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Once you’ve successfully transitioned from an apartment to a house, you may find that all your belongings fit into one room. In most cases, moving to a house will bring more space and more rooms to furnish. There’s also home maintenance and yard work to consider.
Alleviate stress later by planning and budgeting for some essential items now. From furnishings and decorative accessories to outdoor décor and maintenance, this list will help you to start off on the right foot.
1. Storage Bins
You won’t regret creating a thoughtful organization plan from the start. From cabinets and pantries to bedroom and linen closets, storage bins and baskets can help you stay organized. Get started with these plastic containers from Amazon, rated the best overall in our guide to the best storage bins for getting organized. Available in seven different sizes to accommodate a range of storage needs, these bins are both stackable and versatile.
Get the Iris USA Multi-Purpose Storage Bins (6-Pack) on Amazon for $59.99
2. Area Rugs
When your square footage increases, so does your floor space. Covering floors and even plain carpeting with accent rugs is a simple way to make your home more attractive and comfortable. Not sure where to find the best area rugs for your home? Try one of our reviewed and recommended selections, such as the Flourish Rug from West Elm, which we love for its sustainable construction and attractive design.
Get the Flourish Rug at West Elm starting at $199
3. Window Treatments
Whether it’s to increase privacy or to block out sunlight, you’ll likely need some blinds and curtains for your new home. An effective set of blinds or shades will filter out light and provide soundproofing, thermal insulation, and style. These cordless, darkening blinds from Home Decorators Collection topped our list of the best blinds of 2022 due to their faux wood design and versatility, with sizes available to suit any room.
Get the Home Decorators Collection Room Darkening Blind at The Home Depot for $51.30
4. Outdoor Furniture
Gaining outdoor space is a significant perk of moving into a house. You’ll want to make the most of it with some outdoor furniture for alfresco dining and lounging. The Devoko 9-Piece Outdoor Patio Set will have you covered with a dining table, four chairs, storage ottomans, and included zippered cushions. Dubbed the best overall in our patio furniture guide, this set gets good reviews for its modular design with seat backs that fold down and ottomans that easily tuck under the table for storage.
Get the Devoko 9-Piece Outdoor Patio Set on Amazon for $449.99
5. Paint
The fun part of moving into a new house is making it your own. One easy way to do that is by creating a color scheme that reflects your personality. Whether your walls need a refresh or you just want to add some color to your space, a new coat of paint can make a big difference. Soothing blues and greens are popular this year. Try Behr’s color of the year, Breezeway, for your next project. The sage green color is both cheerful and relaxing.
Get Behr’s Breezeway Interior Paint & Primer (1 Gallon) at The Home Depot for $46.98
6. Lawn Mower
Apartment living rarely requires cutting the grass. You’ll likely need to invest in a lawn mower for a new home, so you can keep your yard in good shape. Greenworks Self-Propelled Lawn Mower will make the job simple. It tops our list of the best push mowers for its cutting deck size, self-propulsion, battery power, oversized wheels, push-button start, storage, and adjustable height.
Get the Greenworks 40V 21-Inch Brushless Self-Propelled Lawn Mower on Amazon for $555.68
7. Tool Kit
Unlike an apartment, a house won’t come with a landlord to make repairs. A good tool kit will go a long way in keeping things running smoothly. Be sure your set includes a hammer, screwdriver, Allen wrench, level, utility knife, and drill. At the top of our list of recommended tool kits, the Black + Decker 8V Drill and Home Tool Kit includes all these items and more to make assembly and repairs a cinch.
Get the Black + Decker 8V Drill and Home Tool Kit on Amazon for $60.58
8. Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat will not only add convenience to your home, it can also save you money on heating and cooling. Dubbed a top pick for 2022 by our experts, the Google Nest Thermostat is about as advanced as it gets. It memorizes and repeats temperature adjustments throughout the day and uses geofencing to reduce energy waste. An easy-to-read display screen and compatibility with Alexa and Google Assistant make it simple to adjust.
Get the Google Nest Thermostat on Amazon for $199.99
9. Smart Doorbell
Avoid solicitors and other unwanted visitors by installing a smart doorbell. Adding one to your home will add both convenience and security. Most options allow real-time video and two-way audio, so you can even talk to visitors when you’re not home. Chosen by our editors as the best smart doorbell, the Ring Video Doorbell 3 includes versatile installation options, a broad range of security features, and a high-definition camera.
Get the Ring Video Doorbell 3 on Amazon for $199.99
10. Gardening Tools
Gone are the days of fire escape herb boxes. It’s time to think bigger. A house offers the opportunity to plant your favorite flowers or try your hand at fruit and vegetable gardening. Unsure if you’ve got a green thumb? You can start gardening without making a considerable investment. Try our best budget pick gardening set from Abco, which includes all the necessary tools for planting and maintenance, including a transplanting tool, a weeder, a trowel, a fork, a rake, a cutter, a 25-ounce sprayer, and a pair of gloves—all packed into a sweet floral gardening bag.
Get the Abco Tech Gardening Tool Set on Amazon for $22.99
11. Sprinkler
Keep your lawn looking green and your vegetables ripening with a good sprinkler. Dubbed as one of our favorite sprinklers, the 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler from Gardener’s Supply Company features nine optional spray patterns for the utmost control over where you’re watering. Reviewers report that it is easy to adjust with ample coverage and solid construction. Bonus: The kids get to enjoy it on hot days.
Get the 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler at Gardener’s Supply Company for $14.99
12. Shower Head
Trust us, you won’t regret this one. Purchasing a new shower head is a simple way to add comfort to your home—and you don’t have to spend a lot either. We tried the most popular showerheads and found the Couradric Handheld Shower Head to be a keeper. During our testing, we found it to have the perfect amount of pressure and loved the six optional spray settings. The handheld sprayer makes it especially useful for families with kids and pets.
Get the Couradric Handheld Shower Head on Amazon for $39.99
13. Vacuum
More square footage means more rooms to clean. Investing in some cleaning tools from the outset will start you off on the right foot. If there’s one tool that is sure to make your life easier, it’s the Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum. In fact, I described it as “the most useful cleaning tool I own,” in this review. If you generally hate vacuuming, the V8 is a must-have. The cordless lightweight option is small enough to tuck away in a closet, but powerful enough to clean your whole house. We think it’s a worthwhile investment, especially for homes where food crumbs and pet hair make a regular appearance.