Moving to Germany and Your Apartment Is Empty? What to Buy First and How to Pay for It in 2026

Many apartments in Germany are rented unfurnished, and some come without a fitted kitchen or even light fixtures, so a new arrival can find an empty shell on day one. The sensible order is sleep first (bed and mattress), then lighting, then kitchen essentials and a washing machine, then storage and living-room furniture.

Quelle, a German online retailer, covers all of these in one shop, with standard delivery at €5.95, a 30-day return guarantee, an assembly service for furniture, and old-appliance take-back when a new machine is delivered. Payment can be by invoice, in instalments from €10 a month through its Flexikonto, or with a three-month payment pause, though these financing options are normally subject to a credit check, which newcomers should check before relying on them. The shop is in German, so this guide translates the key terms you will see at checkout.

Quick answer: what to buy first in an unfurnished German apartment

1. Bed, slatted frame and mattress (sleep comes first)
2. Lighting (lamps and bulbs, sometimes even ceiling fixtures)
3. Kitchen appliances (fridge, cooker or hob, microwave, kettle, basic cookware)
4. Washing machine
5. Everything else: wardrobe, table and chairs, sofa, shelving, desk

If you only have budget for a handful of things this week, stop after step 4. Everything on the list below the washing machine can wait a few weeks.

Why your apartment may be completely empty

In Germany, "unfurnished" (unmöbliert) really means unfurnished. Depending on the landlord and region, you may get bare walls and a bathroom and nothing else. Two surprises catch newcomers most often:

• No kitchen. In many rentals the tenant provides the entire Einbauküche (fitted kitchen), or at least the appliances. Check your lease (Mietvertrag) and the handover list before you plan your budget.
• No light fixtures. Some flats are handed over with bare wires or a bulb socket hanging from the ceiling. You are responsible for lamps, shades and bulbs.

Before you buy anything, measure each room, note where the sockets and water connections are, and ask your landlord what is included. It takes ten minutes and prevents expensive returns.

Week-one priority list

Week 1. Bed and sleeping basics (day one)

You can eat takeaway and wash clothes at a laundrette. You cannot easily fix a bad night's sleep during a house-hunt, a new job or the first weeks of university.

Buy together:

• Bettgestell (bed frame) or a mattress on the floor if you need to start fast
• Lattenrost (slatted frame), which supports the mattress and is often sold separately
• Matratze (mattress). Check the size carefully. German sizes are metric (90 × 200 cm, 140 × 200 cm, 160 × 200 cm), and they differ from UK and US sizes, so your old bedding may not fit.
• Bettwäsche (bed linen), Kissen (pillows) and Decke (duvet). German duvets and sheets are usually sold in their own sizes too.

Tip: if you need a bed assembled, look for an assembly option at checkout (see the glossary below) rather than assuming it is included.

Week 2. Lighting (days 1 to 3)

Lighting is the item people forget until the first evening in the new flat. Buy:

• A Deckenleuchte (ceiling light) or Stehlampe (floor lamp) for each main room
• A Schreibtischlampe (desk lamp) if you study or work from home
• Leuchtmittel (bulbs). Check the socket type (E27 is the common large screw fitting, E14 the small one) before you order.

If your ceiling has only bare wires, you may need a lamp that is designed to be connected to the mains. If you are not sure, ask your landlord or an electrician; do not improvise with electrics.

Week 3. Kitchen essentials (days 3 to 7)

If your flat has no fitted kitchen, work out what the kitchen actually includes before you shop. Many tenants need to buy:

• Kühlschrank (fridge, often with a small freezer compartment)
• Herd / Kochfeld (cooker or hob) and Backofen (oven), if not already installed
• Mikrowelle (microwave) and Wasserkocher (kettle) for the fastest start
• Basic Töpfe und Pfannen (pots and pans), Geschirr (crockery), Besteck (cutlery)

Appliances that connect to gas or are built into cabinets (Einbaugeräte) usually need a professional to install them, so confirm what your lease allows before you buy.

Week 4. Washing machine (week one or two)

A washing machine (Waschmaschine) is the biggest single purchase on this list. Before ordering:

• Check whether your building has a shared laundry room (Waschkeller). If it does, you may not need your own machine.
• Check that your flat has the water supply and drain connection for one, normally in the bathroom or kitchen.
• Measure the doorway and stairwell as well as the space for the machine.
• Choose a machine that fits your budget and capacity (5 to 8 kg suits most singles and couples).

Quelle says it will take away your old appliance when a new machine is delivered, which helps if the previous tenant left one behind. Confirm the details at checkout.

Week 5. Everything else (weeks two to six)

Once you can sleep, see, cook and wash clothes, build up the rest at your own pace:

• Kleiderschrank (wardrobe) and Regal (shelving)
• Esstisch und Stühle (dining table and chairs)
• Sofa and Couchtisch (coffee table)
• Schreibtisch und Bürostuhl (desk and chair)
• Curtains (Vorhänge), rugs (Teppiche) and storage boxes

Where to buy furniture in Germany online

Germany has a large online furniture and appliance market, and you can furnish a flat without visiting a showroom. The practical test for a new arrival is simple: does the shop have the full list above, does it deliver to your address, and does it let you pay in a way you can actually use?

