When you’re starting out in your first place away from home it can be overwhelming – you never realized how much stuff you can’t live without or how much stuff you still need.  The best way to tackle the project is to create a list for each room in your new place and work down the list to decide how and when you will acquire the necessary items.

The bedroom is a good place to begin because sleeping isn’t something you can put off to tackle at a later date. Get your bedding in order, whether it is temporary bedding such as an inflatable bed or futon or something more permanent. Even if you planned on tossing an old purple comforter and a pillow on the sofa to sleep you may wish to reconsider – getting a good night’s rest in a new place is important and will help in making the adjustment positive.

Invest in a good box spring and mattress and then protect it – there are all sorts of mattress toppers and enhancers which will not only preserve mattress life but offer up a better sleeping environment. Most mattress toppers are made of foam which helps to relieve pressure points and distribute weight more evenly; a mattress topper can also alleviate motion transfer so tossing and turning does not affect your sleeping partner.

A good quality set of sheets will pay for itself. Look for woven sheets with a thread count of over 300 for the softest and most durable sheets. Sheets are typically sold as sheets sets which include a fitted bottom sheet, a flat top sheet and two pillow cases.