Moving into an empty flat is exciting until you realize how quickly furniture costs add up. Figuring out how to furnish a shared apartment on a budget is a rite of passage for most renters, especially when the cost needs to be split fairly among multiple people who may have different priorities and price sensitivities. With a bit of planning, you can turn a bare flat into a comfortable home without draining your savings in the first month.
Start With a Shared Priority List
Before buying anything, sit down with your flatmates and agree on what the household genuinely needs versus what would simply be nice to have. A shared list prevents duplicate purchases and awkward conversations later about who owns what when someone eventually moves out.
- Essentials first: beds, a dining table, basic kitchen equipment, curtains
- Shared items: sofa, television, refrigerator, washing machine
- Personal items: each flatmate typically buys their own study desk, wardrobe, or personal decor
Smart Ways to Cut Costs
Furnishing does not have to mean buying everything brand new. Many renters furnish an entire flat for a fraction of retail prices by combining a few strategies rather than relying on just one approach.
- Check online marketplaces for gently used furniture from people relocating
- Ask outgoing tenants if they are willing to sell furniture directly instead of moving it
- Compare rental furniture services against buying, especially for short-term stays
- Buy versatile pieces like foldable tables or storage beds that serve multiple purposes
- Split large purchases with flatmates rather than each buying separate smaller items
Pro tip: Before buying anything, walk through the flat and list what the previous tenant or landlord left behind — you might already own more than you think.
Deciding Who Owns What
One of the trickiest parts of furnishing a shared apartment is deciding ownership for items bought jointly. Agree upfront on what happens to shared furniture if someone moves out — will it be bought out at a depreciated price, left behind, or sold and the proceeds split? Writing this down early, even informally in a group chat, avoids a messy negotiation later.
Why it matters: Agreeing on ownership and cost-splitting for furniture before you buy it prevents disputes when a flatmate eventually moves out or the group dynamic changes.
Tracking Shared Furnishing Costs
Even budget furnishing adds up across several purchases, and it is easy to lose track of who paid for what. Logging every shared purchase through an expense-splitting tool as you buy it, rather than trying to reconstruct receipts weeks later, keeps the process transparent and prevents one flatmate from quietly covering more than their fair share.
Furnishing Starts With Finding the Right Flat and Flatmates
A budget furnishing plan works best when you already know your flatmates' expectations around shared spending, since mismatched priorities on furniture are a common early source of tension. Choosing roommates through a platform that supports open, verified conversations before move-in gives you the chance to align on budgets and shared purchases from day one.
Ready to find your ideal flatmate? Join FlatmatesHub today and connect with KYC-verified roommates near you — completely free.