out so well for me. Cleaning the floors of my home became a huge production every time because I would have to take the books off the floor to wipe, mop and vacuumed. If you are a book aficionado, then definitely invest in a nice tall bookshelf to keep your babies nice and neat. Bookshelves can be multi-functional, you can even use them to store baskets and use display cases for art, picture frames, and small decorative pieces.

Basic office supplies - Stapler, office scissors, paper clips, blue tack, rubber bands, note pads, post-its, pen, pencils, highlighters, permanent marker, tape and a ruler or the most basic tools you will need.

Being prepared with all the supplies is key to getting comfortable space in your apartment in Hong Kong. To get more information about the housing environment, real estate market or housing market prices, contact our real estate agent at Engel & Volkers by by visiting https://www.hongkongev.com

Engel & Volkers specialize in elite homes, luxury mansions, premium residential properties and other real estate for sale in Hong Kong.