Uni Haul

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Reply 1

Heriot-Watt Uni

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Hey,

When I moved to uni I got my bits from lots of different places!

I got a majority of my plates/bowls/glasses etc from dunelm (they have an excellent reduced isle!) and my saucepan from tesco. My brother had just moved on from uni so I also was also luckily passed some bits down to me (cutlery, hangers, extension leads,etc). Friends, family, facebook and charity shops were also a life saver for me!

All the best,

Lucy
3rd year languages student

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Original post by Heriot-Watt Uni

Hey,
When I moved to uni I got my bits from lots of different places!
I got a majority of my plates/bowls/glasses etc from dunelm (they have an excellent reduced isle!) and my saucepan from tesco. My brother had just moved on from uni so I also was also luckily passed some bits down to me (cutlery, hangers, extension leads,etc). Friends, family, facebook and charity shops were also a life saver for me!
All the best,
Lucy
3rd year languages student

Thanks so much that’s super helpful :smile:

Reply 3

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Hi there,

I also got some of my things from Dunelm in the sale! The plates/bowls I got were really good quality so I would recommend this if you can find any at a reasonable price. I got my pans from Asda (also in the sale) which have lasted me really well and I also got other utensils such as a grater, peeler etc from Asda too which have also lasted well. I didn't end up buying anything from IKEA even though lots of people do and I think if you can find some things in the sale in other places such as Dunelm they will end up being a similar price and probably better quality.

I would recommend getting coloured cutlery/plates etc if you can ask this way they will be easily distinguishable from other peoples in halls as everyone will be moving in with the same kind of things. I got coloured cutlery from Dunelm for around £5 and I also got coloured plates/bowls etc too. You don't have to get full coloured plates if you don't want but make sure they have something on so you know they are yours. The same with glasses too- make sure you get some that have some kind of pattern on as these will get lost easily if not.

I also got things such as a clothes airer and linen basket from Asda too which come in handy so I would recommend thinking about buying these, especially because it is expensive to wash and dry clothes in halls so I just washed them and then put them on my airer to dry. There will also be clothes you don't want going in the dryer in case they shrink so it's good to just dry these on the clothes airer.

Remember to get hangers too - from memory I think I got a bulk pack of these from Tesco but it depends if you have enough in your house already! This is something that a lot of people forget but you will need these on move in day to hang all of your clothes up!

Charity shops are a good place too for bits and bobs that you might be able to get from there, or looking on Facebook marketplace if you need any bigger items (you might be able to find a clothes airer on there). Have a think what kind of meals you will be cooking and this way you will know what utensils you need - e.g. would you need a potato masher or would you never use it. This way you won't take things you will never actually use as you don't want loads of things hanging around that you never use. It's better to have less things as you can always go and buy extra bits that you need if you find you really need them!

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador :smile:

Reply 4

someonedontask

id defo say charity shops - got a set of crockery that i like worth i think those sets are 14? pounds in asda but it was 4.50 in the shop, really good quality, and this super cute set of glasses that i love and havent seen things like in the normal shops, they were only 2.50 for all of them and theyre so cute. would also say wilko but... unfortunately theyre gone now.

Reply 5

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Hi there,

I remember shopping was such an exciting time when I was preparing to go to university. When it comes to finding the best places to shop, here are my recommendations -

For furniture and kitchen utensils, IKEA was my go to place. It not only provides high quality and a wide range of options but is also affordable. When it comes to bedding and decor items for your room, I'd recommend to consider both IKEA and John Lewis. John Lewis is more expensive, but it provides fantastic quality. I bought some stylish decor pieces from John Lewis to add a personal touch to my room such as lamps, pillows, rugs and frames. Also, Amazon is definitely a very convenient option for any last-minute purchases or unique items.

I'd recommend to always keep an eye out for discounts and special offers! Many stores often offer huge discounts on university essentials.

I hope this helps!

If you have any further questions, please feel free to post your questions and I will be happy to get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you,
Akshita Gupta
(University of Southampton Student Rep)

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 6

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

wilko (or whatever it's called now) often has plenty of cheap and cheerful household items. Not super high quality or anything but good if you realise you forgot something the day after you move in!

For furniture and stuff I'd suggest just avoiding needing to be in the position of buying it and sticking to furnished or part-furnished places. If you need large furnishings I'd recommend aiming for charity shops, smaller individual items ikea may be a good option for but more expensive.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 7

