The honest guide to setting up a student flat in the UK

Setting up a flat from scratch is one of those things that sounds manageable until you are standing in an empty room at 8pm with a suitcase and no idea where to start. This is the guide I wish someone had given me.

What landlords actually provide

In the UK, furnished flats usually come with a bed frame, mattress, wardrobe, sofa, and a basic kitchen (oven, hob, fridge). Some include a washing machine. That is roughly it. Bedding, towels, kitchen equipment, and any soft furnishings are almost always on you.

Student halls are different — they typically provide bedding and basic kitchen items, but check your contract before you assume anything.

The order to buy things in

This matters more than it seems. Buy things in the wrong order and you will spend the first week sleeping badly and eating cold food, then spend the second week buying things you already have duplicates of.

Start with sleep. A mattress topper, duvet, pillow, and two sets of bedding. Get two sets so you always have a clean one. This is the single thing that will make your flat feel like home fastest.

Then kitchen essentials. Kettle first — you will use it constantly. Then one good frying pan, one saucepan, a sharp knife, and a chopping board. You can cook almost anything with these four things. Resist the urge to buy a full knife block and a set of twelve saucepans. You will not use them.

Then the small things that make daily life work: a power strip, bath mat, shower curtain if needed, and a basic cleaning kit. A decent desk lamp if you are studying.

Where to buy

Amazon for most things — fast delivery, easy returns. IKEA for anything large or anything where you want to see it before you buy. Dunelm for bedding and soft furnishings — better quality than Amazon at similar prices. Argos for small appliances.

The short version

• Week one: bedding, kettle, basic kitchen kit
• Week two: power strip, lamp, cleaning supplies, bath mat
• Week three onwards: fill in the gaps based on what you actually miss
• Do not bulk-buy. Your flat and your habits will tell you what you need.