Furnishing an apartment in Germany: the empty-flat guide

The empty-flat shock: what German apartments do (and don't) come with

The single biggest surprise for newcomers, and the reason this guide exists: a standard German rental (unmöbliert) is handed over genuinely empty. Not "unfurnished but move-in-ready" - empty. When you get the keys after signing your rental contract, expect the flat to have no kitchen, no wardrobes or built-in closets, no light fixtures (just wires poking out of the ceiling), often no bathroom mirror or cabinet, and sometimes not even curtain rails. Floors are usually finished (Laminat, Parkett or Vinyl), and radiators are there, but almost everything else is on you.

This is normal, not a defect. German tenants own their fittings and take them when they move, which is why the flat you viewed looked lived-in but arrives as a shell. Plan your first-week budget and logistics around it - it is a core part of the first 30 days in Germany. Below is everything you need to fill that shell without overspending: where to buy, what it costs, the kitchen problem, beds and bedding the German way, appliances, second-hand routes, delivery, drilling into concrete walls, and how to get rid of it all when you leave.

Where to buy furniture: the full map from budget to premium

Germany has a deep furniture market at every price point. Knowing which store sits where saves you real money, because the same sofa can differ by hundreds of euros between chains.

Because prices for the exact same article swing widely between these chains, the fastest way to not overpay on a big purchase is to compare across all of them at once rather than driving from store to store.

Two practical tips: warehouse discounters like Poco and Roller are cash-and-carry, so you either haul it yourself or pay for delivery on top; and the big mid-range houses (XXXLutz, Höffner) run near-constant "sale" events, so the sticker price is rarely the real floor - it is worth checking the same item's price elsewhere before you commit.

The kitchen problem: Ablöse, new-build, or bring your own

The kitchen is the biggest single furnishing decision in Germany, because most flats have none. You have three routes:

• Buy the previous tenant's kitchen (Ablöse / Abstandszahlung). Very common: the outgoing tenant sells you their fitted kitchen (cabinets, worktop, appliances) for a one-off payment, typically €500-3,000 depending on age and quality. Negotiate hard - old units are worth less than sellers hope, and you can ask for an itemised list. Get the agreed sum and what's included in writing.
• Install a new kitchen. A basic IKEA kitchen (Metod) runs roughly €2,000-4,000 including appliances, mid-range kitchen-studio kitchens €5,000-10,000+. Factor in delivery and installation (Montage) if you can't fit it yourself. This is a real investment you may not fully recover, though you can sell it as Ablöse to the next tenant when you leave.
• Rent a flat with a kitchen included. Listings marked "EBK" (Einbauküche) already have a fitted kitchen - worth paying slightly more rent for if you want to skip the whole problem. Furnished (möbliert) flats always include one.

Whatever you inherit, check that appliances work before you pay, and confirm with the landlord that the kitchen is yours to keep or remove at the end.

What furnishing actually costs (real 2026 budgets)

Ballpark totals to fill an empty one-bedroom (excluding the kitchen, which is separate above). These are typical 2026 ranges and vary a lot by city and how much you buy new:

Individual big-ticket items, as a rough guide: sofa €400-1,500, bed + mattress + slatted frame €300-1,000, wardrobe €150-600, dining table + chairs €200-800, fridge €200-500, washing machine €300-600. Spreading the cost over the first few months is normal - prioritise a bed, somewhere to sit, and a fridge, then fill in the rest.

Beds and bedding, the German way

Beds trip up almost every newcomer, because the sizing and the bedding logic are different:

• Bed sizes. A single is 90x200 cm; the standard "double" is 140x200 cm, which is narrow for two adults. Couples usually go for 180x200 or 200x200, often as two separate mattresses side by side in one frame. Lengths are 200 cm as standard (2.20 m for tall people).
• The three-layer bed. A German bed is a frame (Bettgestell) + slatted base (Lattenrost) + mattress (Matratze), sometimes with a topper on top. The Lattenrost is bought separately and matters for comfort and back support - don't skip it.
• Bedding. There is no top sheet and no shared duvet. Each sleeper gets their own individual duvet (Bettdecke), standard size 135x200 cm, inside a cover (Bettbezug). A 200-wide bed still uses two separate 135-wide duvets, not one big one. Buy fitted sheets (Spannbettlaken) to your mattress size.

Mattresses are sold everywhere from IKEA to dedicated online brands (Emma, Bett1/Bodyguard are popular German names); a decent one is €200-500. You can compress-ship most online mattresses to your door.

Lamps, curtains and the bare-wire ceiling

Two more empty-flat realities worth their own section:

• Ceiling lights. German flats are handed over with bare wire ends where lamps go - the previous tenant took their fixtures. You buy and hang your own lamps, connecting them with a Lüsterklemme (a small connector block). It is a simple job, but until you do it, rooms have no ceiling light. Buy a few cheap plug-in lamps for day one so you're not in the dark. Turn the fuse off at the box before wiring a ceiling lamp; if you're not comfortable, an electrician does it in minutes.
• Curtains and blinds. Windows rarely come with blinds. Many buildings have external roller shutters (Rollläden) you operate with a strap, but inside you'll want your own Gardinen (curtains), Rollos (roller blinds) or Plissees (pleated blinds). Rails/rods are usually not pre-installed, so measure before buying.

The soft-furnishing layer - curtains, cushions, rugs, bed linen, lamps and kitchenware - is where a bare flat starts to feel like home, and it's the cheapest part to get right if you shop off-price rather than full-retail.

