Things to get for living in a new city

[DABMAN]

Hello all

I'm moving to a new city soon and was wondering what are some commonly forgotten items that should be purchased? 

 

Thanks!

[SNAILS]

Don't over stress it. Your new city has stores and malls.

Have you even seen your residence/apartment? I'd check it out first and determine what kind of space you are dealing with furniture wise, storage wise, fridge wise, etc.

Basic items are pretty standard: your computer and any recitational/ study electronics; clothing and footwear for any weather you expect in the near future; bedding; pots and pans and cooking stuff (if applicable). If you forget anything, there's always the store! 

[Hegdis]

For your first home, you need:

1. A fire extinguisher. Take a moment and read the instructions and then watch a YouTube video. Doesn't help if you can't use it.

2. A toilet plunger. You'll be glad to have it on hand immediately when you need it. Ditto a fly swatter (your first 1am mosquito). Ditto a simple broom with an attached pan (your first dropped glass).

3. A basic first aid kit. Gauze, bandages, a sling, disinfectant. If you cut your hand open trying to slice a bagel you want this stuff to be just steps away. Pick up a bottle of ibuprofen, acetaminophen,  an antihistamine and a couple packs of cough drops. Again, 3am and you feel like crap, these cover your basic complaints.

4. Get a good cast iron pan. They aren't expensive and they last forever and they cook damn near everything. Get a good bread knife, a good chef's knife, and a good paring knife. You do NOT need ten different knives: these three are the core group.

5. Get at least one full change of sheets and one full change of towels. Swap these out at least every two weeks. Ideally you swap your pillow cases and hand towels weekly. You know that gross moldy smell you sometimes get when you go to some one's place and it's like they never open a window? Often that is the smell of old sheets or old towels that "look" clean (they aren't).

 

Those are my top five.

[sunshine]

I'd recommend by looking at what you do have/what you can take with you. From there, what @Hegdis said is a great starting list (but I would add to this garbage cans!!). 

If you're on a budget, you can usually get by with kitchen utensils from Dollarama, Value Village (sometimes there are some really wonderful finds!), or checking Facebook Marketplace. 

Good luck!

[luckycharm]

6 hours ago, DABMAN said:

Hello all

I'm moving to a new city soon and was wondering what are some commonly forgotten items that should be purchased? 

 

Thanks!

I think you are moving to London.

You can buy practically anything you need there.

Bring summer and winter clothes, shoes, boots, computer, printer (extra ink)

Is your place furnished?

[DABMAN]

5 hours ago, Hegdis said:

For your first home, you need:

1. A fire extinguisher. Take a moment and read the instructions and then watch a YouTube video. Doesn't help if you can't use it.

2. A toilet plunger. You'll be glad to have it on hand immediately when you need it. Ditto a fly swatter (your first 1am mosquito). Ditto a simple broom with an attached pan (your first dropped glass).

3. A basic first aid kit. Gauze, bandages, a sling, disinfectant. If you cut your hand open trying to slice a bagel you want this stuff to be just steps away. Pick up a bottle of ibuprofen, acetaminophen,  an antihistamine and a couple packs of cough drops. Again, 3am and you feel like crap, these cover your basic complaints.

4. Get a good cast iron pan. They aren't expensive and they last forever and they cook damn near everything. Get a good bread knife, a good chef's knife, and a good paring knife. You do NOT need ten different knives: these three are the core group.

5. Get at least one full change of sheets and one full change of towels. Swap these out at least every two weeks. Ideally you swap your pillow cases and hand towels weekly. You know that gross moldy smell you sometimes get when you go to some one's place and it's like they never open a window? Often that is the smell of old sheets or old towels that "look" clean (they aren't).

 

Those are my top five.

 

5 hours ago, sunshine said:

I'd recommend by looking at what you do have/what you can take with you. From there, what @Hegdis said is a great starting list (but I would add to this garbage cans!!). 

If you're on a budget, you can usually get by with kitchen utensils from Dollarama, Value Village (sometimes there are some really wonderful finds!), or checking Facebook Marketplace. 

Good luck!

 

6 hours ago, SNAILS said:

Don't over stress it. Your new city has stores and malls.

Have you even seen your residence/apartment? I'd check it out first and determine what kind of space you are dealing with furniture wise, storage wise, fridge wise, etc.

Basic items are pretty standard: your computer and any recitational/ study electronics; clothing and footwear for any weather you expect in the near future; bedding; pots and pans and cooking stuff (if applicable). If you forget anything, there's always the store! 

Thanks these are all fantastic!!

5 hours ago, luckycharm said:

I think you are moving to London.

You can buy practically anything you need there.

Bring summer and winter clothes, shoes, boots, computer, printer (extra ink)

Is your place furnished?

Yes it is bed & pillows, couch, simple table and chairs, utensils, microwave, toaster oven, fridge 

[luckycharm]

12 hours ago, DABMAN said:

 

 

Thanks these are all fantastic!!

Yes it is bed & pillows, couch, simple table and chairs, utensils, microwave, toaster oven, fridge 

Buy tenant's insurance.

Bring one set of dress shoes and clothes just in case

[MOL]

I would think that you can buy what you need wherever you move to as suggested above. My experience is that moving stuff isn't cost beneficial unless we are talking about big ticket items; computer, tv etc. or clothing.

