Choosing the Right Furniture for Off-Campus Housing

By Kaitlin Hurtado on July 31, 2018

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

Your decision to move to off-campus housing can stem from plenty of factors – cheaper rent, fewer rules, more freedom to choose your roommates – but you soon may realize the freedom that comes with off-campus housing also translates to the freedom to choose how to decorate your living space. With on-campus housing, it is more common to have your living spaces already furnished for you with a standard set of furniture that can be found throughout the entire housing community. When it comes to off-campus housing, however, you most likely be expected to provide your own furniture for off-campus housing.

The idea can be dreadful for some, it is a process of taking time to pick and choose furniture for off-campus housing, not to mention how it can create a dent in your bank account. However, for others, the idea of picking their own furniture for off-campus housing is enticing – you get to control how your living space looks, down to the color of your bed frame. Regardless of where you may be on the spectrum, here are some tips on choosing the right furniture for off-campus housing:

couch in living room

Image via pixabay.com

Consider what you value when it comes to furniture 

Think of the time you spend using certain furniture, or how much they contribute to the function of your living space. Maybe you spend nearly all of your time on your desk/workspace: working on projects, studying, doing your makeup every morning, and more. If that is the case, you do not want to pick out a smaller desk just to save a small amount of money. You get what you spend – so if you need a bigger desk to function better, it will be worth it shelling out a few more dollars on a bigger desk that can help you be the most productive in your living space.

The idea of picking your own furniture for off-campus housing when you realize you can finally ditch the standard twin-XL bed frames that can be found in most on-campus housing options. However, if you find that there is really no problem when it came to using a twin-sized bed, you can stick with it in your off-campus housing. If you prefer more bed space because you are a restless sleeper, or have company over, it may be worth it to splurge on a larger bed frame to suit your own needs. When it comes to furniture for off-campus housing, it is important to remember that you can spend money on things you will actually get more use out of.

Think of short-term versus long-term furniture

Furniture for off-campus housing most likely will not be your forever furniture. It can get you through one lease, or for the rest of your college career, but you may not keep it on later down the road. If you know that you are one to go for what is trendy or tend to switch things up often, consider renting furniture for off-campus housing rather than investing money bigger furniture pieces that you are not going to be fond of a couple years down the road.

Renting furniture for off-campus housing is something to consider, especially if you are more likely to be moving often in the next few years. You will not have to go through the trouble of looking for temporary storage or transporting your furniture from place to place, or even selling it when you realize the furniture is no longer doing anything for you or your space. Renting also comes in handy when you aren’t sure if you are going to have drastically different storage space from place to place (needing a loft bed to conserve space, or having a bigger bed for a bigger space).

Choose furniture that is multi-functional

One of the better things about getting to choose your own furniture for off-campus housing is being able to choose how furniture pieces can work for you and your space. Furniture for off-campus housing isn’t going to be a set standard like it was in your dorm community, which usually consists of a desk, chair, wardrobe, and bed.

You have the ability to choose your own furniture, and more importantly, how they can function in your space. A couch doesn’t just have to be a couch – it can double as a bed for when you have guests over, a life-saver if you are a social butterfly and are bound to host sleepovers or offer up your place after bar-hopping with your friends. You can choose chairs that can be easily folded, or rolled, to and from your study space to your dining space in order to save floor space and money on buying different sets of chairs.

Choosing furniture for off-campus housing doesn’t have to be a big hassle. Think of it as an opportunity to take control of your living space, and how your furniture can best function for you and your lifestyle in your off-campus housing.

Looking for an easy way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Renting furniture from CORT saves you time and money. See how easy it is to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.

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