Fully Furnished Apartment Checklist

Fully furnished apartments save you time, energy, and upfront costs. Plus, they help remove some of the stress of moving. You don’t have to worry about buying new apartment items such as furnishings, appliances, or linens, paying any costly moving fees, or doing any heavy lifting or tedious assembly.

But just because an apartment is advertised as furnished doesn’t mean it’s fully furnished. What’s more, not all fully furnished apartments are created equally. If you’re wondering how to find a furnished apartment, use this fully furnished apartment checklist to help you find the perfect move-in-ready space to call home.

Different levels of furnishing

With so many different types of apartments, it only makes sense that there are different levels of furnishing to go along with it. Obviously, an unfurnished apartment has nothing in it—besides maybe some built-in pieces like a breakfast nook and heavy appliances like an oven or refrigerator. Moving upwards on the scale of furnished, there’s:

• Semi-furnished
• Fully furnished
• Move-in ready apartments.

Semi-furnished units

Sometimes people assume semi-furnished means a unit will have about half of an apartment’s typical furnishing, but that isn’t the case. A semi-furnished unit has only apartment essentials. Here’s what it is usually included:

• Bed frame and mattress
• Kitchen table
• Dining chairs
• Couch or sofa

Semi-furnished apartment checklists are less cut and dry than fully furnished—but basically, if you’ve ever lived in university-owned housing or dorms, you’ll know what to expect. You’ll definitely need to bring bedding, towels, and decorations, but sometimes semi-furnished units can also include the following:

• Appliances
• Shower curtain
• Window curtains or drapes
• Trash and recycling bins

Most semi-furnished apartments don’t come with these things, but some do. Be sure to ask ahead of time so you know what to expect.

Fully furnished units

If you’re looking for more than the absolute necessities and don’t want to worry about a complex moving process, product assembly, or shelling out money on home goods for a rental property, you’ll want to find a fully furnished unit. Use this fully furnished apartment checklist to make sure you’re getting everything you should be:

Furnished bedroom

• Bed frame and mattress
• Window curtains or drapes
• Nightstands
• Table lamps

Fully functioning kitchen

• Kitchen table
• Dining chairs
• Stools for countertops
• Trash and recycling bins

Cozy living space

• Couch or sofa
• Accent chairs
• Coffee table
• Standing lamps
• Area rugs

Well-equipped bathroom

• Shower curtain
• Waste bin
• Storage or shelving

Move-in-ready units

The process of moving is undeniably overwhelming. If you’re looking for a place that’ll feel like home in the least amount of time possible, you need a move-in ready apartment. While semi-furnished apartments and fully furnished apartments are distinctly different things, a move-in ready unit is still a fully furnished unit—it just takes apartment needs one step further.

If you’re considering an apartment that appears to be completely furnished, take the time to ask if it’s fully furnished and move-in ready. These are apartments that come with furniture, decorations, and some personal items. With a move-in ready apartment, like our furnished apartments in Denver, all you have to bring is yourself.

Here are some loose ends that will be tied up for you:

• Framed artwork
• Pre-hung wall hangings
• Bed pillows
• Bedding and linens
• Throw pillows
• Blankets
• High-speed wifi
• TV
• Kitchen appliances
• Dishware
• Soft bath towels
• Quality hand towels
• Toiletries

Fully furnished apartment hunting tips

If you want to know how to find a find a fully furnished apartment, there are tons of apartment hunting tips to make the search easier, and while the tips for fully furnished and move-in ready units aren’t as extensive, they’re slightly more nuanced. Not having to worry about the cost of furniture or moving vans is a huge relief, but you still have to create an outline of things you’re looking for.

Keep reading for our six tips for how to find a furnished apartment:

1. Look at amenities

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
• On-property or in-unit laundry facilities
• Heating and air conditioning
• Parking
• Pet-friendly building
• Balcony or patio
• Communal outdoor space
• Community workspaces and 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.

2. 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:

• Square footage
• Number of rooms and bedrooms
• Natural and artificial lighting
• Wood vs. tile vs. carpet
• Number and size of closets
• Storage space
• Dishwasher

3. Prioritize the length of the lease

Even if a place seems perfect for you, the lease term can make or break a great apartment. Year-long leases are the most common for a rental agreement, but before you get ready to sign, you have to consider exactly what a long-term lease entails.

Long-term leases require a security deposit that you’ll have to forfeit if you decide to move out of your unit before the lease term is up. You’ll also 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.

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
• Toiletries
• TV
• Extra kitchenware
• Appliances
• WiFi modem and router

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. 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 are 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.

6. 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
• Cable TV
• High-speed internet
• Water
• Trash and recycling

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.

Check off each box with the right fully furnished apartment

Between all the tips and elements of a fully furnished apartment, the whole process of finding the right one can feel overwhelming. Fully furnished and move-in ready apartments are supposed to do the opposite—they’re made to make your life simpler.

With an apartment from Landing, you’ll be able to breeze through your fully furnished apartment checklist, get approved immediately, and settle in.

Landing’s fully furnished, move-in ready apartments have tons of amenities, minimal costs, and low commitments. With flexible month-to-month leasing, you can stay as long as you want, and won’t be penalized when, or if, you decide to leave.

As a Landing member, you’ll get the following:

• No extra fees – No application fees or deposits
• Comfortable bedroom – Bed frame, mattress, luxury linens, cozy bedding, and extra furnishings
• Cooking-ready kitchen – All appliances, cutlery, tableware, cookware, and towels included, in addition to a dining table and chairs
• Fully-stocked bathroom – Shower curtains, wastebaskets, extra-soft bath towels, and complimentary toiletries
• Smart living spaces – Smart TV, ultra-fast wireless internet, tons of outlets, and designer living room furniture
• On-call management – In-app concierge service available 24/7 for maintenance help, scheduling cleanings, and managing your dates for moving in and out
• Building amenities – Options for balconies, patios, communal outdoor spaces, shared workspaces, fitness centers, laundry facilities, and parking

Land somewhere that feels like home

Forget about lengthy checklists, expensive purchases, and stressful moving by choosing a Landing location. With locations in major cities across the country including furnished apartments in San Francisco to furnished apartments in Nashville, there’s a perfect move-in ready unit for you.

Land somewhere that feels like home immediately—with Landing.