First Home Essentials Checklist UK: What You Actually Need First

It's 9pm on moving day

You've spent the entire day hauling boxes, signing paperwork, and working out which key fits which lock. You're exhausted. The sofa is in the wrong room. You haven't eaten properly since breakfast.

And then you realise you don't own toilet roll.

Or bin bags. Or a single cleaning product. Your phone is on 4% and the charger cable you packed is USB-C to USB-C — no wall plug. The light in the bathroom doesn't work and you don't have a torch. There's nowhere to put the takeaway containers because you don't have a bin liner.

This is moving day for most people. Not the Instagram version with fairy lights and champagne — the real version where you're standing in Tesco at 9:47pm buying the things you assumed would just be there.

This checklist exists so that doesn't happen to you.

What people forget until 9pm on moving day

These aren't the exciting purchases. Nobody puts "bin bags" on a mood board. But these are the things that make the difference between a functional first night and a miserable one.

• Toilet roll — at least 4 rolls
• Bin bags — you'll generate more rubbish on moving day than any normal day
• Phone charger with a wall plug — not just a cable
• Torch — the fuse box is always in the dark cupboard
• Extension lead — you'll have one plug socket in the wrong place
• Cleaning spray and cloths — the previous occupant's idea of "clean" and yours may differ
• Kitchen roll — for everything from wiping surfaces to drying hands
• Washing up liquid — you'll need to wash at least one mug
• Hand soap — for the bathroom
• A few carrier bags — for rubbish until you sort the bins out

Buy all of this before moving day. Put it in a bag. Take it with you in the car, not in the van.

Day 1 checklist — what you need tonight

This is survival, not setup. You're tired, you're hungry, the place is chaos. These are the things that get you through the first night.

Basics

• Toilet roll
• Bin bags (at least one roll)
• Phone charger with wall plug
• Torch with batteries
• Extension lead (at least one, ideally with surge protection)
• Kitchen roll
• Cleaning spray, cloth, and rubber gloves
• Washing up liquid and a sponge
• Hand soap
• Tea towel

Sleep

• Bedding you can access without unpacking everything (pack it last, unpack it first)
• Pillow
• A lamp or lightbulb — check the fittings before you move in if you can

Food and drink

• Kettle (if you don't already have one)
• One mug, one plate, one set of cutlery
• Tea bags, coffee, milk, sugar
• Takeaway menus or delivery apps — you're not cooking tonight

Sanity

• A notebook and pen (for meter readings, measurements, things you notice)
• Spare batteries (AA and AAA)
• A basic first night bag with toiletries and a change of clothes

Week 1 checklist — getting settled

Now you've survived the first night, week one is about making the place actually work. This is when you'll assemble flat-pack furniture, hang pictures, and deal with the small things the previous occupant left broken or wobbly.

Tools

You'll need a tool kit. Not five separate tools from different aisles — one kit that covers the basics.

For more detail on choosing a tool kit, see our best starter tool kit under £50 guide. If you want to compare cordless screwdrivers separately, we cover those in our best cordless screwdriver for beginners guide.

Picture hanging and walls

• Picture hanging kit — hooks, wire, wall anchors (~£8-10)
• A pack of Command strips for lighter frames
• Wall filler and a scraper (for holes the previous occupant left)

See our picture hanging kit guide for specific recommendations, and our flat-pack assembly tools guide if you've got furniture to build.

Safety items

• Smoke alarm — check every room; if there isn't one, fit one immediately
• Carbon monoxide detector (required by law for rooms with fuel-burning appliances)
• Torch with batteries (you probably already have this from Day 1)
• Fire blanket for the kitchen (under £5)

Household basics

• Plunger — you will not want to buy one at the moment you need one
• Step stool — for changing lightbulbs, reaching high shelves, and anything above head height
• Spare lightbulbs (check the fittings: bayonet or screw, and check the wattage)
• A set of batteries (AA, AAA — for smoke alarms, remotes, the torch)
• Duct tape

Month 1 checklist — household fixes and comfort

By now you know which door squeaks, which window lets in a draught, and which drawer handle is loose. Month one is about fixing the annoying things.

• WD-40 or equivalent lubricant (for squeaky hinges, stuck locks, stiff bolts)
• Superglue (for quick ceramic and plastic repairs)
• Furniture felt pads (stick them under chair legs — protect your floors, under £3)
• Draught excluder tape (self-adhesive, for windows and doors that let cold air in)
• A decent set of hooks (for coats, keys, bags — behind the front door)
• First aid kit (basic: plasters, antiseptic wipes, bandages, paracetamol)
• A small toolkit for the car if you drive (separate from your house kit)

"First-time renters consistently underestimate how much small maintenance costs add up," says Rachel Green, a rental property manager in Leeds who oversees 150+ properties. "A £35 tool kit pays for itself the first time you fix a loose handle yourself instead of calling a handyman."

What can wait — don't overspend on a fantasy version of homeownership

There's a version of moving in that exists on Pinterest and TikTok. In that version, you buy matching storage containers, a label maker, a set of Le Creuset pans, and a herb garden on day one.

That is not real life. In real life, you've just spent most of your savings on a deposit or a tenancy, and every pound matters.

These things are genuinely useful — but they can wait weeks or months until you know what you actually need:

• A full power drill — unless you're drilling into brick or concrete, the cordless screwdriver in your tool kit handles it
• Paint and decorating supplies — buy these when you're actually ready to paint, not "just in case"
• Garden tools — sort the inside first
• A full socket set — you don't need one unless you're maintaining a car
• Matching storage containers — use cardboard boxes for a while; they work fine
• A label maker — you are not an office supplies catalogue
• Expensive kitchen equipment — a kettle, a pan, and a wooden spoon will get you through month one

Budget breakdown

That's less than a single callout from a handyman — and it covers everything you'll need for your first month.

Final recommendation

Buy the boring stuff first. Toilet roll, bin bags, cleaning spray, a torch. That's your moving day survival kit.

In week one, get a Sundpey 206-Piece Kit (~£33-36) — it includes a cordless screwdriver, so you don't need to buy one separately. Add a picture hanging kit and safety items.

Everything else can wait until you've actually lived in the place long enough to know what you need. Don't let excitement (or anxiety) turn your first week into a spending spree on things that look useful but sit in a drawer for six months.

Start with what's practical. Add what's needed. Skip what's aspirational.

Related guides

• Best Starter Tool Kit Under £50 UK — full comparison of tool kits for first homes
• Best Cordless Screwdriver for Beginners UK — if you want to compare screwdrivers separately
• Flat-Pack Furniture Assembly Tools — everything you need for IKEA, Argos, and Wayfair builds
• Picture Hanging Kit UK — how to hang pictures without destroying your walls