Home Essentials For Newlywed Couples

Getting married is generally a really happy time. People have chosen whom they will spend their future with and now comes the big decision; where do we live?

Most people will have some stuff that they are currently using, whether they are living on their own or living with family or roommates. But most newly married couples find themselves quite surprised at the number of items that are needed for a comfortable home as well as the number of items they may not even own.

The following article details the things newlyweds need for their house and separates the items based on a few criteria. This should help you decide on what items are needed right away and which items can wait before buying.

What Type of Property Will You Move To?

This is an important question to answer before choosing what items to buy. For example, if you plan to move to a partially or fully furnished apartment, then the items that you will need to buy will be greatly different from buying a single-family home.

The location of the property will also play a role in deciding the items that you need. For instance, if you are looking at buying a home near a lake, or other body of water, you will likely want a dedicated mudroom that can handle all the wet shoes and clothes that will be coming through the door.

If you are planning to live in an inner-city, a mudroom would be a waste of time.

Purchasing a New or Used House compared to Apartment

If you plan to purchase a home that you may sell in the next few years, you may be able to negotiate the purchase of other items with the price of the home.

While each seller will be unique in their preferences, some sellers are willing to sell items along with the house to avoid moving them. It is possible to get multiple things, such as a refrigerator, washer and dryer, stove, and even furniture.

Again, this is going to depend on the seller of the home, but you will never know if you do not ask.

On the flip side, the previous owner may leave behind a lot of stuff that is simply junk. Worn-out furniture and appliances that are on their last leg are simply something that needs to be hauled to the nearest junkyard.

If you plan to move to an apartment, the unit may come furnished with several appliances. It is common for an apartment complex to provide the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, and possibly the laundry items like a washer and dryer.

If the apartment does not contain a washer and dryer, it may have an onsite laundry facility that you can use. All of these items will need to be discussed with the landlord at the apartment complex.

How Much Can You Spend?

To determine what will be bought, you will need to know how much money you have available for buying the essential items.

While most of us would love to have all new items, that may not be feasible for all the items on your list.

Make a distinction between what you NEED, versus what you WANT. For example, if you or your spouse has a great bed that is only a couple of years old, buying a whole new bedroom suit might be a bad idea right now. Instead, consider buying one or two pieces of furniture for the bedroom and use the savings on some other items.

Checklist of the Essentials

The following lists will be divided into different rooms to make sure you have what you need to set up each of the major spaces of your new place.

Items for Dining Room and Kitchen

  • Stove/oven
  • Refrigerator with freezer
  • Holder for paper towels
  • Table and chairs for dining
  • Toaster
  • Garbage can

The above items are the basics that you will need for fixing meals and having a place to eat.

Items necessary for drinking & eating

  • Plates (this includes individual plates for guests as well as serving plates)
  • Bowls (this includes bowls to use for salad as well as serving bowls)
  • Forks
  • Spoons (soup spoons and serving spoons)
  • Knives (spreading knives and slicing/carving knives)
  • Drinking glasses
  • Mugs for coffee or hot chocolate or hot tea

While you may be used to having more than these items at your current home, this is all you will need to serve a decent meal and make sure you can have something to drink with your food.

Items for Cooking

  • Peeler for fruit and veggies
  • Metal trays/pans for baking
  • Small hand towels
  • Can opener, either electric or manual
  • Oven mitts
  • Cutting board for chopping meat, vegetables, or fruits
  • Spatula
  • Soup ladle
  • Frying pan
  • Cooking pots

This list should allow you to cook the basic of meals and prepare for your week whether you prep multiple meals at once or pack a lunch each day.

Cleaning Items that will be needed for the kitchen

  • Broom and dustpan
  • Scrubbing sponges and rags
  • Mop
  • Dish cleaning liquid
  • All-purpose cleaner for countertops, appliances, and sink

These cleaning items can also be used to clean up your washroom/bathroom.

Items for the Bathroom(s)

  • Garbage can
  • Waterproof curtain for shower
  • Curtain rod and rings to hold the shower curtain
  • Soap container
  • Bath towels, washcloth, and hand towels
  • Toilet plunger
  • Shower mat
  • Air freshener
  • Toilet paper
  • Toilet roll holder
  • Scrubbing brush for toilet

This list of things should help keep the bathroom tidy and make sure you have what you need when you are in the restroom.

Items needed for bedroom

  • Clothing hangers
  • Chest of drawers
  • Bed frame
  • Mattress and box spring
  • Bedside table
  • Sheets and pillows for the bed
  • Lamp
  • Alarm clock

With these items, you should be able to get a good night of rest without the need for any frills.

Items needed for living room

  • Curtains along with curtain rods
  • Tv
  • Tv holder or credenza
  • Couch
  • Sitting chairs
  • Wall décor (photos, paintings, etc.)
  • Side tables
  • Coffee table
  • lamps

Along with the necessary items listed above, it is also wise to have some first aid and safety items on hand as well

  • pain killers
  • bandages
  • scissors
  • thermometer
  • antiseptic
  • antibiotic cream
  • smoke alarms
  • flashlights
  • spare batteries
  • fire extinguisher
  • carbon monoxide alarm

Items for a functional laundry

  • Steam iron
  • Board for ironing clothes
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Washing detergent
  • Dryer sheets
  • Stain removal liquid

Items needed for hardware and other general uses

  • Screwdriver
  • Hammer
  • Pilers
  • Step stool or small step ladder
  • Extension cord
  • Measuring tape
  • Drywall screws and hangers

If you do not consider yourself a handy type of person that is accustomed to fixing things, trust us when we say that at some point you will likely need all of the above-mentioned tools. Whether it is hanging a new picture or tackling a leaky faucet, you will be surprised by how convenient it is to have your small tool kit on hand at your new home.

