Essential Checklist for Your New Apartment in China

You’ve waited patiently for your visa, submitted all your documents, made it to the airport, boarded your flight (or two or three), and finally landed in China. You’re currently recovering from jet lag, and now you’re beginning your new chapter teaching English in China!

As you start looking for apartments, you may notice that you'll need to purchase some essentials to get settled in, such as bedding, kitchen utensils, pots, crockery, household items, and more.

So, where can you go, and what do you (most likely) need?

Here’s a helpful checklist to get you started:

Bedding may include a duvet, sheet, pillows, and pillowcases. ¥50 – ¥700+

Mattress pad: You might be lucky and end up with a soft bed, but there’s also a good chance it will be quite firm. Be prepared — you may find yourself sleeping on top of your clothes until you can get hold of a mattress pad. ¥80 – ¥250+

Kitchenware: Dishes, glasses, mugs, and kitchen utensils (a spoon, fork, knife, and my favourite — the soup spoon!). ¥10 – ¥30 (each)

Pots and pans (if you enjoy cooking): You can always start with a basic saucepan for soups, boiling eggs, or heating water and liquids. ¥10 – ¥50 (each)

Towels: ¥10 – ¥100 (each)

House slippers: ¥10 – ¥130

Bathroom slippers: ¥10 – ¥100

Rubbish bins: ¥10 – ¥75

Laundry detergent: ¥30 and up

Floor sweeper and wipes: ¥10 and up

Umbrella (depending on the season): ¥10 and up

Miniso / Ximi Vogue / Daiso
These Japanese and Korean chain stores are brilliant! Many items are priced around ¥10 each. The shops are usually small, well-organised, and packed with essentials in super cute packaging. You can find everything from kitchen utensils to laundry detergent, cleaning supplies to stationery — plus underwear, water bottles, earphones, makeup, teddy bears, and more!

• minisohome.com

• ximiso.com

• daisoglobal.com/store

IKEA
If you want everything in one enormous place, head to IKEA. You’ll find all your bed, kitchen, and bathroom essentials here. Be sure to reserve at least half a day to shop — the layout is like a giant maze, and you may find yourself wandering through the bed linen section for a good half-hour!

• www.ikea.com/cn/en/

Carrefour
This megastore has all the basics. It’s a great place to stock up on toiletries, food, and snacks. Carrefour stores can be found in most major Chinese cities — and around the world.

• www.carrefour.com/content/carrefour-stores-worldwide

Your Neighbourhood Shops
Take time to explore your new neighbourhood — especially if you live in a major city. Within just a few blocks, you’ll likely find everything you need. If you’re confident enough to haggle, you can save a good amount of money by bargaining.

Online Shopping

• Taobao / Tmall: These are Chinese online marketplaces with the widest range of products and the best prices. However, since everything is in Chinese, it’s helpful to have a local friend assist you when setting up your account or making purchases.

  • www.taobao.com

  • www.tmall.com

• Baopals: If you’re willing to wait for delivery, Baopals is an excellent option. It’s a user-friendly, English-language shopping site tailored for expats in China, and many consider it just as good as Amazon. You’ll need WeChat Pay or Alipay to check out, and possibly help translate your shipping address into Chinese for the courier.

  • www.baopals.com