When you move to a new city or country, finding a home can be difficult, and once you have found the right place for you, the essential task of furnishing it can be equally overwhelming and time consuming. Most importantly, furnishing an entire home is expensive. This is why some consider renting instead of purchasing furniture for their new home.
Renting furniture is faster and more flexible than buying. Is it also the best choice financially?
It depends on your lifestyle, the amount of time you plan to spend in your new home, your long-term plans or your work situation. What should you consider when deciding? How can you ensure that you have chosen the best option for your lifestyle, finances and comfort? We have put some guidelines together to help you evaluate your options. When should you choose to rent furniture?
Renting furniture has become increasingly popular due to the rise of global mobility and because more and more people move for new job opportunities. In the last few years, however, things have evolved: It is not only expats who look for rental furniture.
Below you will find the most common situations where it makes more sense to rent furniture than to buy it:
1. You are moving to a new country from abroad
Moving, especially from overseas, can be expensive. You have probably already thought about what you can take with you and what should stay behind. If you look at furniture prices in your new country, you might be tempted to haul your furniture instead.
However, there are several problems with this:
- Your furniture may not fit, or suit, in your new home.
- It is expensive to ship large items across borders or overseas, and the environmental impact is significant.
- Maybe you’ll have to move again soon and need costly transport of your furniture to a new location.
- Transport delays and delivery times mean that you might be without furniture for several months
- If you are planning to stay no longer than 2-3 years, is it worth the hassle
Rental furniture is a better option if you are moving to a new country for a limited time period. We offer flexible contracts that allow you to extend or shorten the contract period or buy the furniture at a later stage if you like it. Or buy something else if you decide to put down roots.
2. You move into a temporary apartment or house
If you are not sure how long you will stay in an apartment or house (maybe you are between jobs), it does not make sense to make the big investment you need to buy all required furniture. Rental furniture is more affordable and does not lock you into a place you are not ready to live in for several years.
In this case, you can keep your options open with rental furniture. Found a better place to live? Want to take up a job offer in another country? Just move without the headache of having to pack up your entire home. Moving is, for good reason, considered by many to be one of the most stressful life events.
3. You are a digital nomad
Why spend all your time in one place when you can work from anywhere in the world? But as a digital nomad, you require a different kind of accommodation than when travelling for work or holidays. Your temporary home needs an office space – You cannot always hold all your meetings in a noisy nearby café. If you are travelling with your family and/or children, you might also need special furniture for their needs.
It’s often hard to find a place to live that has everything and meets all the needs of digital nomads. Rental furniture is the easiest and cheapest way to get the comfort you want without spending a fortune.
4. You are going through changes in your life
Many newly separated people use rental furniture because they want to move out quickly and are naturally not prepared to equip a new apartment. In times like these, long-term planning can be difficult. If there are children involved, more children’s rooms might be needed suddenly.
A separation is hard enough without having to make additional big decisions. It’s often preferable to keep the moving process to a minimum. Plus, if children are involved, you may not have the time and energy to set up everything at once. This may not be the time to call on all your friends and have them move and assemble furniture. It’s easier to rent something to begin with, we offer Rent-to-Own solutions, meaning, if you would like to keep the furniture long-term, we offer the opportunity to purchase them at a later stage.
5. You need a furnished second home or are a weekly resident
Many furnished accommodations are equipped with older and outdated furniture. It is also a hassle to get the property management or the owner to replace certain furniture to suit your needs. For example, a double bed or spare beds in case your family comes to visit.
An unfurnished accommodation, paired with rental furniture enables you to customise the accommodation according to your needs. You need your furniture quickly.
Renting furniture can also be a temporary solution. When you move to a new country, you need time to find your way around and find all the good furniture shops. If you are looking for a specific style or want to work with an interior designer, it can take months to get everything ready. Instead of spending that time in an expensive hotel or AirBnB, you can rent furniture and return it when yours is finally delivered and set up.
When does it make sense to buy your own furniture
As mentioned above, furniture to rent is not always the best option. We advise you to buy your own furniture in the following cases:
- You have found your forever home
…or at least the house where you know you will spend more than three or four years. In that case, your investment in your own furniture will be worthwhile.You can choose exactly the furniture you like without compromises. If you have the time to browse the local furniture shops, that’s even better!
- You want a certain style of furniture that is hard to come by
Even if you find a variety of furniture for rent, you won’t find everything. Antique pieces or ultra-modern designer furniture are hard to rent.If you prefer to be surrounded by such pieces, it is safest to buy the furniture – or at least the pieces that are most important to you.
What about the costs? Does it cost more to buy furniture than to rent it?
At first glance, it is much more expensive to buy furniture. But if you spend more than two to three years in the same flat, it makes more sense to buy. Thereafter, you might be able to sell some of the furniture and get back some of the money you invested. However, reselling is difficult because of the oversaturated second-hand furniture market. Most of the time you don’t get an adequate price and you will sell at a loss. Or you will still have to pay for the disposal.
Conclusion: Buy furniture if you plan to stay in a flat for more than two to three years. If not, it is more convenient to opt for rental furniture.
Need help finding the right furniture to rent? We are happy to help! Contact us.