Move-in Furnished – Vs – Unfurnished Apartments
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of living in a furnished apartment versus an unfurnished apartment. Yes, it seems easy to sneak into a furnished apartment. All you have to do is unpack and start living. On the other hand, with an unfurnished apartment, you start with a blank canvas and the first job is to mentally decorate the environment in which you are going to live. Then continue the process of moving the furniture to make your apartment a home.
As you can see, there are completely different approaches to settling into a furnished versus an unfurnished apartment, so let’s explore the pros and cons of both options. With an unfurnished apartment, the first thing you need to do is select a neighborhood that is right for you. Things you might consider are local crime rates, child-friendly areas with good schools, proximity to shops, restaurants, and the location where you work. Once you find an unfurnished apartment, you have a blank slate and you’re on your own from start to finish. The beginning of the process is the physical move, the boxes, the unpacking, the work of carrying all your things from one place to another. Hopefully you’ll have movers to ease this burden so you can quickly move on to the interior design phase. If you already have furniture, the task is to design the new apartment around what you already have. Sure, you may need to buy some new items, for example, if your miniature sofa gets swallowed up in your new oversized living room…it’s time for a new one. What if your less-than-washed-size bedroom doesn’t accommodate the king-size bed you love, then you may have to downsize to a queen-size bed? You get the idea, you have some design to do to refine what is comfortable in your new place. Aside from the interior furnishings, there are things you should have addressed before you moved in, like turning on the utilities, electricity, cable TV, Internet services, changing the water in your name, and getting your gas service.
Okay, now let’s explore what it takes to settle into a furnished apartment. Of course, selecting a neighborhood is the same process for both options, but with a furnished apartment there are no outlays on furniture or electronics, no hiring a moving company, no back-breaking work to move furniture yourself. Rather, the main consideration will be selecting a standard apartment rather than a luxury apartment. For example, both will have all the necessary furniture such as a bed, nightstand, dresser, crockery, cutlery, kitchen utensils, television, towels, and bedding. However, a more upscale furnished apartment may have additional items such as ceiling fans, artwork, window coverings, off-street parking, private entrances, security cameras, washers and dryers, or a laundry room.
Moving into a furnished apartment is almost a complete turnkey operation, you just bring your clothes and some groceries and start living. The downside of renting a furnished apartment is that the rent is 15-20% higher, you will likely have to pay more to bring a pet, there is limited space for the things you already have, so you get to stick with the decor existing and none of it is really yours. Another negative aspect is that you could lose part of your deposit if you break or damage something.
Moving is something you’ll probably do more than once in your life, so carefully consider your options at each stage of your life. Start with the simple options early in your career, especially if you haven’t settled into your dream job yet. As you refine your taste and collect more permanent belongings, move on to more long-term solutions. Learn about your options so you can make an informed decision about what’s best for you at each stage of your life.
I hope these tips help or give you additional ideas to consider as you weigh the pros and cons of living with or without furniture.