Weighing this up right now. Furnished feels like less hassle for a first apartment, unfurnished feels like better value if I'm staying a while. For those who've done both — any regrets either direction?
Furnished for the first year specifically, to avoid buying things I’d just have to sell again if I ended up moving on sooner than planned.
Unfurnished worked for us since we already knew we were staying — no regrets on that front.
Regretted furnished slightly — the quality was mediocre and I ended up replacing half of it myself anyway, so I paid twice in a sense.
Does unfurnished usually still include appliances at least, or is it genuinely a completely empty flat in most cases?
To Elena's question: in Germany "unfurnished" can mean no kitchen at all. Not just no appliances, no cupboards, no sink. We had to buy a kitchen, and then sell it to the next tenant when we moved.
No sink?! That would have finished me off.
Went unfurnished in the end, and I don't regret it. The first month on a mattress and two chairs was humbling, though.