First, find out what is already there
Many short-term lets, corporate housing and sublets come at least partly furnished. Before buying anything, get a written or photographed list of what the place includes: bed, mattress, table, chairs, wardrobe, kitchenware, linens. Ask also about the condition and about what you are allowed to move or store. A surprising amount of the shopping list disappears once you know this.
If the place is unfurnished, ask how long you are really staying. A fixed three-month stay and a “maybe six months, maybe a year” stay call for different plans. For uncertain stays, assume the shorter number but choose items you could keep if the stay extends.
Rent, borrow, buy or skip
For temporary housing, each item falls into one of four groups.
- Skip things you can do without. Many people manage with one chair and a table for the first weeks.
- Borrow from friends, family or colleagues who have spare pieces. It is free and flexible, but agree on what happens if something is damaged.
- Rent larger items such as beds or sofas if furniture rental is available where you are. Costs, terms and delivery vary by provider and region, so compare the total over your stay with the price of buying and reselling. Check what damage fees apply.
- Buy only what you will use daily and could take with you or resell easily: a good mattress topper, a lamp, a folding table.
Cost per use is a helpful way of thinking: an item used every day for four months may still be good value even if you leave it behind. Something used twice is not.
The light and flexible kit
A short stay rewards pieces that are easy to carry, assemble and store. Think in terms of a small kit:
- Sleeping: A bed provided by the landlord, or an air mattress or folding bed as a backup. Be realistic about comfort, particularly for stays longer than a few weeks.
- Sitting and working: A lightweight table and one or two chairs. Foldable furniture suits this, though check that cheap folding chairs are comfortable enough for long sitting.
- Storage: A freestanding rail or stackable boxes instead of anything built in. Cube storage can be unstacked and carried in pieces.
- Lighting: One or two lamps make an unfamiliar place feel less temporary, and portable ones go with you.
- Textiles: A throw, a rug and your own bedding take up little room and do a lot to make a place feel like yours.
Plan for the exit as well as the arrival
The cheapest furniture in a temporary move is the kind that can be removed without effort. Before buying, ask: how will I get this out? Can I sell it quickly? Will it fit in a car or a courier box? Items that come apart and fit into a few flat boxes are easier than large, assembled units. Keep the instructions and small parts, and use the disassembly tips of photographing and labeling steps before you take things apart.
If you may be moving house again, the same habits you would use for a permanent move apply, just on a smaller scale. For items you want to keep but cannot use for a while, furniture storage may be a better answer than carrying everything along.
Respecting the place you are borrowing
Temporary doesn’t mean casual. The same deposit rules usually apply, and a short lease may have stricter terms on fixtures or noise. Skip wall fixings and rely on freestanding pieces, protect floors with felt pads, and take photos on arrival. Treat the place the way you would a longer rental: a record of its condition at move-in is useful at move-out.
Budget with the end date in mind
A hypothetical example may help. Suppose a bed frame costs a certain amount and you could resell it for about half after four months. Your effective cost is the other half. If renting a similar frame costs less than that difference plus the effort of selling, renting might make sense. If resale is slow or uncertain in your area, buying could cost more than it appears. These figures are only an illustration, since prices and resale values vary, but the method of comparing your net cost over the real duration of your stay holds up.
Also account for hidden costs like delivery, a small toolkit and replacement parts. Items from flat-pack furniture ranges are often cheap but may lose value quickly after assembly, so do not count on high resale prices.
Stay flexible
Temporary arrangements often turn into longer ones, and they sometimes end early. The safest plan is a modest kit you could happily use in your next place, plus a clear idea of where each piece will go when you leave. If the stay stretches on, you can add pieces gradually, a habit also known as phased buying, rather than committing at the start.