What to buy first, and what can wait

Furnishing a first apartment on a real budget

A first apartment needs four things on day one: a bed you will actually sleep on, one sofa, a table with two chairs, and somewhere to put clothes. Everything else can wait for the second paycheck. This page is the order to buy in, where the Kensington Outlet saves you the most, what our financing means when you have no credit history yet, and how our own crew gets a sofa up a third-floor walk-up.

Loveseat with chaise for a first apartment, Kensington Furniture

Kensington Furniture is a family-owned store in Northfield, New Jersey, since 1912, with the Kensington Outlet, doorbusters and in-stock Ashley furniture on one two-acre floor. Call 609-241-0807.

Call 609-241-0807 Have a consultant call me

Buy in this order

Week one, month one, and later. Spend on the things you touch for hours; save on the things you look at.

Week one: the mattress and a frame

The one place not to cutYou will spend a third of your life on it and you cannot borrow one. A queen mattress and a simple platform frame or an adjustable base; skip the headboard for now. Take the free 7-minute pressure test so the first mattress you own is the right firmness, and the 120-night sleep guarantee covers the choice.

Week one: one sofa that does two jobs

A loveseat with chaise, or a sleeperA loveseat with a chaise seats you and a guest and gives you somewhere to put your feet; a queen sleeper is the guest room you do not have. Performance fabric if there is a pet; the Outlet if there is a puppy. Measure the stairwell before you fall in love with anything.

Month one: a table, two chairs, a dresser

Counter-height sets take less roomA small counter-height table with two stools works as desk, dining table and bar. A dresser or a chest matters more than a nightstand; clothes on the floor is how apartments get small. Both are Outlet candidates.

Later: the second chair, the rug, the TV stand

Doorbusters and the OutletThese are the pieces that go on sale constantly. Watch the doorbusters and the Outlet for them, and buy the rug big enough for the front legs of the sofa to sit on it, which is the one rule that makes a small room look finished.

Financing with no credit history

Kensington's financing is the Synchrony HOME credit card: 36 equal monthly payments on furniture with $0 down and 0% interest, no minimum purchase, subject to credit approval. Prequalifying is a soft check that does not affect your credit score, so finding out costs nothing. Mattress purchases of $999 or more qualify for up to 60 months.

New, Outlet or doorbuster, for each piece

Where each part of a first apartment is best bought.

Buy newKensington Outlet (as-is, final sale)Doorbuster (new, limited quantity)
MattressYes: the guarantee and the test come with itOnly floor-sample mattresses, rarelyYes when there is one; check the size
SofaIf it must last a decadeYes, especially with a pet or a first-floor-walk-up riskYes: sofas are the most common doorbuster
Table and chairsOptionalYesSometimes
Dresser, nightstand, TV standOptionalBest value hereSometimes
ReturnsStandard policyNone: as-is means as-isStandard policy
DeliveryPickup or fast delivery for in-stock piecesSameSame

Outlet stock changes daily; the doorbuster collection shows what is running now.

Walk-ups, elevators and the stairwell turn

Measure three things

The narrowest doorway on the route, the width of the stairwell at its tightest turn, and the elevator door if there is one. Compare with the depth and height on the product page; most sofas go through on their side. The delivery guide has the checklist.

Then let the crew do it

Our own crews carry it up, set it in the room and take the packaging away; tell us the floor and the building's rules when you schedule. Removal of an old piece is available for a charge if you arrange it in advance. Pickup is free if you have a friend with a truck.

$0 DOWN, 0% INTEREST FINANCING

36 equal monthly payments on furniture, no minimum purchase. Mattress purchases of $999 or more: up to 60 months. Kensington Furniture Synchrony HOME™ Credit Card, subject to credit approval.

See if you prequalify

Tell us the budget and the building. A consultant calls you.

Rough budget, move-in date, which floor and whether there is an elevator. A Kensington consultant calls back with a week-one list that fits, checks the stairwell, and books your pressure test for the mattress.

Or call 609-241-0807, Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm, Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.

