4 Mistakes To Avoid When Decorating Your First Apartment

Moving into an apartment for the first time is often an exciting time in a person's life. Once you've finally moved into your first apartment, unpacked all your boxes, taken care of utilities, and gotten settled, you may look around to discover that the place feels somewhat empty. This is entirely normal — after all, most people move into their first apartment with nothing more than essential furniture and hand-me-downs. Now comes the fun part — decorating!

Decorating your first place, while exciting, can also be daunting. In order to help simplify the decorating process for first-time apartment residents, we've compiled a list of common mistakes people make when decorating their first apartment.

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Shopping Before Measuring

Always be sure to measure all the spaces in the apartment and keep those measurements handy when visiting furniture stores. Don't just halfheartedly measure things once, either. Carefully measure spaces at least twice to ensure that you've gotten an accurate measurement. Additionally, measuring the apartment's entryway can help avoid the heartache of trying to bring home furniture you won't be able to fit through the door.

Buying Everything At Once

Understandably, most people want to fill up their apartment as quickly as possible, but by going out and buying everything immediately, you could be making a big mistake. Sure, if you need a couch, go out and buy a couch. However, don't buy a coffee table, side chairs, lamps, TV stand, and so on all at once. Not only could buying everything at once result in a room feeling overcrowded, but it could also end up being a waste of money! Rather than buying furniture impulsively — be patient. Odds are you'll find things you like better for cheaper down the line.

Only Purchasing Cheap Items

While it is important to have a budget and ardently stick to it, you shouldn't exclusively buy cheap and used furniture. When it comes to essential pieces of furniture that see regular use, it's important to consider the quality of a piece as well as its price tag. For example, when shopping for a couch or bed, investing in a new piece that will last a long time, rather than a used one that could break in a year, will end up saving you money in the long run.

Decorating For Others

It's crucial to remember that your apartment is the place where you're going to spend the majority of your time. Accordingly, it's important to focus your efforts on transforming it into a space where you will feel content, comfortable, and, most importantly — at home. Feel free to get creative, express yourself, and listen to your heart when decorating. Don't worry about being unconventional or adhering to current trends. Just focus on turning your apartment into a space you look forward to coming home to at the end of the day.