What are your must haves for setting up a home?

I'm not sure where she'll be living, Spice101 but she might need a dehumidifier with all the rain and floods you've had in some parts!

Callistemon21

BrightandBreezy

A small portable heater which can be taken from room to room. Nothing worse than being cold, especially if she also feels a bit lonely at first. Heating is so expensive. Great to put on in a bedroom half an hour before bed.

I'd check the unit doesn't have a split system aircon/heater unit fitted first though before spending a lot of money.

Wait and see what she finds she needs is the best policy.

Callistemon you are right, we will wait and see what is required and it will be our GD making the decision on what to buy but it is good to have an idea of things to suggest to her.

I doubt if there are any rentals here that do not have adequate heating/cooling.

BrightandBreezy

A small portable heater which can be taken from room to room. Nothing worse than being cold, especially if she also feels a bit lonely at first. Heating is so expensive. Great to put on in a bedroom half an hour before bed.

I'd check the unit doesn't have a split system aircon/heater unit fitted first though before spending a lot of money.

Wait and see what she finds she needs is the best policy.

Tin opener, scissors, sharp knife.

My son set up home on his own, last October. He bought a lot of things second-hand _

Bed (be bought a new mattress)
settee
microwave
chest of drawers
wardrobe
nest of tables
dining table and chairs

I bought him - dinner service, cutlery, kitchen utensils, glasses, mugs, iron and board, knives set, chopping boards, pans/wok set, towels, tea towels, bin/drainer/washing-up bowl set, duvet, pillows and all bedding

He bought a washing machine and fridge-freezer, both new.

Or first thing in the morning when getting dressed. Helps in getting out of bed and motivated when not wanting the main heating getting started if going straight out. Tell her to check how much it costs per unit before buying though. Some are relatively cheap to run others astronomical these days.

A small portable heater which can be taken from room to room. Nothing worse than being cold, especially if she also feels a bit lonely at first. Heating is so expensive. Great to put on in a bedroom half an hour before bed.

Exactly cornergran - it's important to make choices.
I think having helped people move into new homes from living in homeless accommodation or after abuse I saw how important it was to have some agency.

Spice101, anything you offer, please be sure you can take it back to the shop or that it can easily go to Oxfam (or wherever) without offence.
Make it clear that she doesn't need to have any of the stuff just because you have collected it for her.
I'd also be wary of student packs as she may feel she is not wanting to feel she is going "backwards".
My friend's son was keen to choose nice things in future but was happy and grateful to "make do" with things he thought essential. So, for example he took just one of a set of 4 dining chairs 🙄 that went with the table I had found "because I've been given a dining chair from a friend and won't beed more than two". He picked out only two mugs.

The other three chairs spent a week in my hallway wondering where to go BTW.

He took two nice no-stem glasses that he could use for water and "if I end up 'entertaining' he said, they will be nice for wine." ...I gave him my "best" corkscrew which made him laugh.

You will be pleased to know he is doing really well and is giving me updates about how he feels he's moving forward. 👍

My friend's son turned a lot down that I was certain he'd want.
It was important that he could do this I think as he had felt out of control for such a long time. He was setting up again after a terrible relationship and wanted nothing from that house.

He was pleased to have a bedside rug too now I think about it.

When our son divorced we all hunted cupboards to help him set up again. A family friend also gave him a whole raft of stuff she had in her loft from her days of having a home in France and also her long gone motor home. Our son was very grateful but in time wanted and was able to choose his own things to his own taste. Seemed sensible to us, we had no problem with it, however the family friend was very upset, angry really. We had to return every unwanted item to her and she still doesn’t understand the desire to have his own taste represented in his home.

If you can give your granddaughter her choice rather than providing items for her spice it’s a good idea in my view. Also if people are offering items best to quietly check what they would like to happen if the items are no longer wanted or needed. As our friend hadn’t used the items she gave (she did give, not a loan) for over 15 years and has a fully equipped home it hadn’t occurred to us she’d want items returned. A lesson all round.

Why not run through the on line shop of a well known home supplier and make a list of what you need?

A lap tray (it’s not much fun eating alone at a table),

a slow cooker for economical tasty one-pot meals that last a couple of evenings. (for a medium-sized round expect to pay about £30).

