Furnished Listings Across the Province

Furnished listings sell the furniture and household contents along with the home, from a fully furnished condo to a recreational cabin sold with everything down to the dishes, so confirm what is included in writing before you count it as part of the price.

Check What Furnished Actually Includes

The word means different things in different listings. Fully furnished can include every piece of furniture, the beds and linens, the kitchenware, the electronics and the art. Partially furnished may mean only the large pieces. Ask the listing agent for a written inventory, room by room, and look at each item during the viewing. Photographs from the listing may show staging pieces that leave with the stager.

Make sure the inventory is attached to the contract of purchase and sale. Items not listed there are not reliably included, and disputes over furniture on completion day are common and avoidable. Ask for a final walkthrough shortly before completion so you can confirm every listed item is still there and in the condition you saw, and agree in writing who removes anything left behind that is not on the list.

Ask How the Furnished Contents Affect Financing

Lenders finance the property, not the contents. An appraiser values the land and the building, so if part of the price reflects furniture, your mortgage is based on the lower value and you pay the difference from your own funds. Ask your lawyer or notary whether the contract should state a separate value for the contents, and how that affects the property transfer tax and your paperwork.

Compare Furnished Listings by Condition and Style

Used furniture is worth far less than new, and it may not suit your taste. Judge each piece honestly: is it quality you would have bought, or will you pay to remove it? A furnished home is most useful when the contents are in good condition and match how you plan to live, and least useful when you will replace everything anyway.

Check the condition of the home beneath the furniture as well. Furniture can hide worn flooring, damaged walls or stains, so ask to see under rugs and behind large pieces, and book an inspection as usual. On a deck or patio, check what outdoor furniture is included and its condition after the weather.

Weigh Resort and Recreational Purchases

Many furnished properties are recreational: condos in resort towns such as Whistler and Sun Peaks, cabins on lakes and homes on the islands, sold ready to use from the first weekend. Ask about the property's history of use, whether it has been rented, and what the strata bylaws and zoning allow. Provincial rules now limit short-term rentals in many communities to a host's principal residence, with exemptions in some resort areas, so check what applies before you plan around rental income.

For a condo in town, a furnished purchase suits buyers relocating from abroad or another province, students' parents and anyone who wants to move in with a suitcase. Compare the total price against similar unfurnished homes to see what you are paying for the contents. Check the appliances and electronics too, since a television or washer near the end of its life is a cost, not a benefit.

Browse Furnished Properties Across British Columbia

Supply includes condos in Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond, townhomes across the suburbs, and recreational property in resort and lake communities around the province. Browse and compare current real estate listings on Strawhomes, filter by area and bedroom count, and shortlist only the homes whose inventory you have confirmed in writing. Compare them against move in ready homes without contents, or a recreational property sold empty.