What to pack for a London studio

Purpose-built student studios arrive furnished, which means the bed, the desk, the wardrobe and the kitchen units are all there before you are. What is not there is everything that makes the room usable, and the list is shorter than most packing guides suggest. Space is the real constraint: a studio rewards buying few things well over many things cheaply.

The kitchen

A studio kitchen is compact by design. One good pan, a chopping board and a sharp knife will cover almost everything; a second set of everything will only take up the cupboard you needed for food.

Add a colander, a wooden spoon, a couple of storage containers and enough crockery for two — the second set is for when somebody visits, not for putting off the washing up. Most buildings supply a kettle, a toaster and a microwave, so check before buying any of them.

If you are flying in, buy the heavy and bulky things after you arrive rather than paying to bring them. Pans, bedding and hangers are cheap in any London high street and expensive in checked baggage.

The desk

A separate monitor or a laptop stand is the single change most likely to make long writing days bearable in a room that is also where you sleep.

A decent desk lamp matters more than it sounds in a city where it is dark by four in December, and a pair of over-ear headphones does more for concentration than any productivity system.

The rest

An extension lead, a door wedge for moving-in day, and enough bedding for the first night before the delivery arrives.

A drying rack is worth its space — studio laundry facilities are usually shared and usually busy, and the alternative is draping things over a radiator. A small toolkit, a first aid kit and a few command hooks cover most of the rest.

What to leave behind

Printers, large kitchen appliances and anything you own more than one of. Printing is cheaper and easier on campus, appliances take the counter space you cook on, and the second coat will spend the year in the wardrobe.

Candles and anything with an open flame are banned in almost every purpose-built building, and the fire alarms are sensitive enough that a scented one will find that out for you at three in the morning.