When moving to a new place what is the first thought that comes across your mind? Should I opt for a semi-furnished or furnished flat? The question is genuine and your concern deserves to be answered with precision because though comfort is important but what is the price you pay for the comfort is of equal importance. Needless to say, the hefty amount of rent is a deciding factor in choosing between a semi-furnished and furnished flat. Apart from this ,there are numerous other variables that can serve as guiding principles in making you decide what the most beneficial bargain is for you.

What is a Semi-Furnished Flat?

A semi-furnished flat is one which has the bare necessities fixed in so that you don’t land up in a no man’s land the moment you open the door of the apartment. In other words, an apartment that has some electrical fittings as fans and lights fixed and kitchen cabinets and wardrobes in place come under the category of a semi-furnished flat. In some cases, some basic furniture like a sofa and tables might also be provided by the landlord.

Advantages of Semi-Furnished Flat

• Since there is no furniture in the apartment you have the liberty of buying the furniture according to your taste and preference.
• When it comes to the financial aspect, the rent of the semi-furnished apartment is comparatively less than that of a fully furnished flat.
• Since you have procured most of the fixed items on your own, you are not liable to the landlord for any damage.
• Ultimately you need to be comfortable where you live and thus you should have a free hand in deciding how the living space should look like and what should be special in the bedrooms. In semi-furnished flats, you have this luxury!

Disadvantages of a Semi-Furnished Flat

• When you move to a new place, it is apparent that you will not be familiar with most of the places from where you can procure the necessities leave alone furniture and other decorative items needed for designing the flat. In such circumstances, renting a semi-furnished apartment comes with the inherent challenge of starting everything from scratch to make the place worth living.
• Secondly, if the nature of your job is such which requires frequent transfers, moving from one city to the other with a truck loaded with expensive furniture is a herculean task. There might become damage during transit and you are the one who ultimately has to bear the brunt.

A coin has two sides and thus weighing the advantages against the disadvantages depending upon your circumstances will make you decide what is good for you and what is not.

What is a Fully Furnished Flat?

Just bring in your suitcase and you are all set to live comfortably at a new place in the new city! This is what can be said about fully furnished flats which have everything big and small required for starting a new phase in the new flat. Be it the bed, sofa, electronic appliances, kitchen cabinets or wardrobes, everything is in place in a fully furnished flat. Utensils, glassware, and kitchen appliances are provided in the kitchen so that life doesn’t come to a standstill once you come here.

A Fully Furnished Flat Must Have:

1. A living room with a sofa, tables, lamps and a bookshelf.
2. Dining area with tables and chairs.
3. Bedroom with bed, night-lamp, dresser, and a table.
4. Bathrooms with floor mat, shower curtains, and wastebasket.
5. Kitchen with kitchen appliances, utensils, and glassware.

The landlord might provide toiletries and some necessary supplies, to begin with. But eventually, the renter has to restock it on his own.

Advantages of a Fully Furnished Flat

• You don’t have to get bothered about sourcing big or small things if you have taken a fully furnished apartment on rent.
• May be thinking of a fully automatic machine was out of your budget at the moment. But since it is there in a fully furnished apartment, you can be a proud user of the appliance until you have the required finances to buy it. Not only this, there might be few other things which currently seem to dig a hole in your pocket if you plan to buy them. But using the same is always easy.
• When you have to move out of a fully furnished apartment, you just need to pack your luggage and move out. Thinking about packing furniture and other stuff is not going to be your headache.

Disadvantages of a Fully Furnished Flat

• Money makes the mayor go and this is true in case of a fully furnished flat. You have to pay extra for the comforts you enjoy in this flat. The amount varies according to the city and the duration of the rent agreement.
• Security deposit in case of fully furnished flat is higher than that of semi-furnished flat because the landlord tries to cover up the cost of damage or repair to the furniture which might be caused while it is in use.
• You have to be extra cautious with the furniture because it is the property of the landlord and thus you owe him every bit of it.
• You will not have the luxury of designing the flats per your whims and wishes because of the paucity of free space.

Fully furnished apartments are looked after by young professionals, students or the couples who have recently got married and haven’t been able to procure all the furnishings. Depending upon the location of the apartment, the landlord can attract the customers.

While it depends upon the rationality of the tenant and his budget, it is the target segment that the landlord wishes to cater to which finally decides which type of flat is better than the other. Since it is a relative question, the choice of market and circumstances shall serve as the guiding forces.