Read this article to learn whether you should bring your own furniture when you move to Madrid, or if it makes more sense to buy new furniture or rent furniture in Madrid.
Can I rent a furnished apartment in Madrid?
If you’re planning to move to the centre of Madrid for less than 12 months, you can find plenty of quality furnished apartments. You just need to know where to find quality ones for a fair price. However, if you’re planning to come for more than 12 months, you limit yourself to 20% of the available market by only considering furnished rentals.
If you’re moving to a neighborhood out of the centre, such as the suburbs of Pozuelo (interactive map), there are very few furnished apartments. Insisting on a furnished rental in the suburbs will limit you to less than 10% of the market.
Finally, if you are coming with your family, it will be difficult to find a furnished apartment. This is because large apartments are typically rented unfurnished.
It is hard to rent a large, furnished apartment in Madrid. However, you can rent great furniture like this relatively cheaply.
To summarize:
- If you’re staying in Madrid centre for less than 12 months, rent a furnished apartment.
- If you’re staying out of the centre, you will likely need to buy or rent furniture in Madrid.
- The larger the apartment, the fewer possibilities you have to find a furnished apartment.
- The longer you stay, the more economical it is to buy your own furniture.
Should I bring my furniture with me?
It all comes down to the price of the move. Assess the cost of your furniture, its replacement value and the potential cost of your move, and see if it’s worth it. It is worth pointing out that prices in Spain are significantly cheaper than those in the US and most European countries. Moreover, interior design in Spain is quite good, so it is likely you can buy excellent furniture at a relatively cheap price.
If you’re moving for more than two years, and from a neighbouring country like France (3000 – 6000 € estimated moving cost), Portugal (1500 – 4000 € estimated moving cost) or even the UK (4000-7000 € estimated moving cost), you should consider bringing your furniture with you.
If you’re moving from the US or further abroad, your stay has to be long (two year minimum) and your furniture expensive enough to make it worthwhile.
Believe it or not, this is all rented furniture!
24 months is the magic number
In most cases, the point at which it is usually more cost effective to buy or rent furniture in Madrid is 24 months. As a general rule of thumb:
- If you’re staying less than 24 months in Madrid, rent furniture in Madrid.
- If you’re staying longer, buy furniture in Madrid.
Here are the figures for renting vs. buying average quality furniture:
- One bedroom apartment: 160 € / month + tax – 3000 € minimum
- Two bedroom apartment: 220 € / month + tax – 3500 € minimum
- Three bedroom apartment: 275 € / month + tax – 4500 € minimum
- Four bedroom apartment: 340 € / month + tax- 5500 € minimum
Where should I buy furniture in Madrid?
No surprises here: IKEA is your best bet in Madrid if you want average quality furniture at great prices. There are also a number of online vendors, such as Showroomprive, that specialize in flash sales where you can get premium furniture at excellent prices.
If you’re looking for high quality, designer furniture, we can produce tailored luxury recommendations. Book a FREE CONSULTATION and we will be happy to help.
Where should I rent furniture in Madrid?
We recommend Home Essentials. You can contact Douglas Simmons. If you use the provided link to email him, Moving2Madrid’s referral will come automatically with the email. You will get an automatic 10% discount when you ask for the special Moving2Madrid offer. If you don’t use the above link, make sure to put us (email@moving2madrid.com) in copy so you can be assured of your discount.
Even if you bring your own furniture, it can take awhile for it to arrive. Home Essentials can provide you short term rental furniture and linens so you are comfortable whilst waiting for your things to arrive.
If you need help to moving to Madrid, send us an email! We can help you find the perfect flat within your budget, or refer you to our rental partner.