Renting with your own furniture

John_Rambo

Don't mind

Unfurnished will always be more popular and attracts a serious, long term renter in my experience. More attractive to the mature professional and family market.

I rented a house out with bare wood floors and painted white walls. Always eliminated the ones that are liable to be flakey.

John_Rambo

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

John_Rambo wrote: »

Unfurnished will always be more popular

There is no way it's more popular, I follow daft a lot (all aspects buying, renting and sharing sections) and I can hardly remember more than 3 or 4 unfurnished places in the thousands of ads I've read over the last few years.

John_Rambo

Don't mind

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

There is no way it's more popular, I follow daft a lot (all aspects buying, renting and sharing sections) and I can hardly remember more than 3 or 4 unfurnished places in the thousands of ads I've read over the last few years.

Tried it both ways. Unfurnished was more popular to professional divorcees, mature singletons, wealthy couples and families.

Made the house immaculate, clean, new kitchen, dropped the rent by 6% of those properties furnished in the area, I had long term committed tenants.

FrStone

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Sad Professor wrote: »

That's changing. Homeownership has been falling since the early aughts. More people are renting and for longer. 1 in 5 households now are in the private rental sector. Most of them probably want to buy but many won't be able to. I've heard estimates that suggest that a third of current students will never own. Our cultural distaste for renting is as strong as it ever was, but the penny has to drop for tenants sooner or later.

I disagree. While it may seem difficult to buy now that won't always be the way.

Even if the market doesn't self correct, the government will have to intervene at some point to aid home ownership. We already know funding pensions is going to get more difficult, the idea that OAP's will have to pay rent out of a possibly much reduced pension will lead to intervention (there is huge opposition to rent controls, so OAPs willl have to pay market rates).

In a country, where there is alot more votes in helping first time buyers than there is in making the rental market a long term solution for renters, I can only see long term renting to be an option for those receiving state subsidies and the more alternative type person.

jester77

Don't mind

I rented unfurnished for over 15 years, would never do it any other way. Even had a nice custom kitchen installed in my last place as well. Landlord purchased it from me when I moved out.

When I bought my house a few years back, I didn't have to worry about furniture, I had everything I needed from over the years. Made life a hell of a lot easier than what I seen other family members going through when they bought houses and had no furniture at all. I don't envy anyone that is in that position.

pwurple

Don't mind

I was a tenant unfurnished for two years in ireland family...suited us as we had sold our house and were house hunting. Always rented in the US, UK and netherlands unfurnished as well, so it was what I am used to. Even as a student in the US, you can pick up old second hand furniture very easily.

I'm also a landlord and have always rented unfurnished. Mainly stable tenants.

Commerical is nearly always unfurnished as well, as the tenants do their own business / shop etc.

Unfurnished all the way baby. Bit of freedom for everyone.

matrim

John_Rambo wrote: »

Tried it both ways. Unfurnished was more popular to professional divorcees, mature singletons, wealthy couples and families.

Made the house immaculate, clean, new kitchen, dropped the rent by 6% of those properties furnished in the area, I had long term committed tenants.

So only more popular to a small subsection of the rental market. Although one that would be more desirable to many landlords.

Sad Professor

Don't mind

matrim wrote: »

So only more popular to a small subsection of the rental market. Although one that would be more desirable to many landlords.

I think as this thread shows many tenants would prefer unfurnished as well.

intheclouds

Unfurnished

Sad Professor wrote: »

I think as this thread shows many tenants would prefer unfurnished as well.

It definitely depends on stage in life and attitude to renting imo.

I rented when I was quite young and didnt have any furniture and it would have been too expensive for me to get all the furniture from scratch. However, over time I did buy my own pieces of furniture that suited my own needs (bookcasing, a really nice recliner chair etc...) and they came with me to the next rental.

The bed is a big issue for me, I need a good hard bed to be comfortable and most rentals dont invest in an expensive mattress.

If I were to rent again now Id definitely want to rent unfurnished.

triggermortis

Don't mind

I've done both but now prefer unfurnished as we have all our own furniture. Wehen we were starting out as a couple we got a furnished place as we owned nothing. When we bought a house we had to get furniture as we had very little at that stage. After a few years, we wanted to move and moved to a rented house that was unfurnished - we took all our stuff and rented out our house - unfurnished.
Then we moved to Switzerland where you even have to put in your own light fittings. When we moved back to Dublin last year, we found a house to rent that was furnished, but luckily the landlord agreed to move their stuff out to make room for ours.

quietsailor

Don't mind

triggermortis wrote: »

I've done both but now prefer unfurnished as we have all our own furniture. Wehen we were starting out as a couple we got a furnished place as we owned nothing. When we bought a house we had to get furniture as we had very little at that stage. After a few years, we wanted to move and moved to a rented house that was unfurnished - we took all our stuff and rented out our house - unfurnished.
Then we moved to Switzerland where you even have to put in your own light fittings. When we moved back to Dublin last year, we found a house to rent that was furnished, but luckily the landlord agreed to move their stuff out to make room for ours.

