Getting the keys to a new flat feels like a finish line. It isn’t. On handover day most Hyderabad flats have bare windows, no wardrobes and a granite kitchen platform with nothing under it, and the first week usually goes into lists spread over three WhatsApp chats. This checklist puts it all in one place, sorted by what you need before you sleep there and what can wait. If you’d rather hand the whole list to one team, that’s what our new home furnishing service does, from the first measurement to the last curtain hook. For the order of work from possession letter to gruhapravesam, see our new home furnishing guide for Hyderabad.
What do you need before moving into a new flat?
These are the must-haves. Everything else can come later.
- Curtains or blinds in every bedroom and on any window that faces another tower.
- Mosquito mesh on windows and balcony doors you plan to open.
- Anti-termite treatment before any wardrobe or kitchen cabinet is fixed, because nobody can treat behind them once they’re in. Ask the builder what was done during construction (the BIS code for this is IS 6313).
- Wardrobes, or at least temporary clothes storage.
- Kitchen cabinets under and over the granite platform, with a chimney point.
- Balcony safety: grills or invisible grills if you have children or pets.
- Lights and fans in every room, plus any extra sockets.
- Bed, mattress and dining chairs.
The order matters as much as the list. Wardrobes and kitchens take the longest to make, so they get ordered first, while curtains and mesh are fitted last.
The room-by-room checklist
| Room | Before move-in | Can wait |
|---|---|---|
| Living and dining | Sheer plus blackout or dimout curtains, mesh on sliding door, lights, dining table and chairs | Sofa, rug, TV wall panel, wallpaper |
| Master bedroom | Blackout curtains or blinds, wardrobe with loft, bed, fan | Headboard, dresser, accent wall |
| Other bedrooms | Curtains or blinds, wardrobe, bed | Study table, bookshelves |
| Kitchen and utility | Base and wall cabinets, chimney, mesh on window | Tall pantry unit, appliance garage |
| Bathrooms | Mirror, towel rods, frosted film or blind if overlooked | Vanity upgrade |
| Balconies | Grills or invisible grills, mesh door | Balcony blinds, artificial grass, seating |
| Pooja corner | A clean shelf or unit and a light point | Panelled back wall, brass fittings |
Living and dining
The living room in most new towers ends in a full-height sliding door. That door needs two layers: a sheer for daytime privacy and light, and a blackout or dimout curtain for evenings and the west sun. Leave the sofa decision until those curtains are chosen, because fabric colour sets the tone for the room.
Decide early whether the curtain track goes on the wall or the ceiling. A ceiling track running edge to edge makes a standard 10-foot room look taller, but if you’re planning a false ceiling, the track needs wooden backing inside it. Tell your ceiling contractor before the boards go up, not after.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms need blackout before anything decorative. From mid-April to late August the sun is up before six in Hyderabad, and an east-facing bedroom will wake you earlier than you’d like. Made-to-measure wardrobes with a loft use the full wall height, which matters when builders leave 10-foot ceilings and odd-width walls.
Kitchen and utility
Builders hand over the granite slab and sink. Everything below and above it is yours to plan. Check where the water purifier, chimney and microwave points sit before the kitchen design is final, because moving a point after tiling is messy.
Bathrooms
Small items, easy to forget. A mirror, towel rods, a hook behind the door and a shelf near the washbasin are the minimum. If a bathroom window looks into the next tower’s corridor or a neighbour’s balcony, a PVC or aluminium blind handles steam far better than a fabric curtain, which can go mouldy within a single monsoon.
Pooja corner
Many new flats come with a designated pooja space, sometimes just an alcove near the kitchen. Before move-in you need a clean shelf or unit and a light point; panelled back walls, brass bells and doors can follow later. If the pooja unit sits on a wall shared with a bathroom, ask for a waterproof backing on the carpentry.
Balconies
If you have small children, balcony safety comes before balcony décor. Invisible grills keep the view open while closing the gap above the railing. Ask your association first, since many communities control anything that changes the facade.
If you bought a villa
Villas add three things to this list. Staircase and double-height windows, which need long drops and often a motor or a long wand to operate. Terraces and sit-outs, where outdoor blinds and artificial grass are more useful than indoor curtains. And more floors, which means more mesh, more fans and a lot more measuring, so allow an extra week in your plan for the same scope.
What to measure on handover day
Measure while the flat is empty. It will never be easier.
- Every window and sliding door: width, height, and the gap between frame and ceiling and side walls.
- Ceiling height in each room, and where a false ceiling might drop it.
- Each bedroom wall where a wardrobe could go, including skirting and switchboard positions.
- Kitchen run lengths, and positions of the sink, gas point and electrical points.
- Balcony width and railing height.
- Lift door and car size, so you know what furniture will fit.
Write each measurement on a photo of that wall or window, not in a notebook. Weeks later, when a carpenter asks whether the switchboard is left or right of the wardrobe wall, a labelled photo answers it in seconds and saves a trip back to site.