Massive +1 on the tenant's insurance. 

[artsydork]

Easy to prepare foods for your first day or 2, toothbrush/toothe paste, prescriptions and/or medicine, sheets and pillow, utensils/plates, clothes appropriate for the season AND something long sleeves/for rain. Have change for laundry and busses. 

Google map how to get places.  Spend your first couple of days exploring the town. Find some fun cafes (London? Black Walnut was really good. Rhino Cafe for Sunday brunch at the museum).

Try to look out for non-school things too. If it's still a thing, Forest City Sports was great for intramurals. There was a great boardgames Cafe. Meet Up was also pretty active when I was in London. Hiking nearby and car share programs too. Explore Convent Gardens and the Western Fairgrounds market. 

Also thoroughly recommend tenant insurance. Living through a fire in the building sucks big time (speaking from personal experience). 

[ZineZ]

Moving this out of OT and into Students General. I suspect this could be a thread that's of use to students in the future.

Good luck with the move, OP. 

[MapleLeafs]

For tenant's insurance I was covered under my parent's policy so you can look into that. 

[luckycharm]

10 hours ago, luckycharm said:

Buy tenant's insurance.

Bring one set of dress shoes and clothes just in case

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=tenant+insurance+in+london+Ontario&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[Rearden]

A Squatty Potty.

[TheCryptozoologist]

We don't have many cities here in Canada, so if you tell us which cities we might be more helpful. I've lived in around 5 different Canadian cities in my adult life and very familiar with 3 of them and can tell you downtown Toronto is very different from anywhere else in Ontario.

[GGrievous]

Is this thread giving any other incoming 1L’s anxiety, or just me?

[DABMAN]

3 hours ago, TheCryptozoologist said:

We don't have many cities here in Canada, so if you tell us which cities we might be more helpful. I've lived in around 5 different Canadian cities in my adult life and very familiar with 3 of them and can tell you downtown Toronto is very different from anywhere else in Ontario.

London Ontario

[luckycharm]

16 hours ago, TheCryptozoologist said:

We don't have many cities here in Canada, so if you tell us which cities we might be more helpful. I've lived in around 5 different Canadian cities in my adult life and very familiar with 3 of them and can tell you downtown Toronto is very different from anywhere else in Ontario.

 

On 7/21/2021 at 6:49 PM, luckycharm said:

I think you are moving to London.

You can buy practically anything you need there.

Bring summer and winter clothes, shoes, boots, computer, printer (extra ink)

Is your place furnished?

 

[GreyDude]

On 7/21/2021 at 4:29 PM, Hegdis said:

4. Get a good cast iron pan. They aren't expensive and they last forever and they cook damn near everything.

This, but don’t buy it before you leave (those things are heavy) and make sure you learn to season it/clean it correctly. Properly maintained, a good cast iron pan will last your whole life. 
 

Also this:

On 7/22/2021 at 11:56 AM, artsydork said:

Also thoroughly recommend tenant insurance. Living through a fire in the building sucks big time (speaking from personal experience).

I also have experience with needing this. Normally, the policy will cover the deductible on your landlord’s policy, but make sure and meet any conditions they set on that.  I made a mistake in this area a few years back and ended up having to pay several thousand dollars that otherwise would have been covered. 
 

London is a great town! You’ll love it, I’m sure. 

[DABMAN]

6 minutes ago, GreyDude said:

but make sure and meet any conditions they set on that.  I made a mistake in this area a few years back and ended up having to pay several thousand dollars that otherwise would have been covered. 

 

Sorry what do you mean by meeting the conditions? What conditions are there to be met generally?

 

Thanks

[GreyDude]

1 hour ago, DABMAN said:

Sorry what do you mean by meeting the conditions? What conditions are there to be met generally?

 

Thanks

This likely applies more in ownership situations than rental, but I suspect it’s still worth noting for renters.  Also I’m not trying to raise red flags or anything. This is just a note about making sure to pay attention to the contract and any conditions (written or verbal) that might apply to it. 

In my case, I had initially reported to my insurance company that an important repair had to be made on my building, which involved my apartment. The company said that I had to let them know when it was completed, and that until then I wouldn’t be covered by the policy for anything connected to the problem that was to be fixed.  Long story short, the work was done several months later but I forgot to notify the company. A year after that, my place was partially destroyed because one aspect of this work had been done incorrectly. The building insurance paid for all expenses connected to the subsequent repairs, but I had to pay part of a deductible plus hotel and other expenses for myself because my place was unliveable until repaired. Some of my possessions also had to be replaced.

Had I notified the company about the work as I had agreed, all of these things would have been covered. However, they were not. I also was unsuccessful seeking a remedy that involved the contractor’s insurance or guarantee. Lesson learned. 

I said “conditions” generally because my situation was specific to me. But I can imagine that other situations might arise, so… if the insurance company says “you gotta do this to be covered,” and you agree to do it…well, take note and don’t forget. Insurance is the kind of thing you don’t notice until  you need it. But when you do need it, you want it to be there. 

Edited July 27, 2021 by GreyDude
Clarity and removed some personally identifying items

[luckycharm]

On 7/24/2021 at 8:21 AM, luckycharm said:

 

 

Take many pictures and videos of the place in the day you move in and let your landlord knows you did that.

This will reduce any arguments when you move out.