The Bolet Collective

For the modern woman seeking personal empowerment, professional development, and the luxurious life moments that happen in between.

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How to Make Sound Money Decisions When Furnishing Your First Apartment

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The thrill and excitement that comes with getting the keys to your first apartment is exhilarating. You finally get the freedom to decorate your own room, be the pad that hosts dinner parties or happy hours, and start cultivating your own personal nest in the city. Plus, it also marks an important milestone in the beginning of your young adult life.

Whenever I knew I would be moving, the first thing I would do was design a Pinterest board for decor and inspiration. Immediately, I would be perusing the internet for tips and tricks on how to make my space look stellar, while pinning photos for color palette and mood board inspiration. My first apartment out of college consisted of a tiny bedroom (It seriously only fit my bed and a bookcase) in a three bedroom apartment and my first time living alone after college was in a 300 square foot studio. Although I ended up creating a space I loved in each environment, there was no questioning that every inch needed functionality and design imbedded into it.

As I reflect on my first few homes and what I would do differently, I realize I made some savvy and not so savvy decisions when it came to purchasing items for my home. Keep on reading to learn more about the do’s and don’ts when decorating and furnishing your first apartment!

SAVE

BUY SECONDHAND  FURNITURE AND DECOR ACCESSORIES

Okay, a fun fact about me is that I have expensive taste. My Pinterest boards always illustrate an extravagant taste in interior design and I love being creative with how spaces can evoke an emotion when you’re in them. You should also know that I hate spending money unnecessarily.

If the first thing I would do was make a Pinterest board, then the second thing I would do is check Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to find dupes or similar styles of the pieces that caught my eye! Maybe my Pinterest board had French chateau style decor, but my budget certainly could not keep up. To compensate, I would look for vintage decor that emulated French Parisian design. I would incorporate this through a vintage bust, a gold trimmed ornate vanity mirror, or a Paris travel guide book that I could place on my coffee table. I started with small touches like this to introduce elements I loved without breaking the bank.

I believe it is truly essential to buy secondhand decor and furniture when you are living in your first apartment. How come? Well, you’re still defining your lifestyle and preferences within your first few years out of college. It would be a shame to spend large sums of money on expensive furniture catered to your first apartment or first job that you could quickly outgrow or that won’t realistically transition with you to your future homes. 

For my first apartment, I scoured the internet to land the best deal on things like my bed frame (a $3,500 Restoration Hardware headboard heavy beast that I snagged for under $400), a comfortable couch (a suede gray tufted couch that I scored for $15 at Goodwill), dresser, dining tables and chairs. I would also pick-up large artwork, ornate mirrors, or vintage books secondhand at thrift shops like Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and other local resale shops. This allowed me to easily swap out pieces for a fresh look throughout my different apartments without making a huge dent in my wallet. T

he best part was, since I was living with roommates, I wasn’t as delicate about damages that would occur from normal day-to-day use. I knew I had paid an affordable price and when I moved out, I felt comfortable selling the pieces because I knew I wasn’t going to be losing a lot of money on the original cost. There are still some pieces I have in my furniture collection today from this era even!

SPLURGE

SPLURGE ON COMFORTABLE HIGH QUALITY BEDDING

While I absolutely recommend purchasing furniture and decor secondhand, I did choose to invest in certain new items when transitioning into my new apartment. Anything regarding bedding is a sound investment, if you ask me. Whether it’s comfortable new king sized pillows from Amazon, a silk pillowcase, a cozy fluffy comforter, or high quality white cotton sheets, I splurged on these items to create a comfortable and desirable sleeping environment that I could take to every apartment. This is also a material that your body and skin are constantly coming into contact with, so splurging on fabrics that are higher quality will pay off.

INVEST IN HIGH QUALITY KITCHEN-WARE

If you’re like me, you love to cook and eat! Meal prepping, baking, or just day-to-day cooking requires a variety of utensils and pots or pans. My strong suggestion is to make the investment in your kitchen-ware items and to purchase high quality items. Pick a basic set of high quality pots and pans to prepare meals in, stainless steel silverware, a sharp knives set, colorful plates, and a matching set of drinking glasses. If you pick something in a neutral color, even better! You can always snag the champagne flutes and floral teapots after, but start with these basics first. You can transition these pieces with you to every apartment, even if your tastes change, and they are practical to use on a daily basis.

In addition, a lot of lower quality kitchen-ware can leak toxins or metals into your food when heated to different temperatures, so it’s typically better to take the safe route with things you ingest. I did not make this a priority and I chose the fashion over function with my kitchen-ware. While my gold pans and spatulas looked cute visually, they essentially fell apart quickly. My plastic Tupperware would get warped in the dishwasher, the pots were not temperature resistant and my food constantly would stick to them, and my knives were not high quality, making chopping vegetables a pain. One knife even completely broke in half when I was cutting ingredients for a meal! Investing in a strong kitchen set you can build on is a great place to spend your money and it is something you can take with you wherever you move.

At the end of the day, it is your decision where you invest your money when moving into your new apartment. Naturally, as I grew more into myself and my career, my needs and taste changed and I was able to upgrade to different select pieces that fit my long-term needs and taste over time.