When you say "put in your own light fittings " do you mean put in the bulb and light shade or literally you had to screw wires into a light fitting?

If its the second did you have to get in an electrician?

purplecow1977

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

I'm 30 years of ages and wondering who are all these people who have all their own furniture?!?!

jester77

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

jester77 wrote: »

I don't envy anyone that is in that position.

On the contrary when I buy I look forward to knitting out the place with high quality furnature etc that's a perfect fit for the place not stuff that has to be shoehorned in because I had to drag it around various differently sized rental properties.

Also a lot of houses are being sold including all kitchen appliances and a lot include some or all furnature also so in many cases you can gradually get your own new stuff not have to buy it all from the start.

As for if I was a LL how would I want to do it, fully furnished with middle of the road stuff and rent the rooms seperately would be my preferred way of managing a let property.

purplecow1977 wrote: »

I'm 30 years of ages and wondering who are all these people who have all their own furniture?!?!

I agree I'm 31 and a bed side locker is the only piece of furnature I've bought. I haven't even bough douvets etc, just brought them from home. I've 3 tv's though, have to have the priorities right! :pac:

Ms Doubtfire1

Don't mind

as a multiple pet owner I rent unfurnished. That way no damage can be done to any of the LL property, and I have yet to meet a dog that will chew a wall.:D

kandr10

Unfurnished

I would have liked to have owned more furniture before moving into where we bought. That said, to start out I wouldn't have had the money to buy a good bed, mattress and sofa so I know I would've bought cheaper stuff. Still better to sleep on your own mattress though.
It's a tricky one to answer. I think it definitely depends on your stage of life. Overall, it'd be better to have to furnish places yourself and for a bigger second hand market to open up for the likes of students or whatever to buy and sell.

FrStone

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

FrStone wrote: »

..........

Even if the market doesn't self correct, the government will have to intervene at some point to aid home ownership. We already know funding pensions is going to get more difficult, the idea that OAP's will have to pay rent out of a possibly much reduced pension will lead to intervention (there is huge opposition to rent controls, so OAPs willl have to pay market rates).............

Aiding home ownership might well cost more than funding pensions.

A couple earning a combined €60k can purchase a home in most parts of the country if they are willing to drive 20/30 miles to work.

Most people will sort themselves out, intervention to aid home ownership beyond small efforts like tax breaks etc won't be done, isn't warranted and won't be supported by the electorate imo.

jester77

Don't mind

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

On the contrary when I buy I look forward to knitting out the place with high quality furnature etc that's a perfect fit for the place not stuff that has to be shoehorned in because I had to drag it around various differently sized rental properties.

I always buy quality, I spent over 5k on a couch and bed when I moved into my first ever apartment. Two of the most important pieces you will buy as it's where you spend the majority of your time. Still have them and they moved with me, never a problem.

I don't get what you mean by a perfect fit? There is a certain type of style I like and I only buy furniture that falls into this style. When I bought my house, I had the rooms designed in the style that I like and all my furniture fits in naturally, no shoehorning involved.

John_Rambo

Don't mind

matrim wrote: »

So only more popular to a small subsection of the rental market. Although one that would be more desirable to many landlords.

That category of people were the largest subsection of renters where my property was. Unfurnished was the most attractive option to the majority of my renters.

intheclouds

Unfurnished

Unfurnished also makes sense for families. They might want a cot and later a childs bed - kids have different needs as they grow.

Sad Professor

Don't mind

I agree that age is a factor. The cultural view in Ireland is that renting is something you do temporarily until you can afford to buy. So a young person renting for the first time with dreams of homeownership dancing in their head won't feel a desire to make rented accommodation feel like home. As another user said, they'll do that when they buy their own place. However, fast forward 10 or 15 years and if that person is still renting and has a family they may feel very differently about it. And even if they don't, they will have probably accumulated enough furniture in that time to furnish most of a house anyway or had enough bad experiences with manky landlord-provided furniture to be more open to idea. If they haven't it's probably because they've been forced to move several times. Assuming security of tenure improves over the next few years (which I think is very likely as part of a political effort to pacify would-be homeowners who can't get on the ladder) I think we might start to see more unfurnished houses on the market.

