What items are most important to have in a new apartment?

first of all, check some registries… bed bath and beyond has lists and i highly recommend walking through a store like that, and/or ikea, and/or a department store to find what you think you’ll need. oh oh target too!! don’t skip any isles.
some staples: coffee maker, pots/pans, serving dishes/spoons/forks/ etc…, cups, silverware, tupperware, lamps, extra batteries and light bulbs, soap (shower, sinks, dish), cleaning supplies, vaccuum….. it’s too late to keep going at this but check out bb&b for sure!

When I started out in a new apartment, there was a refrigerator, stove, and sink. I had a few dishes, a mattress on the floor, a blanket and some towels. I just got together the rest of the stuff as I needed it.

oh my! I still don’t have all my stuff moved in and I’ve been here for months now. I still have things in storage. At first I didn’t even have a bed. I had one of those blow up beds. It lasted about a week. Now I have my bed so I’m happy. So my bed is very important and coffee maker of sorts and a toaster :)

Are these the kinds of things you’re looking for, or do you mean the kind of things you need to purchase at the grocery the first trip?

Kitchen – you will need a basic set of pots and pans, 4 place settings of dishes and 4 place settings of silverware (if you have more, you will always have dishes in the sink.) A cookie sheet or pizza pan to reheat things in the oven. Set of glasses. If you drink coffee, a coffee maker and 4 mugs. Dish towels, paper towel holder, potholder. 2 large serving bowls. Cooking utensils, such as a spatula or stirring spoon. Plastic containers for leftovers, ice cube trays and ice bucket for freezer, if it doesn’t have an ice maker. Garbage can.

Bathroom – at least 3 bath towels and face cloths for each person, shower curtain, soap dispenser or dish, garbage can, bath mat.

Bedroom – mattress cover, pillows, pillow covers, two sets of sheets, bedspread, extra blanket.

Cleaning products! To clean the seemingly clean new place. Very very necessary.

a corkscrew/bottle opener…

A plunger. It’s a real “must have.”

have a plug for the drain in case you want to take a bath. depending on how much you guys are cooks, an apple corer, a pizza cutter, a spatula, measuring spoons, measuring cup and an egg beater or mixer are all helpful. a small pan or two for eggs or whatever is helpful. a bread knife is helpful – you might not think so until the first time you are trying to cut bread with a non-cerrated knife. have some paper plates and cups in case company comes over unexpectedly and you don’t have enough “real” stuff.

in the beginning you really only need basics, then you will accumulate as life goes on. in the beginning you really only need towels, sheets, plates, pots and pans, silverware, glasses, dishtowels and pot holders – the bare minimum.

Toilet paper, towels, dish soap, blankets, flashlight, candles

I’d make sure you have an extra case of bottled water in case of a major earthquake. Water is the most basic item you’ll need to survive until relief efforts could get underway. Flashlights/candles/matches and bandaids as well…

Utilities: power, water, cable and (not so much these days, I suppose) telephone.

Heat: you’ll need it soon enough.

Locks on the doors: I’d go with NEW locks, just to be safe.

Your name on the mailbox: Give the postal carrier a break.

And after that, the usual: Kitchen appliances that work (fridge, oven / range, toaster), working plumbing fixtures (toilet, sinks, shower / bath), a means to control heating and cooling, and then whatever personal possessions you want. And food. I never forget food.

Kitchen
Electric air popcorn popper- same time as a microwave but no oil needed.
Electric water kettle- heats water in a minute for coffee, tea, oatmeal, instant noodles, etc.
Small soupan/saucepan- heat water, soup, boil eggs, cook rice & pasta
Skillet with lid- cook full meals in there, omelets, meat cuts with vegies and sauce simmered on low, stir frys and stove top casseroles.
Stock pot/pasta pot with lid- you can boil pastas, potatoes, steam vegies, simmer sauces and soups.
Steamer basket- vegies, dumplings, stuffed buns.

Living room
Yardsale or Craigslist it!

Bathroom
Buy the shampoo & conditioner with pump spouts and refill them as needed.
Disinfecting wipes work great for toilet seats, tanks, sinks, baseboards.

Bedrooms
Wire shelving that will hang in the closet. You can stack folded piles of pants, t-shirts, sweaters, knickers and go without a dresser of drawers that might otherswise take up a smallish room.
Use a few shallow trays or baskets on a closet shelf to store socks, stockings/tights, bras, belts, etc.
Buy the type of hangers that have a tier of clips where you can hang several skirts or pants at a time from each.

…anyone said bins yet?

Get one of those swiffer type mops. You can use it as a wet mop, a duster with spray and also to put polish on wood floors.

Some basic tools for minor repairs. Duct tape, a hammer, 2 screw drivers (1 phillips 1 flathead), Pliers and an adjustable wrench are the minimum.

I’ve got a cordless rechargable drill that came with several types of screwdriver heads as well as drill bits and I’ve gotten a lot of use out it. It was a good $30. spend.

Cleaning products, and plastic bins, go to do my own pest control.com . Get some Maxforce or Advion roach bait.