Final Thoughts

While I was happy I saved my money when it came to expensive furniture and decorations, I found myself constantly repurchasing low quality kitchen items to keep up with the ones that were getting damaged. At the end of the day, moving into your first apartment and starting from scratch is a big feat in it of itself. Make things easier on you and your wallet by saving money on your furnishings and decor and investing in the pieces that you will get routine and daily use out of. Keep these tips in mind when you get the keys to your new place and you’re thinking of what to throw on your “must haves” list!

Moving Into Your First Apartment? Here Are The Things You Need To Know

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Nothing beats the sensation of holding the keys to your first apartment outside of college. Whether it’s a pad shared with friends or a solo studio, the opportunity to carve out your own personal space in a city is empowering. 

While it can be incredibly exciting to immediately start a new Pinterest board for decor inspiration and peruse Amazon or Wayfair for the latest furniture pieces, there are a few things that are important to consider before you make a selection on your home and sign a lease commitment. This major life milestone requires several important considerations before you take the plunge. Let’s dive in!

ASSESS YOUR TIMELINE AND REASON FOR MOVING

Now before we get into the actual apartment discussion, assess if moving to a new place right now is the right decision. Maybe you just graduated and can’t wait to spend the summer with your friends in the city. Or maybe you just changed jobs and would like to live closer to your new employer.

While these are both valid reasons, assess if moving right now would make the most sense. If possible, and if you’re lucky to have the option, living at home for a certain period of time is a huge luxury. If you are able to live rent free or at a lower cost, you can use this time to make expedited payments on student loans, build up a robust emergency fund, or establish your investment contributions before you add in additional financial responsibilities, like rent and utilities. You will never regret saving too much and it’s extremely easy to get caught in lifestyle creep once you move. 

Personally, I lived at home from May-December and I was able to make large payments on my student debt. However, I did not use this time to set up an emergency fund. Looking back, I wish I had lived at home for a while longer to set up certain financial nets for myself. Future me would’ve truly appreciated it. 

PRIORITIZE YOUR ESSENTIAL AND EXCEPTIONAL APARTMENT QUALITIES

Okay, so you’re ready. You’ve assessed the situation, and yes, you want to move to your first apartment shortly. What’s important to you? Are you looking to keep costs down? Is public transportation important or do you typically work remote? Sit down and genuinely make a list of what you would consider as your essential and as your exceptional priorities. Essential are the bare minimum things your apartment must have. As someone who hates doing dishes and works from home frequently, my essentials include a dishwasher and loads of natural light. My exceptional qualities include a marble fireplace, winding staircase, and charming doorman. Realistically speaking, it also included a park nearby, ample storage space, and a good neighborhood. Doing this exercise will allow you to have more direction in your apartment search and lead to apartment visits that are closely catered to what you’re actually looking for. 

For me, my first apartment out of college was in a great area with two additional roommates (three if you count my roommate’s adorable pug, Kona!) and a whopping sticker price of $525 for the room. While it lacked a polished look, updated appliances, or in-unit laundry, (honestly, the laundry room was in an unfinished basement that looked like an abandoned horse stable and was completely scary to go in alone,) I prioritized a space that would be in a great location and a great price to comfortably pay off a large chunk of my student loans. 

It worked! Having such an affordable initial rent cost, while sacrificing my exceptional priorities, allowed me to make large sum payments monthly to bring my overall student loan debt down. 

BUILD A BUDGET AND TRY TO STICK TO IT

Which brings us to our next point. It may seem obvious, but defining an initial budget is critical. Do you have a steady income? If so, establish two price ranges. One is your ideal budget and one as your exceptional budget. 

Why define two budgets? Well, as we discussed earlier, you may have several priorities that are important for you. This could be essential factors, such as easy to find parking, central location, public transportation proximity, etc. However, you also could have your exceptional factors, things that make you swoon when you walk into a space. This could be an added outdoor space, natural light, a designated workspace, or a more upgraded kitchen. I have lived in both my ideal budget and exceptional budget apartments and I’m glad that I had flexibility with my range, so that I found what fit my needs at the time. 

The goal here is to truly define a number of what you would ideally like to pay to meet your essential priorities and a maximum number of what you would pay if the unit had your exceptional priorities. 

SET A PREFERRED MOVE-IN DATE

Are you flexible? Do you have a set date you’d like to or to move in by? Determine whether you’re required to have a set date or you’re flexible on move-in dates for the right unit. In the Chicago market, I typically like to start my searches one to two months before my expected move-in date or range. This allows me to get a good feel of the market, identify any potential spam listings, negotiate rent prices, and look at a number of units calmly without a looming move-in deadline. It also allows me to determine what the average rent prices are and any other factors that are important to consider. I also enjoy having a flexible move-in timeline because it typically leads to better negotiation tactics with apartment lenders. 

MAXIMIZE DIFFERENT RESOURCES

Personally, some of my favorite apartments have come from Craigslist or Facebook. I love to scour these sites, because you’ll typically find sublease options at a lower rent rate or more independent landlords that provide competitive rates on units compared to the big apartment companies listed on Zillow or Apartments.com. Make sure to modify settings or set alerts to notify you when new properties come up, and you’ll always be the first to know when a new spot within your parameters hits the market. Desirable units move fast – so the quicker you are to schedule a showing, the better!