Quelle is one German option that sells furniture, lighting, kitchen items and appliances in a single shop, which makes a first-week order easier to manage. These are the main terms to know, as listed on its site at the time of writing:

Detail	What Quelle offers
Standard delivery	€5.95
Returns	30-day return guarantee
Assembly	Assembly service for furniture
Old appliances	Take-back when a new machine is delivered
Payment	Invoice, instalments from €10 a month (Flexikonto), three-month payment pause

You can browse the range and check current prices on Quelle's online shop. Delivery fees, services and payment options can change and can differ by item, so confirm them on the product page and at checkout before you pay.

How to pay for it in 2026

Furnishing from scratch is expensive, so spreading the cost matters. The common options at German online shops:

• Rechnung (invoice): you receive the goods first and pay afterwards, usually within a stated number of days.
• Ratenzahlung (instalments): you pay in monthly amounts. With Quelle's Flexikonto, instalments start from €10 a month.
• Zahlungspause (payment pause): you delay the first payment, in Quelle's case by three months.
• Standard methods such as card payments, where the shop supports them.

The credit-check catch for newcomers

Invoice and instalment options are normally subject to a credit check (Bonitätsprüfung). In Germany, this often involves the Schufa, the national credit agency. If you have just arrived, you probably have no Schufa history, and a shop may decline financing even if you earn a good salary or have savings.

What to do:

• Do not count on invoice or instalments for your most urgent items.
• Use a card or another upfront method for the bed, mattress and lighting, and finance the bigger purchases later if you are approved.
• Once you have a German bank account, a registered address (Anmeldung) and a stable income, approval is usually easier.
• If you are declined, you can still order the same goods and pay up front.

German checkout glossary

German term	English meaning	Where you will see it
Warenkorb	Shopping basket	Top of the page
Zur Kasse	To checkout	Basket page
Lieferadresse	Delivery address	Checkout
Versandkosten	Delivery costs	Basket and checkout
Lieferzeit	Delivery time	Product page
inkl. MwSt.	Including VAT	Price display
Rechnung	Invoice (pay after delivery)	Payment options
Ratenzahlung	Payment in instalments	Payment options
Zahlungspause	Payment pause	Payment options
Bonitätsprüfung	Credit check	Financing step
Aufbauservice	Assembly service	Product page
Altgerät-Mitnahme / Rücknahme	Take-back of old appliance	Appliance page
Rückgabe / Widerruf	Return / withdrawal	Returns information
Lieferung bis Bordsteinkante	Delivery to the kerb	Large-item delivery
Montage	Fitting or installation	Appliances and furniture

A realistic first-week checklist

• Read the lease and handover list: what is already in the flat?
• Measure rooms, doorways and stairwells
• Order bed frame, slatted frame, mattress and bedding
• Order lamps and the right bulbs
• Order fridge, cooker or hob, kettle, microwave and basic cookware
• Decide whether you need a washing machine or can use a shared laundry room
• Choose assembly (Aufbauservice) where you do not have tools or help
• Check which payment options you actually qualify for
• Plan the remaining furniture over the following weeks

FAQ

What should I buy first for an empty apartment in Germany? A bed and mattress, then lighting, then kitchen essentials and a washing machine. Add the rest, such as storage and living-room furniture, once those are in place.

Are apartments in Germany usually unfurnished? Many are rented unfurnished, and some come without a fitted kitchen or even ceiling light fixtures. Always check the lease and handover list.

Where can I buy furniture in Germany online? Several German retailers deliver nationwide. Quelle is one that sells furniture, lighting, kitchen items and appliances in one shop, with standard delivery at €5.95 and a 30-day return guarantee.

Can I buy furniture in Germany in instalments? Often yes. Quelle offers payment by invoice, instalments from €10 a month through its Flexikonto and a three-month payment pause. These options are normally subject to a credit check, so newcomers without a Schufa history may be declined.

Does the shop assemble the furniture? Quelle offers an assembly service for furniture. Check the product page to see if it is available for your item.

What happens to my old washing machine? Quelle offers take-back of an old appliance when a new machine is delivered. Confirm this when you order.

The shop is in German. Can I still use it? Yes. Use the glossary above for the key checkout terms, and use your browser's translate function for product descriptions.

Bottom line

An empty German apartment is manageable if you buy in the right order. Sleep first, light second, kitchen and washing machine next, everything else later. Pay up front for the urgent items, because financing is unlikely to be instant for newcomers, and add instalments for the larger purchases once you qualify. When you are ready to order, start with Quelle's online range and check delivery, assembly and payment terms at checkout.