College Dorm Furniture

College Dorms rooms are small. So you need to consider size as a number one priority on any college dorm furniture you choose. Many vendors design and sell small footprint furniture designed for small spaces.

The first thing you need to know is how much space you have for any furniture. The layout of the room, what items are already in place, and what you will to add. Many college dorm rooms have a bed, some type of study desk, and built in bookcases and/or storage shelves.

In a perfect world you would be able to go take a look at the actual dorm room or one that matches the room you will be using. Second best is photos and a good description of open space. Space will be critical since most college dorm rooms are small and layouts can be unique.

Once you know the space available, and any missing items you will need to provide, it time to make a short list and budget. It's also a good idea to check and see what is available with local retail or wholesale companies. Many college towns are not large cities and you may or may not have any good choices close.

One good solution if no stores with your needs are available locally is vendors who sell the products you need in kits that you assemble. You can even find special deals on College Dorm Furniture from some national companies that will deliver to your dorm. If you go with one of the popular brands that come ready to assemble, make sure you have the necessary tools on hand.

The Basic List of Furniture: OK, we'll make the list by necessity.

Bed and mattress. Many dorm rooms come with a basic single bed and mattress but check to make sure.
Study desk or table of some kind is the next item. These too are often built in or provided.
Some type of chest of drawers to store your clothes that don't hang. These are also often built in or provided.
A sturdy bookshelf (yes, you will have books) that has at least three shelves and can hold enough weight (most are rated by the amount of pounds they are designed to work with). Don't forget to add in the weight you will place on the top of the unit.
If you have the space, a small refrigerator would help defray food expenses since you can buy food at a grocery store and save on eating out.
Another wall storage unit that can hold a microwave, coffee pot, or hot plate if allowed (many dorms do not allow anything that can start a fire).

If have any special needs, then add them to this short list.

Budget: So what kind of budget are you going to need for these basic college dorm furniture must haves? Well, we've scoured the marketplace to give you a starting figure. We didn't always take the lowest price due to quality concerns and we didn't use any temporary sale prices. Some of these items might already be present so make sure when you are planning your budget to skip any items that you don't need.

Bed and Mattress - Low end single bed - $50 / Basic Single Mattress - $99
You could also get a daybed that swaps for couch or bed, get beds with drawers
underneath, get a soft pillow mattress pad, etc.
Study Desk - Simple desk with drawer $130 / Chair - $50
Don't skimp on the chair, you will be spending a lot of time in it!
Chest of Drawers - Basic 3 Drawer $55
3 Shelf Bookcase - 36" by 36" Model $50
Don't forget about the weight factor - books are heavy
Storage Unit - 26" by 22" top surface $48
Weight matters for this item too

Miscellaneous Items: (you could put these under college dorm furniture)

Small Refrigerator - Very Basic $69
Microwave - Compact Unit $70
Get a 1000 watt unit - it does better with popcorn and baked potatoes
Coffee Maker - Basic 4 Cup with timer $20

So you can get the whole list above for under $650. Get a little fancy on a few of the items (like the daybed idea) and still call it under $1000. Not bad, but don't forget you still need some accessories like sheets, pillows, desk lamps, bath items, etc. Depending on any special needs, you may want to ad some items but these are the basics.

Cheap Seats: If you can plan ahead (know all the space sizes and layout early), watch local papers for students who are graduating or leaving that want to sell their dorm furniture. Also pay attention to any sales that come up from online or local stores for the items you need. Hey, you can even go to garage sales and pick up some pretty good items on the cheap.

Real Cheap Seats: When I started college I had just got out of the military and to say I had a limited budget is being gracious. I literally moved into my dorm room with my gear I was able to keep from the Army. I owned nothing but a 8 year old car, and the stuff I could fit into my duffel bag. Before the end of my first semester I had managed to scrounge, trade for, or buy everything I needed. So if your starting budget is $0, get creative and don't worry about the small stuff.

It's great if you have the money to get all the basic college dorm furniture you need right off the get go but if not, a sleeping bag and basic hygiene supplies will do in a pinch. Even though I had very little to start with, I had the time of my life and even managed to graduate.

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