Anonymous #1

Original post by hallamstudents

Hi there,
I also got some of my things from Dunelm in the sale! The plates/bowls I got were really good quality so I would recommend this if you can find any at a reasonable price. I got my pans from Asda (also in the sale) which have lasted me really well and I also got other utensils such as a grater, peeler etc from Asda too which have also lasted well. I didn't end up buying anything from IKEA even though lots of people do and I think if you can find some things in the sale in other places such as Dunelm they will end up being a similar price and probably better quality.
I would recommend getting coloured cutlery/plates etc if you can ask this way they will be easily distinguishable from other peoples in halls as everyone will be moving in with the same kind of things. I got coloured cutlery from Dunelm for around £5 and I also got coloured plates/bowls etc too. You don't have to get full coloured plates if you don't want but make sure they have something on so you know they are yours. The same with glasses too- make sure you get some that have some kind of pattern on as these will get lost easily if not.
I also got things such as a clothes airer and linen basket from Asda too which come in handy so I would recommend thinking about buying these, especially because it is expensive to wash and dry clothes in halls so I just washed them and then put them on my airer to dry. There will also be clothes you don't want going in the dryer in case they shrink so it's good to just dry these on the clothes airer.
Remember to get hangers too - from memory I think I got a bulk pack of these from Tesco but it depends if you have enough in your house already! This is something that a lot of people forget but you will need these on move in day to hang all of your clothes up!
Charity shops are a good place too for bits and bobs that you might be able to get from there, or looking on Facebook marketplace if you need any bigger items (you might be able to find a clothes airer on there). Have a think what kind of meals you will be cooking and this way you will know what utensils you need - e.g. would you need a potato masher or would you never use it. This way you won't take things you will never actually use as you don't want loads of things hanging around that you never use. It's better to have less things as you can always go and buy extra bits that you need if you find you really need them!
I hope some of this helps,
Lucy -SHU student ambassador :smile:

Thank you so much!!

Reply 8

McGinger

Supermarkets and Ikea.
Don't buy expensive stuff - it gets wrecked/disappears, and the cheaper stuff is fine.

Reply 9

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Hi Anon,

I was in the same position this time last year, so I thought I'd add my recommendations!

Personally, I got a lot of bits from The Range. This has an abundance of products, including loads of household items. I brought desk decorations, stationary, pillows, kitchen equipment and more from there. I also used TKMaxx and Tesco to grab some others bits at great prices!

Another great way to get uni items is family and friends. I brought a lot of extra items from home, like plates and cups. You may also want to bring some decorations from your current bedroom, so you can make your university accommodation feel a bit more like home. 😊

I hope this helps, feel free to ask me any questions,
-Sophia (Business and Management, First Year)

Reply 10

McGinger

Other tip - don't over-buy. Just get the basics and buy any other stuff you need when you have been there a week or two.

Reply 11

StudentRoost Rep

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Hi there,
Good question! When I started uni, I shopped at a bunch of different places - mainly Asda and Ikea. However, now I'd say places like Home Bargains and The Range would be good, especially for picking up decorative bits.

In terms of knowing what to take to uni, that can be tricky and its so easy to overpack. I'd recommend buying minimal amounts beforehand and purchasing most of what you need after you arrive - especially if you're living with others and they might've brought the same things.

-Nicky

Reply 12

Chester Student

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Hi there!

Great question. I got my things from a few different places, but my main advice would be to shop around to find the best deals!

I got a lot of my kitchen stuff from TKMaxx, which has lasted. Asda, Tesco, and any other supermarket can also be great quality at a low price. You'd want to get stuff that will work and last, but nothing too expensive just in case someone damages it! I also got a lot of items from family and friends, and a lot of it came from charity shops/Marketplace. You can find some great stuff in these places, and quite often it is still fantastic quality!

Lastly, I'd recommend not buying too much before you move in. You might not end up using it and it'll only take up the limited storage space you already have - so shop smart!

I hope this helps,

Isabella
Third-year Geography with a Year Abroad Student

Reply 13

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Hiya!

I would definitely recommend the advice already suggested, there are some really great recommendations!

Most of the items, I bought for my accommodation were from IKEA – which was great as it was the first time I had ever been, and the prices were quite reasonable. If you go and haven’t been before I would recommend seeing if you can try the Swedish Meatballs!

I also managed to get a really cheap and good quality kettle and toaster from Lidil for just £8 each! This was an absolute bargain as they were meant to be £30 each but they had a massive overstock for them and were trying to get rid of them as they had ordered too many. It was a very lucky find.

Other bits and bobs were just from what was already in my bedroom that were pre-owned, so for example I had a craft trolley from Hobbycraft that I use to keep toiletries and beauty products on and this is such a good space saver in my accommodation.

I would also recommend having a look at what your accommodation comes with because you don’t want to buy something that already comes with your flat. For example, my friend brought a kitchen bin when she first moved in and didn’t realise our Studio Flats already came with one.

Also I would recommend watching Tik Toks, or Youtube videos or even asking Students (like you are doing on here) what they recommend for you to bring to university and where they bought purchases from. I watched so many university haul videos and decorating accommodation videos before I moved to university – just to get some inspiration

I hope this helps

-Maddie, second year Health and Well-being in Society student at De Montfort University

Reply 14

Kingston Reps

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone has recs for the best places to shop for uni stuff eg ikea, Asda, etc. any suggestions appreciated :smile:

)

Hi,

I recently did a post about the best places to shop for uni I will leave the link here The best places to shop for moving to uni (cheaply) - The Student Room

There is also second hand options on the list that are a great cheap option.

I hope this helps and good luck moving into uni :smile:

-Grace (Kingston Rep)