Items for the yard (if you have a yard)

  • Lawnmower
  • Rake
  • Leaf blower
  • String trimmer
  • Brush pruners
  • Shovel
  • Edger

If you are moving to a place that has a yard, the above items will help you take care of the lawn and any shrubbery.

If the place has an existing garden or flower bed, it would be wise to chat with the existing owner. Find out about the type of flowers and plants as well as what is used for feeding the plants and if any mulch is used along with the water needs.

You can also ask the owner if they have had any success using specific tools for handling the flower bed and plants.

If the home has any existing trees, you may also need a pruning saw to handle any limbs that grow out over the home.

Deciding What to Buy and When

The easiest way to prioritize what you need is to start with a list. You want to make a list, using the above items as an outline, to determine what you need at your new place.

You can then make notes of items that you currently own or things that you can acquire for little or no cost from friends and relatives.

Items Needed the Day You Move into New Place

  • Lights (lamps and necessary bulbs)
  • Bed frame with mattress
  • Window coverings (curtains or blinds or some combination of those items)
  • Couch for living room
  • Glasses for meals at home
  • Plates for meals at home
  • A few pots and pans and cooking spoons for making meals at home

Things that you can wait to buy

  • Area rugs
  • Formal dining table with accompanying chairs
  • Decoration items for living room and bedroom
  • New TV with TV stand
  • Side tables for living room and bedroom
  • Nice headboard for the bed
  • Formal serving dishes

Creative Ideas for Saving Money on Necessary Items

While it may seem like a daunting task to get all the necessary items for your new home, there are several things you can do to cut down on the prices and save some money on essentials.

  • Check the closeout or bargain section of popular websites. Sites like Target, Walmart, and Amazon all have sections with deeply discounted prices on a variety of items.
  • If any of your friends or relatives are the type of people to have a yard sale or two during the year, chat with them about what you need to buy to see if they have anything to sell that you could use at your new place.
  • Following up with the previous item, check out yard sales and garage sales in the more affluent parts of your town. You can often find a good deal on multiple household items at these sales.
  • Local thrift shops often have various pieces of furniture as well as appliances. However, you want to test each item to see that it works properly before paying for the item.
  • Online sites like Facebook, Offerup, Mercari, and Craigslist are also good places to check for all kinds of items.

Getting the Utilities at the New Place

If you are currently renting a place and have the utilities listed in your name, you will need to contact the various utilities and inform them of your move. They will need to know what date you are leaving the existing place and when you intend to occupy the new home.

If you do not have utilities in your name at your current home, then you will need to contact the appropriate offices and request a new account. Here is a shortlist of the utilities that you may need, depending on your area

  • Local power company
  • Local water service
  • Trash collection service
  • Internet service
  • Natural gas service (if your home uses natural gas for heat)
  • Cable tv provider

Each provider will have their requirements for setting up a new account with their offices. Some may require a deposit and others may waive the deposit with a co-signer.

Along with getting the utility services at your new address, you will need to alert other people to your change. Here is a shortlist of organizations that will need your new address

  • Your employer
  • auto insurance agent
  • friends and family
  • current debtors (credit card company, automobile lender, and others that you make payments to)
  • any charity organization that you contribute to regularly

Informing these organizations that you will be receiving mail at a new place will keep you current in their records.

Summing Up Home Essentials

Moving to a new place as a newlywed will always be up to the taste and preferences of the homeowner. Each person’s style and interest will be different and the needs for each household will vary.

That is why we stressed listing out what you have in place now so you can decide what needs to be purchased and decide what items can wait until you have saved up a bit of money.

Additional helpful resources:
Getting married and buying a home is exciting times for most newlyweds but like most good things, it could come to an end. If that happens, be sure to read up on how to sell your home when getting a divorce to better understand what to expect.

About the author: This article on “Things Newlyweds Need for Their House” was written by Luke Skar of MadisonMortgageGuys.com. As the Social Media Strategist, his role is to provide original content for all of their social media profiles as well as generating new leads from his website.

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Filed under: Real Estate

Luke Skar

Luke Skar is the web developer and content strategist for MadisonMortgageGuys.com. Currently working for NRL Mortgage which serves 47 states including Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, and Florida. Guided by his 20-plus years of various mortgage marketing experience, Luke provides top-quality SEO services, effective social media management, and web development and maintenance. Luke’s career in the mortgage industry began back in 2001, as a loan processor. After becoming a loan officer for a number of years, Luke now runs madisonmortgageguys.com. To ensure that all the information he posts is fresh, accurate, and up-to-date, Luke relies on the knowledge which his years of dedication to keeping up with the constant change that the mortgage industry provides.

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