We are often asked by expatriates arriving to work in Macau whether it would be better to rent a furnished or unfurnished home here. 

There are pros and cons to both, and of course every situation is different.  Some already have households of furniture where they’re coming from, and it makes sense, rather than store or sell it, to bring it with them.  In these cases we will find them an unfurnished apartment.  The benefits are that they tend to settle quickly given an immediate sense of comfort being surrounded by familiar possessions and with their own bed and mattress they know they’ll have a good night’s sleep.

And the unfurnished apartments tend to be the newer properties that may not yet have been occupied.  Knock on benefits; clubhouses are newer with more state of the art facilities – One Oasis, One Grantai, Villa de Mer, Residencia and to a lesser extent the Buckingham being examples.

Older apartments, such as Flower City, Kingsville, the Manhattan, the Novas, Pearl on the Lough, will have already been tenanted and on the whole there will be items of furniture provided.  Useful for those coming to work on a project for a relatively short time like a year or so to have the basics laid on and who may not have the time or inclination to furnish themselves.

But what kind of furniture can be expected.  ‘You get what you pay for’ is the old adage but these days, with skyrocketing rents, it might not hold so true here in Macau.  It never ceases to amaze me what old shabby furnishings and flimsy, shiny plastic décor some owners provide in their supposedly ‘high end’ expensive properties, and then expect to receive an exorbitant rent!

There is a wide spectrum in the interpretation of ‘furnished’.  Some landlords provide just the basics, such as fridge, washing machine, beds, a sofa, a dining set and a TV (and you’re lucky to get a coffee table) and consider this furnished.  Others provide this and more … an oven, a clothes dryer, and everything down to bedding, towels, crockery, cutlery, toasters and coffee makers.

For those new arrivals who are not deeply wedded to their existing furniture back home, but who want clean and new, it’s as well to remember that we are on the edge of the land of furniture making, China.  This means custom made can be quick and inexpensive.  We often refer clients to a local furniture company where I bought my own sofa, a 10 ft by 8 ft L-shaped beauty, made well and to my specs and fabric choice, with removable, washable covers.  Ordered and delivered within 10 days, for less than HKD4,800 (USD600), now that’s good value for money.  And whilst not to everybody’s tastes, there’s decent wardrobes, beds and dining sets, at a fraction of the price of most retail outlets.

And of course, we have amazing household shopping an hour away in Hong Kong.  Good old IKEA with on line ordering, delivery and assembly, and designer furniture stores Shambala, Tequila Kola, Indigo to name just a few, located in the industrial building Horizon Plaza.

For the smart shopper who enjoys buying second hand, the notice boards at the main supermarkets often advertise home furnishings going for a song from families leaving.

So, in answer to that question we are often asked, I say that unless you’re fortunate to find an apartment with furnishings that are quality and clean, go the unfurnished route.  If you don’t want to take your furniture with you when you go, there’s usually a ready market of new arrivals who will buy it from you.