I can remember when I got married (1964). We did not have a honeymoon, just one night away, then came to our new home. Parents had brought over all wedding pressies for us - tea sets, toaster, towels, bedding etc. However, we opened a pack of biccies to have with our tea, and then realised we had nowhere to keep the open packet. Yay.......biscuit/cake tin very necessary.

pascal30

If you live near an IKEA they do complete starter sets for students setting up home. Not sure how much they are but you could check what they contain..

I was going to mention students too.
If you google what students are advised to bring, and then adapt.

NotSpaghetti everyone needs a bathmat LOL. So often it is the small things that matter the most and you don't realize you need them until you realize you don't have them.

He said he wanted only the basics so he could choose things he liked as soon as he had some spare cash. Also, he didn't want to feel this place would be permanent. He felt it was important emotionally to be a bit "light" on stuff.

I think this is very relevant too.

The more I think about this the more I am inclined to give her $'s and let her buy what she wants as she needs. I could put together a hamper of goodies but that is not sensible if the items are not going to be used.

I just helped a friend's son do this and he really didn't want lots of things that were offered to him.
The place he moved to had an oven and hob. He does cook quite well but said he really didn't feel inclined to do much "at the moment".

He said he wanted only the basics so he could choose things he liked as soon as he had some spare cash. Also, he didn't want to feel this place would be permanent. He felt it was important emotionally to be a bit "light" on stuff.

He didn't have a bed only a mattress so that was his no1 priority along with 2 lots of bedding so he didn't have to wash/dry the same day.

After that he wanted:
a table and chair(s) - so he could work from home at least some of the time
a kettle and very little in the way of crockery/cutlery/pans etc.
He already had a small fridge and said he could manage without a freezer.

He took an Anglepoise type lamp which he could use for work or reading.
He didn't want a TV as he has a computer with 2 huge screens.

He was, however, delighted to be offered a bath mat (!)

pascal30

If you live near an IKEA they do complete starter sets for students setting up home. Not sure how much they are but you could check what they contain..

Great idea. When we bought our first caravan about 25 years ago we got those. We got dinner and tea plates, cups and saucers, knives forks, spoons and teaspoons and glasses very reasonably.

Also, what about tea towels, a wooden spoon, spatula, kitchen scissors? Ikea probably sells packs of those, too.

Yes Callistemon, I think other than a few absolute essentials that may be the best way. We can also just give her some $'s to use as she needs. It's going to be a huge learning curve for her but the biggest hurdle is to find something. The rental market is crazy at the moment. Many landlords sold their properties when the mortgage rates started going up and many house owners have sold for the same reason and now not being able to pay the mortgages so it means they are also looking for rentals.

She has been shortlisted for a few but missed out but fingers crossed has now reached the next stage of referees being contacted.

It depends what's already in the unit.

You already mentioned a fridge so perhaps a small freezer too. Or fridge/freezer

There seem to be more laundrettes in Australia so perhaps a washing machine isn't essential.

It's surprising how little you can manage with and perhaps she can write a list as she goes and you can help her out when she sees what she does need.

Good luck

Good knives, essential to cooking. Scissors.

Very basic items: measuring jug, colander, kitchen scales, can opener, coffee mugs, spatula, cutlery, toilet rolls, a mirror, tv, echo dot. Sorry if any of these have been mentioned already. Hope she enjoys her new start.

I don't think she uses an iron, she can cook and enjoys cooking but any recipes she may need she can look up on the www

She will look on various internet sites for things she may need in the way of furniture and there always seem to be someone putting good things on the nature strip for anyone that might want them.

Many of the suggested items I had thought of but there have been a few that I'd not so thank you to everyone who has contributed.

In the UK, go to auction sales, furniture sells for ludicrously low prices. We recently paid £20 for a six foot pine bookcase, of the kind pinseshops sell for £300.

I suspect it might be the same down under.

Can she cook? Or should you include a simple recipe book.

Joseanne

Is she fussy about her appearance? An ironing board and iron helps.
And being very practical, bins!

Ahh that made me smile. After my daughter left home I don’t think she ever used an iron again. Well she never did actually, because I ironed all her clothes until she went to university. But maybe Spice’s granddaughter does use an iron so I definitely think ironing board and iron are necessary.
I only listed essentials in my first post so I would say some little luxuries might be nice such as bathroom products like Molten Brown or L’Occitane, or scented candles, or a lovely fluffy dressing gown to snuggle down with in the evening. The box of essential groceries is a good idea too.