Renting furnished or unfurnished: how to choose

Should you rent a furnished or an empty home? The choice depends on your situation, the length of stay you expect and your starting budget. Here is what you need to decide without hesitation.

What sets them apart

A furnished home is ready to live in: bed, table, storage, often the basic appliances. An unfurnished home is let bare, and you bring your own furniture. This difference changes the comfort of moving in, but also the rent and sometimes the lease term.

Furnished, for whom?

• Short or uncertain stays: students, work mobility, diaspora passing through.
• A quick move-in, with no furniture to buy.
• The trade-off: a generally higher rent and an inventory to check closely.

Unfurnished, for whom?

• A lasting move, with family, using your own furniture.
• Often a lower rent and a longer lease, so more stability.
• The trade-off: the upfront cost of furnishing.

What to check either way

For a furnished home, require a written and signed inventory of the furniture, with its condition. For an empty home, the inventory of fixtures is still essential. In both cases, the lease states the rent, the charges and the security deposit. The exact rules vary from one country to another: ask a verified professional for your city.

Furnished for flexibility, empty for the long run: each has its priority, in Lomé as in Abidjan.