First home checklist: what to buy first

Everyone buys cushions in week one and discovers there's no bin, no bulbs and nothing to hang a curtain with. This list is in the order the things get needed.

If you're buying for someone else's first home, the last section is the honest gift list.

We don't sell furniture - we make prints, postcards, pin badges and cards in house, printed in the UK. So this is a straight guide, plus the print and the card that go with it.

The night-one box

• Loo roll, hand soap, a towel each and bin bags.
• Kettle, two mugs, teabags, milk and a bottle opener.
• Bedding that's already made up, or at least a duvet and one fitted sheet.
• Phone chargers, a lamp and a spare bulb.
• A basic toolkit: screwdrivers, a hammer, a tape measure and a torch.

Week one

• Curtains or a blind for the bedroom, before anything decorative.
• A bin, a washing up bowl, cleaning basics and a mop.
• One decent pan, a sharp knife, a chopping board and a colander.
• Laundry basket and an airer - most flats have nowhere to dry clothes.
• Smoke alarm check and a fire extinguisher or blanket for the kitchen.

What can wait a few months

• Sofa - live in the room first and you'll buy the right size.
• Dining table, unless you eat at one daily.
• Any paint colour. Watch the light in the room for a full month.
• Rugs and art, which should respond to the furniture, not lead it.
• A second bedroom's worth of anything.

The things everyone forgets

• Bulbs in the right fitting, and spares.
• Extension leads and a four-way for the desk.
• Toilet brush, plunger and a drain unblocker.
• Picture hooks, plasterboard fixings and a spirit level.
• A door mat, and something to prop the door open on moving day.

If you're buying a housewarming gift

• A good pan, a proper knife, or a sharp pair of kitchen scissors.
• A lamp, which nobody buys for themselves early on.
• A print for the wall, which starts the room off.
• A plant that's hard to kill, with the care instructions written down.
• A card with your new address in it so they can write back.

Shop cards

Prints for the wall

Designed in house and printed in the UK.

How to write it so it lands

• Pack a night-one box and carry it in the car, not the van.
• Bedroom curtains before anything decorative.
• Buy the sofa last, not first.
• Keep the toolkit somewhere you can find it in the dark.

Where to shop next

• How to style a living room on a budget
• How to hang wall art properly
• How to build a gallery wall
• Choosing furniture for a small flat
• Lighting a room properly
• Colour schemes that actually work
• Seasonal decor without the clutter
• Posters and prints
• Postcards
• All guides
• Plants as a housewarming gift
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges

Frequently asked questions

What should you buy first for a new home?

Bedding, curtains for the bedroom, a kettle, a bin, bulbs and a basic toolkit. Furniture and decorating can wait until you know the rooms.

How long should you wait to decorate a new home?

At least a month, so you can see how the light moves through each room before committing to paint or big furniture.

What is a good housewarming gift?

Something practical they'd never buy themselves - a lamp, a good pan, a print for the wall, or a low-maintenance plant - with a card.