What is it for?

A Kensington consultant calls back the same or next business day. No spam, no list.

Delivery, financing and the floor

Delivery and pickup

We deliver throughout South Jersey: Atlantic City, Ocean City, Cape May, Somers Point, Linwood, Margate, Ventnor, Galloway, Mays Landing and the Shore towns between. In-stock pieces are available for pickup or fast delivery.

Delivery is white-glove: our crew brings the piece in, sets it up in the room and takes the packaging away. Removal of old furniture or a mattress is available for a charge and has to be arranged when you schedule the delivery.

Prequalify without a hard check

See if you prequalify for the Kensington Synchrony HOME credit card on the financing page: a soft check that does not affect your credit score. Furniture is 36 equal monthly payments with $0 down and 0% interest, no minimum purchase, subject to credit approval. Then buy the mattress first.

Come see it at 200 Tilton Road

Kensington Furniture & Mattress, 200 Tilton Road, Northfield, NJ 08225. Exit 36 off the Garden State Parkway. Phone 609-241-0807.

  • Monday to Saturday10 am to 7 pm
  • Sunday11 am to 5 pm

Get directions

First apartment, the questions we get

What furniture should I buy first for an apartment?
In order: a mattress and a simple frame, one sofa that does two jobs (a loveseat with chaise or a sleeper), a small table with two chairs, and a dresser. Rug, second chair, TV stand and nightstands can wait for doorbusters and the Outlet.
Can I get furniture financing with no credit history?
You can apply. Kensington's financing is the Synchrony HOME credit card, subject to credit approval; prequalifying is a soft check that does not affect your score, so finding out costs nothing. Approved furniture purchases are 36 equal monthly payments with $0 down and 0% interest, no minimum.
Is the Kensington Outlet a good place for a first apartment?
For the case goods, yes: dressers, nightstands, TV stands, dining sets and sofas come through as floor samples and as-is pieces at reduced prices, sold final. Buy the mattress new so the sleep guarantee applies.
What is a doorbuster?
A new piece, usually a sofa, sectional or bedroom set, at a limited-quantity price while stock lasts. The doorbuster collection shows what is running now; when it is gone it is gone, so if the size fits, decide that day.
How do I get a sofa into a third-floor walk-up?
Measure the narrowest doorway, the tightest stairwell turn and any elevator, and compare with the sofa's depth and height; most go through on their side. Tell us the floor when you schedule and our own crew carries it up and sets it in the room. Two-piece sectionals and loveseats are the easiest.
Do I need a box spring?
Not with most modern mattresses: a platform frame with close slats or an adjustable base is enough and takes up less room. Ask when you buy the mattress; the maker's warranty says what base it needs.
Should I buy a bed frame or an adjustable base?
A simple platform frame is the budget answer and fine for most people. An adjustable base costs more but raises the head for reading and TV in a studio where the bed is also the sofa; try both on the mattress floor.
What sofa is best for a small apartment?
A loveseat with chaise for one or two people, a queen sleeper if guests are likely, a two-piece sectional if the room has a corner. Performance fabric with a pet, the Outlet with a puppy. Our small-living-room guide has the layout rules.
Where is the store and can I pick up?
Kensington Furniture is at 200 Tilton Road, Northfield, NJ 08225, off Exit 36 of the Garden State Parkway, open Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. Call 609-241-0807 first and we will tell you which models are set up that week. In-stock pieces can be picked up at the store or delivered by our own crew.
Do you deliver to Atlantic City, Galloway and Stockton?
Yes. Our own crews deliver throughout South Jersey, and in-stock pieces are available for pickup or fast delivery. Delivery is white-glove: we bring the chair in, set it up in the room, plug in a power recliner and take the packaging away. Removal of an old chair is available for a charge and is arranged when you schedule.
What financing is available?
Furniture financing at Kensington is 36 equal monthly payments with $0 down and 0% interest, no minimum purchase, on the Kensington Synchrony HOME credit card, subject to credit approval. Prequalifying does not affect your credit score.