First Home Essentials Checklist UK: What You Actually Need

For your first home, you need far less than the shop displays suggest. Get through the first night, then the first week, then build up slowly. On day one that means bedding, towels, toilet roll, a kettle, something to eat with, basic cleaning supplies, light bulbs, a torch and your phone charger. After that, buy by room as you find out what’s missing — and before buying anything, check what’s staying in the home: rentals often come with white goods and curtains, and a purchase may include appliances listed in the fixtures and fittings form.

The first-night box

Pack this separately and take it with you rather than in the removal van.

• Kettle, mugs, tea, coffee and long-life milk
• Snacks, a couple of easy meals and a bottle opener
• Toilet roll and hand soap
• Bedding and a towel for everyone
• Phone chargers and a multi-plug extension lead
• Torch and spare batteries
• Medication, glasses and toiletries
• Basic tools: screwdriver set, scissors, tape measure, Stanley knife
• Bin bags
• Documents: tenancy or completion papers, ID, insurance details, removal firm’s number

Day one: find and check

Before you unpack, spend ten minutes finding the things you’ll need in a hurry:

• The stopcock (to turn off the water) — often under the kitchen sink.
• The fuse box or consumer unit.
• The gas, electricity and water meters — take dated photos of the readings for your new suppliers.
• Prepayment meter? Citizens Advice recommends contacting the supplier before you top up, so you don’t pay the previous occupant’s debt.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms — press the test button on each one (see the rules for your nation below).
• Boiler and heating — find the manual and controls, and check when it was last serviced.

Kitchen

• Saucepans (a small and a large one) and a frying pan
• Baking tray and an oven-proof dish
• A sharp cook’s knife, a bread knife and a chopping board
• Wooden spoon, spatula, tin opener, peeler, grater and colander
• Plates, bowls, mugs, glasses and cutlery for each person, plus a couple spare
• Food storage containers
• Tea towels and oven gloves
• Kitchen bin and recycling containers — check your council’s rules on what goes where

Cleaning

A new home — especially a rented one after the previous tenant has left — usually needs a clean before you unpack.

• Vacuum cleaner, mop and bucket, dustpan and brush
• Multi-surface cleaner, bathroom cleaner, washing-up liquid and a toilet brush
• Sponges, microfibre cloths and rubber gloves
• Laundry detergent, a washing basket and a clothes airer
• Iron and ironing board, if you’ll use them

Bedroom and bathroom

• Mattress protector, two sets of bedding per bed and pillows
• Curtains or blinds — measure the windows before you buy
• Hangers
• Bath towels, hand towels and a bath mat
• Shower curtain, if there’s no screen
• Toilet roll holder and a small bin
• Mirror, if there isn’t one

Safety, tools and the basics

• Light bulbs — check the fittings first, as they vary
• Extension leads (fused) and a torch
• Basic toolkit: hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable spanner, spirit level
• Picture hooks, wall plugs and a cordless drill if you’ll put things up
• First aid kit
• Fire blanket for the kitchen
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, if the home needs them — and spare batteries if they aren’t sealed units

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

The rules depend on the nation you live in, and on whether you rent or own:

Nation	Who must fit alarms	What’s required
Scotland	Every home — owners and landlords	Interlinked alarms: a smoke alarm in the living room (or the room you use most) and in every hallway and landing, and a heat alarm in the kitchen. A carbon monoxide detector in any room with a carbon-fuelled appliance such as a boiler, open fire or wood burner. (Scottish Government)
England	Landlords of rented homes	A smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers). (GOV.UK)
Wales	Landlords (occupation contracts)	A mains-powered, interlinked smoke alarm on every storey, and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with gas, oil or solid fuel appliances. (GOV.WALES)
Northern Ireland	Landlords of private tenancies	Interlinked smoke alarms in the main living room and every hall, stairway and landing, a heat alarm in every kitchen, and a carbon monoxide alarm where there’s a flue or fixed combustion appliance (not a gas cooker). (Department for Communities)

If you own an existing home in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, these rules don’t usually require you to fit alarms — but fitting them, and testing them regularly, is one of the cheapest safety steps you can take.

What can wait

Give yourself a few weeks in the home before buying:

• Sofas and big furniture — measure doorways and stairs, and see how you actually use each room.
• Rugs, art and decorating — you’ll get a better feel for the light and colours once you’ve lived there.
• Garden tools and outdoor furniture — wait until you know what the garden needs.
• Extra storage — boxes and shelving are easier to choose once everything is unpacked.

Keep the rest of the move on track

The essentials box is one line on a much longer list. The free moving planner reminds you to pack it the week before, and to test the alarms and find the stopcock once you’ve moved. For the organisations to tell, see who to notify when moving house, and to get online quickly, read moving house broadband.