The Pros and Cons of Furnished Memphis Apartments
May 2nd, 2008 by Memphis Apartments
So you’re looking for a Memphis apartment and you’re faced with that huge question: furnished? or unfurnished? On the surface, you may think you have an immediate and correct answer, but before you sign on the dotted line or limit yourself to one or the other, give it some serious thought.
One of the downsides of a furnished Memphis apartment is that you’ve got whatever they provide. Hate the couch? Too bad. The person who chooses the furniture might be color-blind with no sense of taste and you’re stuck with their choices. But don’t think of it as being stuck with their choices. If you’re really planning to go with a furnished Memphis apartment, remember that you still have some options.
•Negotiate. If you really hate the couch, ask if there could be an exchange. And remember that this is the perfect time to ask for something new, especially if you have good references and there’s no reason to believe that you won’t get the apartment.
•Plan ahead. If you can live with the couch on the short-term, plan to ask for a replacement in six months or a year after you’ve proven yourself as a good tenant.
•Decorate around it. The ugly couch can be hidden beneath a pretty slipcover and that can be changed as your mood and other aspects of your décor change.
•Some things are non-negotiable. If the refrigerator isn’t cooling properly or the springs are sticking through the couch, demand a change. Even if you’re desperate for an apartment, the lack of basic furnishings isn’t going to meet your needs for long.
•If you have a few pieces of furniture – perhaps something of personal or sentimental value – you can probably arrange to have room cleared for that while retaining the rest of the Memphis apartment furnishings.
Remember that one of the biggest things in favor of a furnished Memphis apartment is that you don’t have to move large, bulky items. There’s no need to figure out who you can wrangle into helping and deciding whether your own bulky couch will fit through a door. The less to move, the less stressful the move will be and the more money you’re likely to save.
A furnished Memphis apartment is also ideal for someone without sufficient furniture for an apartment. Especially a young person just starting out (or starting over) will often find there isn’t enough money to pay all the expenses with getting – and furnishing – a Memphis apartment.
If you’re now convinced that you must find only a furnished Memphis apartment, consider carefully the restrictions. A young person or couple just starting out may have little in the way of furnishings and a furnished Memphis apartment may seem the answer, buy it also means that you’re not going to have so much flexibility as you get your life, career and finances in better order. If that sounds like you, consider that there are some inexpensive ways to make a little furniture stretch until you have your Memphis apartment furnished as you want.
•Start retro. A few beanbags and some large cheerful pillows or bed pillows with colorful slips could serve as seats in a pinch. Haven’t enough money for a couch? Consider putting up a daybed in the living room on as a short-term answer to the “I don’t have a couch” problem.
•Used furniture is a positive answer for a tight budget. Don’t overlook the possibility of slipcovers or a little paint as a creative way to dress up something old and ugly.
If you’re still uncertain, make a list of the pros and cons of each option. You may find that putting it on paper answers the question, furnished? Or unfurnished Memphis apartment?