Furnished or Unfurnished - best global returns for investors

New research by comparison website Moneysupermarket .com reveals where investors can expect the highest returns on a furnished resi property.

The site has not looked at purchase prices for investors but has ranked returns, comparing furnished with unfurnished, using IKEA fittings as a base comparison for furniture.

Apartment hunters in Oslo pay 36% (£312 / $384) more each month for a furnished property while by contrast a furnished property in Geneva will cost just 4% (£82 / $100) more. 

Top 10 cities where renters pay highest furnished apartment premium

A ready-to-go flat in the Norwegian capital costs 36% (£312/ $384) more each month on average. Renting a fully furnished flat in Krakow will set tenants back an additional 33% (£149 / $183 per month), while the Hungarian capital Budapest ranks third among the most expensive places to rent a furnished apartment with renters paying roughly 30% (£237 / $292 per month) more for the privilege. New research by comparison website Moneysupermarket .com reveals where investors can expect the highest returns on a furnished resi property.

The site has not looked at purchase prices for investors but has ranked returns, comparing furnished with unfurnished, using IKEA fittings as a base comparison for furniture.

Apartment hunters in Oslo pay 36% (£312 / $384) more each month for a furnished property while by contrast a furnished property in Geneva will cost just 4% (£82 / $100) more. 

Top 10 cities where renters pay highest furnished apartment premium

A ready-to-go flat in the Norwegian capital costs 36% (£312/ $384) more each month on average. Renting a fully furnished flat in Krakow will set tenants back an additional 33% (£149 / $183 per month), while the Hungarian capital Budapest ranks third among the most expensive places to rent a furnished apartment with renters paying roughly 30% (£237 / $292 per month) more for the privilege. 

op 10 cities with smallest furnished apartment premium

With a furnished apartment costing roughly 4% (£82 / $100) more every month than an unfurnished one, Geneva is the best city for renters looking for a convenient move.  

Notorious for high rental prices, the average monthly rent for a furnished apartment in San Francisco is £2,863 ($3,522), making it the third most expensive city in our study. However, at just 4% (£111 / $136) more than an unfurnished property, those who can afford to live in San Fransisco may want to opt for the fully furnished option.

Seattle ranked as the third-best city for furnished apartment seekers with rents costing 6% (£125 / $154 per month) more on average. 

Cities where renters have the longest wait to recoup the cost of furnishing their apartment 

With Switzerland having some of the most expensive furniture costs of countries included in our study, Geneva ranked as the worst city for apartment hunters who’d prefer a property that they can put their own stamp on. Saving just £82 ($100) a month by choosing the unfurnished option, renters would need more than two years (28.5 months) to recover their investment. 

Similarly, the comparably small difference in rental prices for property types and expensive startup costs makes San Francisco one of the least appealing cities for renting an unfurnished property.  Providing renters put every penny saved in rent towards recovering the cost of their furniture, it would still take them 23.8 months. 

Renters in Copenhagen will face the third longest wait to recoup the cost of furnishing their new home, needing 23.2 months to do so.