Fully Furnished

Sofas, beds, mattresses, dining tables, rugs and dressers carry real prices read at the shop that sells them, with the date on every row. Every other category is still sample data.

What does setting up an apartment bathroom cost?

Summary

One example bathroom basket comes to about $76 before tax, delivery and wall-fixing supplies, using IKEA US prices checked 2026-11-01. It includes two bath towels, two hand towels, a shower curtain and liner, a bath mat, a rod, rings and a shelf. It is a selected shopping example for one person, not a minimum or a price range for every bathroom. The shelf requires wall anchoring, so confirm permission and suitable fixings before including it in a rental.

The short list

Most rented bathrooms already have a tub or shower, a sink, a mirror or medicine cabinet, and often a towel bar. What you bring is soft goods and a little storage:

  • Towels: bath towels and hand towels, in quantities that follow the number of people (next section)
  • A shower curtain and a liner: the liner keeps water in the tub, and the curtain is mostly what you see
  • A curtain rod, if the shower has no rod or glass door
  • A bath mat for the floor outside the tub
  • Storage for what the medicine cabinet can't hold

If the shower has no rod, a tension rod is the option that needs no tools: spring pressure holds it between two walls, so there are no screws. IKEA listed the BOTAREN shower curtain tension rod at $12.99, checked 2026-10-23. Each rod covers a set range of widths, so measure the opening between the walls first.

Compare towels in the size and quantity you need, noting whether the price is for single towels or a set. For the shower curtain, price the liner as well as the visible fabric, and check what mounting pieces the order includes. Compare bath mats and storage in the sizes that fit the room rather than treating a basket, shelf and cabinet as interchangeable purchases. Add those selected pieces before calling the result a bathroom total.

Ordered on its own, the rod would not qualify for IKEA delivery: every delivery tier requires a $35 merchandise subtotal, according to IKEA's delivery page, checked 2026-10-23. Above the minimum, Standard Delivery starts at $29 for non-members and $19 for IKEA Family members. Compare the delivery charge for the bathroom order with adding the items to a larger order or carrying them home yourself. Do not assume a combined order has the same delivery charge until you have checked the cart.

IKEA accepts new, unopened products within 365 days and opened products within 180 days. Its returns page also states, "We do not accept returns on plants, cut fabric, custom countertops and as-is products" (checked 2026-10-23). Keep the packaging for a shower curtain or mat until it has been hung and used for a few days and you know the length and color work.

A priced basket for one person

These IKEA US display prices were checked 2026-11-01. Each row is one purchase except the bath and hand towels, where the basket buys two of each; the rings are one package of twelve. The hand towel page requires a minimum online order of two, which this basket allows.

Item and selected size or colorQuantityUnit or package price
VÅGSJÖN bath towel, white, 28 x 55 in2$7.99 each
VÅGSJÖN hand towel, white, 16 x 28 in2$4.99 each
LUDDHAGTORN shower curtain, light beige, 72 x 72 in1$4.99
NÄLK liner, clear, 71 x 71 in1$4.99
TOFTBO bath mat, beige, 20 x 31 in1$9.99
BOTAREN shower tension rod, black, 47–79 in1$12.99
HASSJÖN rings, white, 12-pack1 pack$1.99
VESKEN shelf unit, white1$14.99

Rounded to whole dollars, the merchandise is 2 × $8 + 2 × $5 + $5 + $5 + $10 + $13 + $2 + $15 = about $76. LUDDHAGTORN is polyethylene rather than fabric, and IKEA calls for rings and a rod. This basket chooses a separate liner as well; it is not a claim that every curtain requires that purchase.

VESKEN must be anchored to the wall according to IKEA's safety instructions. The subtotal excludes suitable wall screws or plugs, any installation labor, tax, delivery and toiletries. If wall fixing is not permitted, leave that shelf out and price a permitted storage choice separately; the $76 example then needs recalculating.

Towels for the people who live there

Two towels per person lets one hang to dry while the other is in the wash. For guests, an extra set can wait until you know how often people stay over and how much space the linen shelf has.

For a simple starting count, the towel list gives the rule "Two towels for each person" (checked 2026-08-22). Apply that to individual bath towels, then add the hand towels you want at the sink. Packages vary, so count the towels inside rather than treating one package as one towel.

HouseholdIndividual bath towels at two per person
1 person1 × 2 = 2
2 people2 × 2 = 4
3 people3 × 2 = 6
4+ people4 × 2 = 8 for four people

For more than four people, the same allowance adds two towels per extra person. Count the individual bath towels in a package before comparing a set with the quantities in the table. Before buying more, consider where wet towels will hang as well as where clean ones will be stored.

Storage and required wall fixing

In a rental, the screw holes and anchors from wall-mounted storage may have to be patched at move-out, and whether that comes out of a deposit depends on your lease and your state's law, which differ. Door-hung storage and tension fittings can avoid screw holes; check the mounting requirements of any freestanding unit.

  • Over-the-door hooks and racks hang on the top edge of the bathroom door. They add towel space for a larger household. Check that the door still closes fully with the hooks in place, because some doors fit tightly in their frames.
  • For an additional tension rod, ask the maker whether it can support the caddy or wet towels you intend to put on it, and confirm the installation range. Do not assume that a shower-curtain rod is suitable for that load.
  • Over-the-toilet shelving uses the space above the tank. Check its installation and restraint requirements before buying.
  • Bins and drawer organizers under the sink work on whatever cabinet the apartment already has. Measure around the drain pipe before you buy.
  • For adhesive hooks, check the package's surface and load requirements against the intended use, including a wet bath towel. Follow its preparation and removal instructions, and confirm the mounting method for the bathroom finish before applying it.

For a freestanding shelf, ask the manufacturer to confirm the required restraints and installation. IKEA lists an assembly fee of $52 (checked 2026-10-23) and includes installing tip-over restraints. That service may be easier to justify alongside a larger furniture assembly than for one bathroom shelf. If the restraint requires a wall fixing, confirm permission with the landlord before choosing the shelf.

For a shower opening within its 47–79-inch range, compare IKEA's BOTAREN with the rod already in the apartment before buying the whole basket. The example above prices it at $12.99, checked 2026-11-01; keep an existing suitable rod and spend on the towels or storage you actually need.

Sources

Published 1 November 2026.