When searching for the perfect rental property, you might start thinking about whether you’re best to go furnished or unfurnished. In this blog, we’re answering the question, which is better: furnished or unfurnished renting?
The right choice for you will depend on your personal circumstances, but it’s important that you consider your options carefully before making a decision.
What does fully furnished mean?
A fully furnished property should have all of the essentials in. In addition to white goods, it should have sofas, wardrobes, a bed, drawers, a dining table and everything you need to make the house a home.
Some rental properties will stop there, but others may include even more furnishings, such as vacuums, pans, cutlery and more.
You may find that the furniture in a furnished rental property is quite simple. When you move in, it’s important to make note of any damage and report this to your letting agent or landlord. This can help to cover you if there is existing damage that wasn’t your fault.
What does unfurnished mean?
Unfurnished rentals typically only have white goods, but some may not even include these. Other properties may offer white goods and some other furniture, such as wardrobes. Some of these properties are also listed as a part-furnished rental property.
Furnished or unfurnished property
It’s completely up to you which option you choose. Here are some of our advantages and disadvantages for you to consider.
Pros of a fully furnished rental property
- Save money, although you may spend more on rent
- Less furniture to move in and out
- The home is ready as soon as you move in
- You can still dress the home up with your own furniture
Cons of fully furnished properties
- The furniture may not be your taste
- You will need to take extra care not to damage the furniture
- You may pay more rent for a furnished property
Pros of an unfurnished property
- Use your own items and furniture that you like
- You might be more willing to spend more on quality furniture that will last – useful for young professionals
- You may have slightly cheaper rent
- Less pressure if any damage occurs as it’s your own furniture
Cons of unfurnished properties
- You’ll have to spend more money in the first instance to get set up when you buy furniture
- It can make moving more difficult and costly
- You will need to be careful when manoeuvring furniture
An unfurnished property may be more likely to attract long term tenants. But that doesn’t mean that renting a furnished property is a bad idea if you want to stay there longer term.
What happens if you damage the furniture?
If you damage the furniture in a fully furnished property, you must let your letting agents know. They can assess the damage and its cause. You may need to pay for repairs using your damage deposit.
When you begin renting a property, you will likely be asked to pay a damage deposit. This covers the landlord if they need to pay out for damage caused by tenants.
Of course, some damage can be caused by wear and tear, and this will be taken into account. Wear and tear can be labelled as things looking slightly more worn than they did when you first moved in.
Providing that no damage is found within the property when you move out, you should receive your damage deposit back in full. This will be outlined in your tenancy agreement. Prospective tenants should always check the inventory before moving into both furnished and unfurnished properties.
So, furnished or unfurnished properties?
It’s your choice whether you look for properties that are furnished or unfurnished on the rental market. It can be useful to look for both and make a decision when you do find a property that you love.
We hope this blog has been helpful regarding furnished or unfurnished renting. Our friendly team is more than happy to offer advice and help to find you your perfect rental home – contact us here!
