Should I rent the furnished flat or the unfurnished flat?

[MitchT]

I've just been browsing Right Move for rental properties and I've seen two really nice apartments - a furnished one at £475 and an unfurnished one at £460. I know they're both great because I've actually viewed them both in the last 12 months purely because I like the development and I'm nosey!

The pros and cons are...

Furnished flat pros: Furnished so I can leave all of my savings in the bank. One council tax band lower than the unfurnished one.
Furnished flat cons: Ever so slightly smaller than I need.

Unfurnished flat pros: As big as I need. Slightly lower rent.
Unfurnished flat cons: Will have to spend about £3k on furniture.

In the defence of the unfurnished one, the furniture I'd buy is stuff I'd eventually want anyway, so the savings I'd lose would only be lost later down the line anyway.

It's such a close run thing I'm not quite sure what to do!

[Steve748]

furnished.....there's no furniture shops left to buy from

[remedy]

Unfurnished in my opinion.
You can get the furniture/decorations you like and as you say, it means you can start spreading the cost of your own furniture for when/if you ever get your own place.

I'm in a house share and am doing the same thing for when I eventually move out.

[remedy]

Steve748 said:

furnished.....there's no furniture shops left to buy from

Haha, but then equally, there are deals to be had if you are good at bargaining.

[MitchT]

I was thinking of buying most of the stuff I need from Ikea. It's affordable, robust and has unfussy, clean lines that I very much like. They will also deliver it all.

[Mobile Chicane]

Unfurnished. Beg, borrow, improvise and Freecycle for stuff that will 'do' on a temporary basis.

[illmonkey]

Unfurnished. Get the stuff you NEED then buy extras slowly.

It also is one less cost for the next move, or when you decide to buy.

[Jasandjules]

How small is "slightly too small" for your needs. What would you have to sacrifice?

I'd go furnished and leave the cash in the bank so that when you buy your own place that money will be used to buy furniture to suit your decor, rather than the decor of a rental.

Or being realistic, I'd be going furnished and using the money in the bank to purchase a faster car.

[sday12]

MitchT said:

I was thinking of buying most of the stuff I need from Ikea. It's affordable, robust and has unfussy, clean lines that I very much like. They will also deliver it all.

Have you registered with your local Fight Club?

[NDA]

I'm not sure of the facts here, but don't you, as a tenant, have less rights in a furnished property?

Also it's probably worth considering the saga of getting your deposit back from a furnished flat - the landlord will have more potential to find 'damage'.

[JJCW]

Unfurnished.

Buy a microwave, a 40" TV, a ps3 and a lazyboy.

Life would be good.

[Daisy Duke]

Mobile Chicane said:

Unfurnished. Beg, borrow, improvise and Freecycle for stuff that will 'do' on a temporary basis.

This would be my advice. Taking the unfurnished option will give you a better flat for slightly less money, and you'll be less likely to lose your deposit. But I'd urge caution about going on a spending spree - the more you buy the more you'll have to move, sometimes it's actually cheaper to leave it behind and start again in the new place.

[yorky500]

think it depends on how long you intend to rent for. If for a short period, I would rent the unfurnished apartment, if you are going to rent long term, get the furnished one.

[Rude-boy]

NDA said:

I'm not sure of the facts here, but don't you, as a tenant, have less rights in a furnished property?

Also it's probably worth considering the saga of getting your deposit back from a furnished flat - the landlord will have more potential to find 'damage'.

There are n less rights for the Tenant but as you say, there is far more scope when it comes to potential 'damages' at the end of the term.

One thing is how long are you planning to go there for? If it is only 6 months I would go with the furnished one as when you buy the next house the stuff you thought would look good there might not fit in. Secondly you'll have more stuff to move out and that could end up being the difference between a mate and a van and having to pay for removals. Finally your home, just like your pay packet, will always be too small. If it isn't really enough now, what will it be like in a few months?

As said, how long are you going to be there? that determines what you can live with and what you can't imo.

[LukeBird]

Given the relative monthly costs, council tax banding at the other stuff you said.
The furnished would be my choice without question!