Appliances: fridge, washing machine, no dryer

White goods (Elektrogroßgeräte) are usually not included and are on you:

• Fridge (Kühlschrank). Rarely provided unless the kitchen came with one. Buy new from MediaMarkt, Saturn, Otto, expert or online, or second-hand.
• Washing machine (Waschmaschine). Flats have a water connection (often in the bathroom or kitchen, not a dedicated laundry room) but no machine. Check where the connection is before buying, and whether the building has a shared laundry (Waschküche) in the cellar.
• No dryer, usually. Tumble dryers are far less common than elsewhere - most people air-dry on a Wäscheständer (drying rack) or a cellar/attic line. Factor in the space.

For all white goods, note the connection type and dimensions, and remember delivery of heavy appliances often costs extra (with old-appliance take-away sometimes included).

Buying second-hand (and getting furniture for free)

Second-hand is culturally normal in Germany and the single biggest way to furnish cheaply - the market is huge and unembarrassed:

• Kleinanzeigen (formerly eBay Kleinanzeigen) is the giant: local listings for everything from sofas to wardrobes, usually collection-only, cash on pickup. Its "Zu verschenken" (to give away) section is genuinely free furniture - you just haul it.
• Flohmärkte (flea markets) every weekend in most cities - good for small pieces, lamps, kitchenware.
• Sozialkaufhäuser / Gebrauchtwarenhäuser - charity-run second-hand department stores (run by welfare organisations) selling cheap used furniture and appliances, often with delivery.
• Facebook groups and expat/neighbourhood groups, especially "free your stuff" and city expat groups, where leavers offload whole flats' worth cheaply.
• Sperrmüll day (see disposal below): people put usable furniture on the pavement for bulky-waste collection, and it's common to take what you can use before the truck comes.

For big second-hand pieces, arrange transport before you commit (see the moving-it-yourself options below), and inspect for bedbugs/damage on upholstered items.

Delivery, assembly and moving it yourself

Getting furniture home is its own cost line:

• Store delivery (Lieferung). Big furniture comes by freight (Spedition), not parcel. Cheaper "kerbside" delivery (Bordsteinkante) drops it at your door downstairs; "into the room" delivery and carrying upstairs costs more. Always check what the delivery tier includes.
• Assembly (Aufbauservice / Montage). Most furniture is flat-pack. Stores offer paid assembly; IKEA partners with services for this. Budget €50-150+ for a big-item build if you don't want to do it yourself.
• Do it yourself. Rent a van (Transporter mieten) from IKEA's own rental, a hardware store (Bauhaus, Obi, Hornbach), or car-sharing services with vans. Roughly €30-80 for a few hours. Enlist friends - carrying a wardrobe up four floors alone is not fun.

If you're moving your whole household into Germany rather than buying fresh, the complete moving guide covers international shipping and movers instead.

Tools you'll need: drilling into German walls

A small but real gotcha: German interior walls are frequently solid (concrete or brick), not hollow plasterboard. To hang shelves, curtain rails or wall units you'll need a hammer drill (Schlagbohrmaschine/Bohrhammer) and the right wall plugs (Dübel) - a normal screw won't hold. A basic drill and a Dübel assortment from Obi, Bauhaus or Hornbach pays for itself fast.

As a tenant you're allowed to drill a reasonable number of holes, but you generally must fill them (with Spachtelmasse) and repaint when you move out, or the cost comes off your deposit. Keep holes sensible and leftover wall paint if the landlord specified a colour.

Getting rid of furniture: Sperrmüll and the disposal rules

You cannot just leave old furniture on the street or in the normal bins - illegal dumping (wilde Müllentsorgung) carries fines. The proper routes, which also matter when you leave Germany:

• Sperrmüll (bulky-waste collection). Book a pickup with your city's waste service (BSR in Berlin, AWM in Munich, and the equivalent Stadtreinigung elsewhere) for large items - furniture, mattresses. In many cities a set number of collections per year is free or already covered by your fees; some charge a small booking fee. You put the items out the night before the booked date.
• Recyclinghof / Wertstoffhof. Drive items to the local recycling centre yourself, usually free or cheap for households.
• Give it away first. Kleinanzeigen "Zu verschenken", Sozialkaufhäuser (some collect for free), or the pavement on Sperrmüll day - the greener and easier route for anything still usable.

Electrical appliances have their own rules under the Elektrogesetz (ElektroG) and often can't go in Sperrmüll - retailers must take back old devices and councils run e-waste points (Umweltbundesamt overview). See waste and recycling in Germany for how to dispose of electronics and where Sperrmüll fits with the rest of the system.

Renting furniture instead (short-term and expat option)

If you're in Germany for a defined stint, unsure how long you'll stay, or just don't want to buy a whole flat's worth up front, furniture rental (Möbel mieten / leasing) is a growing option: providers deliver, assemble and later collect furniture for a monthly fee, and some let you buy pieces at the end. It costs more over time than buying but avoids the upfront outlay and the disposal problem later.

It's also worth weighing against simply renting a furnished (möbliert) flat for your first year - pricier per month, but zero furnishing effort and nothing to sell when you leave. Many expats furnish properly only once they've decided to stay.

Whatever you buy, insure it: once you own a flat's worth of furniture, electronics and belongings, home contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) covers theft, fire and water damage for a few euros a month - and it's cheap precisely because you now own things worth replacing. Setting up your electricity and other utilities is the other day-one task once the flat is livable.

Frequently asked questions