Elliott S

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Ireland seems to be pretty unique in the the majority of accommodation for rent being furnished. Even in the UK, which culturally we are very similar to, when I was looking for a flat to rent with my then boyfriend, they were almost all unfurnished. You'd need to get your own furniture AND white goods. Of course, this was shocking to me only because I had come from the land of furnished rental accommodation. I presume over in the UK, people are aware of the situation and plan and save accordingly. The reason why most places are furnished here is just because that's how it started being done and it would hard to change it now. It's not because it's a better system or anything. It's just what we are used to.

Rooms in houseshares were a bit different in the UK, those places were usually furnished. But even if you were looking to rent an apartment with a friend rather than moving into a houseshare, ye'd likely have to furnish yourselves.

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

On the contrary when I buy I look forward to knitting out the place with high quality furnature etc that's a perfect fit for the place not stuff that has to be shoehorned in because I had to drag it around various differently sized rental properties.

Buy good, well-designed pieces and they'll fit in anywhere.

mirrorwall14

Don't mind

I'm 31 and been renting barely furnished for 5 years now in Ireland. Love it

BailMeOut

Don't mind

rented three houses in last six years and all were unfurnished. I would never even consider living in a rented house that was pre-furnished.

L'Enfer du Nord

I think this aspect of Irish rental culture may in fact go back to 1915 rent control legislation. Rent control didn't apply to furnished properties, so land lord had an interest in furnishing properties to avoid rent control. I could be mistaken of course.

This article refers to England and Wales but when introduced in 1915 would have applied in Ireland:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rent_control_in_England_and_Wales#Furnished_tenancies

On a related note I once when into a shop to buy an Iron, (to replace the landlord supplied one which had broken down). Was presented with a few options, the cheapest of which was I was told 'only really for land lords'. i.e. You wouldn't want this iron for yourself.

Elliott S

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

I have to say, I am quite surprised to be see from the poll that more people would prefer unfurnished. That goes against the status quo. Maybe things need to change!

BailMeOut

Don't mind

Elliott S wrote: »

I have to say, I am quite surprised to be see from the poll that more people would prefer unfurnished. That goes against the status quo. Maybe things need to change!

We have Ikea in Ireland now!

intheclouds

Unfurnished

Elliott S wrote: »

I have to say, I am quite surprised to be see from the poll that more people would prefer unfurnished. That goes against the status quo. Maybe things need to change!

I said partially furnished as ovens/fridges etc can be difficult to cart about and fit into new properties depending on the kitchen layout. Also, if the oven cooks food and the fridge keeps it cold, Im not too fussed.

But I want my own expensive bed and couch.

jester77

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

jester77 wrote: »

I don't get what you mean by a perfect fit? There is a certain type of style I like and I only buy furniture that falls into this style. When I bought my house, I had the rooms designed in the style that I like and all my furniture fits in naturally, no shoehorning involved.

Well for instance I'd buy the biggest bed I could fit in the bedroom when I own the place. Not much good doing that in a rental and then having to move and the bed doesn't fit. Same for a couch, no good buying a big L-shaped couch or a set of of recliners (3 seat, and 2 ones etc of similar) and you can't fit them in the living room. I also wouldn't want to be spending my own money on this stuff when renting, it should be provided. I will be buying and maintaining furniture long enough when I own a place.

In any case I only rent in houseshares as I refuse to pay the level of rent required to have a full place when I can be putting it all into savings for my own house instead, so unfurnished would never be on the agenda for me regardless.

Elliott S wrote: »

I have to say, I am quite surprised to be see from the poll that more people would prefer unfurnished.

If there is one thing I have learned about boards in my years on it, opinions in polls etc on here are usually considerably in the other direction to the actual general opinion in the country.

Elliott S

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

If there is one thing I have learned about boards in my years on it, opinions in polls etc on here are usually considerably in the other direction to the actual general opinion in the country.

I haven't found that at all, I find boards.ie reflects real life most of the time. You just seem think everyone agrees with you on everything.

L1011

intheclouds wrote: »

I said partially furnished as ovens/fridges etc can be difficult to cart about and fit into new properties depending on the kitchen layout. Also, if the oven cooks food and the fridge keeps it cold, Im not too fussed.

But I want my own expensive bed and couch.

Theres a list of appliances that must be supplied by law, whether rented unfurnished or not. Fridge is on that.