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So you’ve just bought a brand new home, or are at least thinking pretty seriously about it. Most people, when buying a new place, are either moving from a rental situation or selling an older, smaller home and moving up to something better. That said, the one thing you can be sure of about a brand new home is that you have to bring everything with you. There will not be a stick of furniture, an abandoned curtain rod or a secret stash of left-behind sponges. For this reason, it’s important not just to move your current things in, but to make a shopping list of things you’ll need to fully furnish the home.

However, while you’re making plans for decorative curtains and throw rugs, extra furniture for your spacious additional rooms, and new appliances, there are also a few things that new homeowners almost universally forget about and wind up heading back out to the store for the next day. To help you along your move-in journey, here’s a quick list of things you don’t want to forget, but probably will.

1) Trashcans

You never realize how many trash cans you need until you find yourself wandering around the house looking for one. Trashcans are a matter of convenience and, ideally, there will be at least a small one in every room in the house. Bigger rooms or multi-purpose rooms might even have more than one at opposite ends. Count the rooms in your home to make sure you have at least one for every room. Don’t forget to measure the trashcan space in the bathrooms, as this tends to be tight.

2) Toilet Paper

When a house is open for tours, often the real estate agent will courteously stock the bathroom with a single roll of toilet paper. DO NOT let this lure you into a false sense of TP security. We advise one jumbo back distributed around the house to prevent stranding incidences.

3) Plunger and Toilet Brush

Along the same lines, if your toilet clogs in those first few hectic days of unpacking, be sure to be prepared with a plunger and toilet brush. Many new homeowners will bring one with them from their previous location but, on the other hand, most homes have more than one bathroom. Keep this in mind.

4) Bath Rugs and Shower Curtain

People almost never remember to pack and take along their shower curtain and, for this reason, many rental and used homes already have one. However, with a brand new home, you’re on your own. You’re going to want a shower that first night and not to fill the bathroom with water which means you’ll want both a shower curtain and a nice fluffy bathmat for every shower in the house.

5) Light Bulbs

Even if there are light bulbs in place when you move in from the house being shown during selling, they may not be the kind you like and not all sockets will have a bulb. Buy a big pack of energy-efficient LEDs and snag one every time you notice an incandescent bulb or empty socket.

6) Cleaning Supplies

Did you bring your broom, mop, vacuum and bucket? How about your all-purpose cleaner and sponges? Messes have a way of making themselves, especially when you’re not fully unpacked. Don’t get caught out with a big mess and only nice bath towels to clean up with. Be sure to stock up on your go-to cleaning supplies.

7) Welcome Mat

The last thing you want to do to your new home is walk on those brand new floor with muddy feet. Since you can’t control whether or not it rains, it’s best to have a welcome mat in place. This is yet another item that’s all too easy to forget when you’re packing up to move out of your previous residence. You may even want to pick up something special to celebrate a house that is all yours.

8) Batteries

Especially if you have treated yourself to a few new appliances and gadgets to deck out your new house with, having a pack of AAA, AA and C and D batteries can make a huge difference between delighting in your new stuff and having to wait until morning and a trip to the store to see what it does.

9) Drain Screens

Want to keep your brand new pipes in tip-top condition? Drain screens, little wire mesh circles you can set over a shower or sink drain, will catch everything from hair to food bits and keep your drains from clogging. While you probably didn’t have these before to forget them, they’re a great addition to your new-home kit.

10) Furniture Foot Pads

Finally, whether you have plush new carpets, sleek hardwood floors or both, you’ll want to make sure your furniture doesn’t do damage. For carpet, you’ll want soft smooth feet that slide well and don’t catch. For wood, tile and stone, you’ll want sticky felt pads except where you want rubber no-slip feet. Be sure to get enough for all your furniture so your floors stay as nice in a year as they are today.

Whew! That’s a lot of little stuff to forget. Make sure your new home packing and shopping list is complete before the first night because once you start unpacking boxes, you won’t want to spend any extra energy on forgotten details.

Are you looking for a new home in Orange County, Long Beach or the Los Angeles metro area? Brandywine Homes is currently selling 167 estate homes and townhomes and is planning on opening three new communities this year offering a combined total of 90 single-family homes and townhomes. If you would like more information, sign up for our interest list here.