“Where’s the toilet paper?” Packing a condo essentials bag

The simple bag that saves your first night in your new high-rise unit.

The first night after a condo move is always the same: your elevator booking has expired, you’re exhausted, and the one thing you need right now is buried in a box labeled “misc.”.

That’s why the essentials bag is magic. For high-rise living, we recommend using a backpack or small rolling suitcase instead of a box. It stays with you — not on the moving truck — so you don't have to navigate down to P4 just to find your toothbrush.

What to put in your essentials bag

Aim for “24 hours of survival + comfort” to get you through the first night.

Building Access & Logistics

• All unit keys, fobs, and garage door openers
• Elevator booking receipt / deposit confirmation
• Printed copy of your movers' Certificate of Insurance (COI) for the concierge
• Heavy-duty doorstop (condo fire doors close automatically and will slow you down)

Bathroom

• Toilet paper (yes, more than one roll)
• Shower curtain + hooks (new condos often lack glass doors on secondary baths)
• Hand soap + hand towel
• Shampoo/conditioner/body wash
• Toothbrushes + toothpaste
• Any daily meds + pain reliever

Kitchen / Quick Food

• 2–4 water bottles per person (before you have time to unpack glasses)
• Snacks (protein bars, fruit, crackers)
• Coffee/tea + mugs
• Paper towels + disinfecting wipes
• Garbage bags (ensure some are small enough to fit down the condo garbage chute!)

Bedrooms

• Sheets + pillowcases
• Pillows
• Light blanket/duvet
• Change of clothes for 1–2 days

Tools + Setup

• Phone chargers + power bank (in case you spend time waiting in the lobby)
• Extension cord/power bar (condo outlets are often in inconvenient spots)
• Scissors/box cutter
• Basic toolkit (especially Allen keys for reassembling your bed frame)
• Flashlight