No matter where you’re looking for a fully furnished apartment, there are many apartment hunting tips to make your search easier. Not having to worry about buying furniture or moving things is a very huge relief when searching for fully furnished apartments.
Here are the top six tips to check for when looking for fully furnished and move-in-ready apartment hunting.
1. Prioritize Length of the Lease
If a place seems best for you, the lease terms can break a great apartment. Year-long leases are common for a rental agreement, but before you get ready to sign, you have to consider exactly what a long-term lease exactly brings.
Long-term leases need you to deposit security that you’ll have to forfeit if you decide to move out of your unit before the lease term is up. Also, you will be responsible for paying rent until a new tenant moves in. For that reason, choosing an apartment with flexible leasings, such as a month-to-month option, is a safer decision.
2. Prioritize On-Call Management
This is a largely overlooked element of all apartments, regardless of furnishings, but is especially important for fully furnished and move-in-ready apartments. Being responsible for someone else’s furnishings can be an extra liability. Having on-site or on-call management, whether it’s a maintenance person, property manager, or concierge service, that’s available day and night is important.
If you don’t have a point of contact, you should consider getting renter’s insurance to help you cover living expenses in case of apartment mishaps.
3. Amenities lookup
You’ll certainly have fewer upfront costs, but even fully furnished units have a wide price range. Plus, fully furnished apartments are usually in complexes with more lavish amenities—and oftentimes the more amenities you have, the more you’ll have to pay. However, the upfront costs you pay now will likely be less than the average cost of furnishing an apartment.
Here are the extra amenities to consider with your fully furnished apartment:
- An elevator
- Balcony or patio
- Communal outdoor space
- In-unit or on-property laundry facilities
- Heating and air conditioning
- Parking
- Pet-friendly building
- Community workspaces
- Printing areas
- Fitness center
- Pool and jacuzzi
- Package locker systems
Even though they’ll be one-time fees, you should also factor in the cost of application fees and security deposits—most apartments require both.
4. Think About Supplemental Items
First, you need to identify if your apartment is move-in ready—if it isn’t, you’ll want to make sure you don’t forget these items:
- Bedding
- Towels
- Bath mat
- Extra kitchenware
- Appliances
- WiFi modem and router
- Toiletries
- TV
If it is move-in ready, you’ll want to pay attention to the following:
- What appliances are included – It may come with a microwave, oven, and refrigerator, but you may use more than that—look for a coffee maker, toaster, blender, electric kettle, or slow cooker. It’s unlikely a move-in ready apartment will come with all of these appliances, so make note of what’s there and what you need, so you’ll know what to bring with you.
- How much kitchenware is offered – Kitchens don’t need a lot of furniture, but they do need a lot of cookware and dishware. Even though the unit is otherwise fully ready for move-in, some specific items that may be missing in the apartment kitchen checklist are measuring cups and spoons, a knife set and cutting board, a can opener and bottle opener, and cooking utensils like a spatula, wooden spoon, and whisk.
5. Ask if Utilities are Included
Just because an apartment is move-in ready, doesn’t necessarily mean your utility bill is included in the listed price of rent. For instance, a unit may be internet and cable-ready, but you’re still expected to provide a modem, router, and TV, and are responsible for the monthly bill. Utilities can add up.
Here are the most common utilities that renters will pay for:
- Electricity
- Natural gas
- High-speed internet
- Water
- Trash and recycling
- Cable TV
Your building may also have a monthly maintenance fee to take care of shared building amenities. Depending on whether or not you’re living with other people who can split these costs with you, utility bills can be a huge expense—adding hundreds of dollars to your monthly expenses. Make sure to factor these additional rent expenses into your budget when reviewing the rental agreement to plan accordingly.
6. Identify Your Non-Negotiables
In addition to building amenities to factor into your budget, fully furnished and move-in ready apartments have different design elements for you to choose from, including the following:
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