Home School: A Complete Guide to Making Your First Home Your Own

When I moved into my first apartment with my partner earlier this summer, I didn't know what I was getting into. From apartment hunting to decorating our new home, every stage of the process was an adventure. My partner had moved plenty of times before and was prepared to lead the way, but I wanted to be as involved as I possibly could.

It was definitely a learning process: from asking our broker to amend language in our lease, to rushing to buy furniture that we weren't quite in love with so we had somewhere to sit, to doing our first deep cleaning after we moved all of our boxes in. And believe me, there were plenty of headaches along the way.

I was fortunate enough to have learned from some of the mistakes of others (thank you, TikTok), so we've rounded up some key things to keep in mind for your journey to your first home, whether it's a shared apartment or your very own house.

But first, our editors share their tips that made their first apartments feel more like home.

7 Editors on How They Made Their First Apartments Feel Like Home

I knew that I’d be moving out of my mom’s home about seven months before the move actually came around. At the beginning of the year, I hit the ground running and caught as many post-Christmas deals as possible on essentials I knew I'd need, like bedding and kitchen essentials. 

My mom provided most of the comforts of my childhood home of 24 years, so I thought everything I had there was important for my new place. But it became painfully obvious very quickly that many things that felt like "needs" for me were actually "wants."

Furnishing and decorating your new place can be costly, especially if you’re moving out of your parents’ home and are essentially starting from scratch. Planning ahead can save you lots of money in the long run, so we’ve made the planning simple for you. Between shopping at the right time of year to catch the best deals, or even finding your secret go-to place for unique decor, we've got you covered.

Getting into your house or apartment is just the first step—making it feel like a home is much harder. Even from our first deep clean on move-in day, I knew our apartment would be somewhere my partner and I had to split 50/50 in all aspects. From cleaning, to designing, to even speaking with our landlord—everything needed to be divided.

I already had a sense of my own design style, but my partner was discovering his style while we were actively shopping for our space. So, inevitably, we had to make a couple compromises to create a space that felt uniquely like us rather than just like me or him.

Going from a space where you shared the upkeep of your home to living on your own can be very overwhelming. Tasks that were once split in half (or even thirds or fourths) are now solely up to you—and cleaning is one of them. 

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “where did all this dust come from,” you’re not alone. We’ve created a guide that breaks down cleaning by room, highlighting the most important parts to prioritize while keeping your space tidy. And it's actually easy to follow, we promise.

Moving into your first home and making it a place that reflects your unique personality can feel stressful, but it doesn't have to be. Getting started early, coming up with a solid plan of attack for once you move in, and staying on top of things can make all the difference—and make the fun part actually feel fun!