Which is more practical: Furnished vs Unfurnished?
One of the many steps of moving into a condo is making the crucial decision of renting a furnished or unfurnished condo. Here are a few guide questions that can help walk you through the decision making process.
1. How much furniture do you actually need to live comfortably?
People often have the habit of acquiring more things than what we actually need, especially when it comes to things like clothing and furniture. It’s good to do a basic checklist of things that you need.
The usual things are mattresses, utensils, plates, a pan, a rice cooker, a microwave, an induction or electric stove, a trash can, a closet or drawers, and an electric fan. Additional things for those who want to be more comfortable are a dining set, heaters, airconditioners, toothbrush holders, a vacuum cleaner and a water dispenser.
2. Do you already have extra furniture at home?
After knowing what things you actually need, evaluate if you have enough extra furniture to cover them. If not, compute how much it would cost for you to purchase the furniture you need on your own.
3. What’s the price difference of the exact same condo unit when it’s furnished vs unfurnished?
If you find two condos who pass your checklist with one furnished and the other unfurnished, and the price difference is Php 1-2k, think about how that incremental price difference can be converted into furniture that you can keep after your rental period. In the course of a year that’s around Php 12-24k, which might be enough to cover the cost of buying the furniture that you don’t already have at home.
4. Do you have a roommate or roommates?
If you are living with another person or people, purchasing communal appliances together can be difficult because you are not sure who will be keeping them afterwards. One way to mitigate this is to compute for the depreciated cost at the end of your rental period and having someone buy it off at this cheaper price. The problem arises when none of your roommates want to take it home and it becomes a sunk cost.
If you plan to bring furniture from home, there is always a chance of furniture breaking and the group shouldering the cost of repair. However, the wear and tear also damages appliances and the person who owns the appliances used the most like induction cookers and refrigerators may be at the losing end of the bargain and will shoulder the costs of repairs after the rental term.
Having already common furniture which you only need to worry about when they need to be repaired may be an easy way to avoid conflict with each other in the future.
5. Are you particular with hygiene?
There are also hygienic concerns such as how many people have slept on the provided mattress. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of sleeping in what used to be another person’s bed, especially when you’re not aware of their hygienic habits. If the past renter was was sexually active, you may be sleeping in a bed that was occasionally covered in bodily fluids. While one can argue that there are ways to clean things like these, not everyone is comfortable with it. There is also a threat of the couch having bed bugs, appliances having mold, closets having termites and so on. Arguably, you can always buy new furniture only with those you are particular with.
6. Are you the type to break furniture?
More often than not, furnished condos are filled with cheap furniture that you will have to repair or replace in case of any breakage or even due to wear and tear. If you’re the type to break things frequently, it might be better to buy cheap furniture yourself that you don’t mind breaking or investing in more expensive, sturdy ones that you can use for a long time.
7. Are you the type to want to express yourself with your surroundings?
It’s a sign of success for some people to be able to express themselves with their living space. If you’re the type that wants your living space to reflect your individual style, then it may be worth it to get a blank slate that you can fill up the way you want.
If you’re not planning to stay in a particular city for longer than your rental period, it might do you well to rent a furnished condominium instead. This is particularly true for people who work in sales who move around a lot and only stay in places temporarily. Either way, the answer to which is more practical is highly dependent on the lifestyle that you live and the projected needs that you’ll have based on how long you plan to rent and your career.