Our flat handover checklist pairs these measurements with the snag inspection, so you only need one visit.
Which things can wait until after you move in?
More than people think. A sofa bought before anyone has lived in the room is a regret we hear about often, usually because it turns out too deep for a living room that also has to fit a dining table. Rugs, artwork, decorative lights, wallpaper and wall panels all look better chosen once you know how the light moves through the flat across a day.
The exception is anything that needs wiring or drilling. Motorised curtains, cove lighting and a TV wall need their power points planned before painting, even if you install them a year later.
Hyderabad-specific items people forget
- West-facing rooms. Afternoon sun through glass makes these rooms uncomfortable in April and May. Plan a heavier lining or a blind behind the curtain.
- Construction dust. Your tower will be noisy and dusty for months while neighbours fit out. Mesh won’t stop fine cement dust, so keep windows shut on the worst days and make your first set of curtains light ones that wash easily.
- The first monsoon. Watch for damp near window frames and on walls shared with bathrooms before fixing wardrobes or wallpaper there.
- Association approvals. Grills, external blinds and mesh frames may need sign-off from the facility office.
- AC cut-outs and curtains. Keep curtain tracks clear of the split AC so the fabric doesn’t block airflow.
How to phase the spending without regret
Spend first on things that are hard to change later: wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, false ceiling and wiring. Spend second on things you touch every day: curtains, mesh and a good mattress. Spend last on things that are easy to swap: cushions, rugs and décor.
If you’re furnishing a larger flat, our guide on how to furnish a new 3BHK apartment goes room by room with layout tips. And if your gruhapravesam date is already fixed, work backwards from it with our week-by-week furnishing timeline.
Want the whole checklist handled in one visit? Baaft Decor measures your new flat or villa free on handover day, brings samples, and gives you a written plan and quote. Call or WhatsApp +91 98499 17494, 8 AM to 10 PM, all 7 days.
Frequently asked questions
What are the first things to buy for a new home in Hyderabad?
The first things to buy for a new home are the items you cannot live comfortably without: curtains or blinds for bedrooms and any window facing another tower, mosquito mesh on windows and balcony doors, wardrobes or at least clothes storage, kitchen cabinets, lights and fans, and a bed and mattress. Balcony safety grills come first if you have small children. A sofa, rugs, wallpaper and décor can follow once you have lived in the space for a few weeks.
Should I buy curtains before or after moving into a new flat?
Order curtains before moving into a new flat, but have them installed after painting and carpentry are finished. Bedrooms without curtains are hard to sleep in, and most new towers look straight into other towers, so privacy is an issue from the first night. Measure on handover day, choose fabrics in weeks 2 to 4 after possession, and let them be stitched while carpentry is going on. Fitting them last keeps the fabric free of sawdust and paint.
Do I need mosquito mesh in a high-rise flat?
Yes, most families in Hyderabad high-rises still fit mosquito mesh. Mosquitoes are fewer on upper floors but they do reach them through lifts, stairwells and open balcony doors, especially after the monsoon. Mesh also keeps out pigeons, insects and larger debris such as leaves, though fine cement dust from neighbouring towers still passes through. For large sliding doors, pleated or sliding mesh works best; for openable windows, a fixed frame or roller mesh is common. Check your association rules on frame colour if the mesh is visible from outside.
How much time should I keep between flat handover and moving in?
Keep about six to eight weeks between flat handover and moving in if you plan wardrobes, a modular kitchen and window coverings. Essentials-only furnishing, such as curtains, blinds and mesh, can be done in two to three weeks. Add time for a false ceiling, flooring changes or wall panelling. Association work-hour limits and lift booking slots also slow things down in busy towers where many owners are fitting out at once.
Should I get wardrobes made to measure or buy readymade ones?
For a new Hyderabad flat, made-to-measure wardrobes usually make better use of space than readymade ones. Builders leave bedroom walls of different widths and ceiling heights, and a custom wardrobe can run floor to ceiling with a loft, so nothing collects dust on top. Readymade units suit tenants or anyone expecting to move within a few years. Whichever you choose, avoid placing wardrobes on walls shared with bathrooms, where seepage can damage the board.
What should I not buy before moving into a new home?
Hold off on large sofas, rugs, artwork, decorative lighting and extra furniture until you have lived in the new home for a few weeks. You will learn where the sun falls, how the family uses each room and where the TV actually works best. Buying a sofa before the living room's curtains and false ceiling are final often leads to the wrong size or colour. The exceptions are a bed, mattress and dining chairs, which you need from day one.
Can I furnish a new home in phases?
Yes, furnishing a new home in phases is common and sensible. Phase one covers what you need to live safely and privately: window coverings, mesh, grills, wardrobes, kitchen, lights. Phase two, in the first few months, adds the sofa, rugs and feature walls. Phase three is décor and upgrades such as motorised blinds. Plan wiring for later phases now, for example a power point above windows you may motorise, so you avoid chasing walls after painting.
