What Products to Include in Your Apartment Wishlist
You’ve found the perfect place and moved in. Now it’s time to make it feel like home! Whether you’re a first-time apartment renter or just getting a fresh start in a new apartment, you’ll want to add a few essentials to the shopping list for your new home. We recommend selecting a few items and saving them for your holiday wish list. With the new move and the holidays coming up, you’ll likely be asked by the people close to you about gift ideas and housewarming presents. A bonus - you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see your new space come alive through others’ generosity and reminded of the kindness of your friends and family throughout the year.
Kitchen
Start with the kitchen: the heart and soul of any home. It’s easy to get carried away with fancy appliances like air fryers and cappuccino makers, but in a small space, they can quickly clutter up your valuable counter space. Instead, try these easy gift list options:
Toaster Oven
Whether you’re making avocado toast in the morning, reheating last night’s pizza for lunch, or baking fresh cookies, a toaster oven is a fantastic tool to have in the kitchen. These days, toaster oven models do just about everything, including baking a cake or air frying chicken wings!
A great low-budget option is the Hamilton Beach Countertop Toaster Oven & Pizza Maker, which sells for under $60 on Amazon. For a more expensive splurge, the best small toaster oven according to a recent New York Times report, the Panasonic FlashXpress Silver Toaster at Walmart.
Rice Cooker
Cooking a perfect pot of rice is a breeze with a rice cooker. The Food Network suggests trying non-traditional dishes to make in your rice cooker, such as beans, pancakes, and pudding! Simply add the ingredients, press the button, and come back later to perfectly made food!
Crock-Pot
An affordable crockpot can help you easily make everything from pulled pork to beef stew with ease and so much more. They’re indispensable time savers, especially if you’re into food prepping. Check out these 73 recipes on Delish for more ideas.
Living Room
Next up is your living space, where you’ll want to maximize your square footage to lounge, work, eat, play, and relax. Try these easy gift list options to make your new place cozy:
Coffee Table
When it comes to modern coffee tables, it’s all about the lift top with a hidden compartment providing extra storage space. While these sought-after coffee tables can be pricey, the number one bestseller on Amazon, Yaheetech Lift Top Coffee Table, is considered a bargain and fits perfectly into a smaller space.
Bookshelf
These can be used for extra storage space or even as a room partition. DIY bookshelves from IKEA start as low as $17 for those on a budget, or check out the vast selection at Wayfair.
Rugs
The right rug can really tie the room together. Be sure to pick one that matches your home decor, including your pictures, wall art, sofa, and throw pillows. Consider these bestsellers from Ruggable.
Bedroom
No part of an apartment home is more important than the bedroom, your inner sanctuary where you can rest and rejuvenate. These easy gift list ideas can help enhance your relaxation space:
Bed Throw
Nothing compares to relaxing with a comfy bed-throw in bed, or out on the couch. Bustle lists the six softest ones on Amazon, including the Soft Touch Weighted Blanket with a removable duvet cover and the incredible Chanasya Faux Fur Blanket, which has been called the world’s softest blanket by users and sells for under $30!
Smart Plugs
Smart plugs automate your wired devices by connecting an app to your Wi-Fi network. Plug in a lamp or a string of soft white lights and control it from wherever you are on your phone or tablet. Consider the affordable Wyze Plug, which gives you voice control through Google Assistant or Alexa, and the amazing ConnectSense Smart Outlet 2, which pairs with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, or Google Assistant for voice control.
Bathroom
It may be the least glamorous room in your apartment, but you’re going to be spending a significant amount of time in your bathroom. Moving past bathroom basics in your new apartment home will help elevate your overall experience. Here are a few items to help:
Towel Warmer
Getting a towel warmer is like giving yourself a spa experience at home for a fraction of the price. The Keenhot Towel Warmer Bucket can handle two big towels at once or anything else you’d like to warm up, such as socks, shirts, and sweats. It fits on your counter, heats evenly in just six minutes, and has an automatic shutoff.
Electric Toothbrush
Show off your pearly whites day or night by requesting an electric toothbrush for the holidays. NBC News rates the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700 Electric Toothbrush the best one for 2021, as does Amazon. For a less expensive option, consider the Oral-B Pro 1000 CrossAction Electric Toothbrush, which goes for under $40 at most retailers.
Miscellaneous
Finally, the miscellaneous items any new apartment needs on their wish list, the things that don’t fit in one category, but you can’t live without. Don’t overlook these important gift list additions!
Well-Stocked Toolbox
You never know when you will need a screwdriver, just that you will. The good news is toolboxes are easy to find at a variety of retailers and home improvement stores.
First Aid Kit
No matter how careful you are, accidents can and do happen. From cuts to scrapes and minor burns, a well-stocked first aid kit can get you patched back up again in no time. See the seven best kits of 2021 now at Very Well Health.
Gift Cards
Don’t forget, gift cards from many popular retailers can also be used for home essentials like a broom, dustpan, mop, vacuum, toiletries, hand soap, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, command hooks, and anything else you may need but wouldn’t want to put on your holiday gift list!
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