How Much I Spent to Furnish My College Dorm Room

Last January, I moved into a new condo rental after my last contract expired. This time around, the room was unfurnished so I had to buy everything on my own. Here’s a breakdown of all my expenses. Read until the end to see my total.

Take note that I tried to find the most budget-friendly furniture and appliances while not balancing it with durability.

Rent

Just to get it out of the way, my rent for an unfurnished 27-square-meter room costs PHP 17,000 per month exclusive of water, electricity, and internet.

Sleeping Necessities

Since I am lodging with my cousin, I bought a double-deck from Facebook Marketplace at PHP 10,000. We bought our foams for PHP 2,000 each (PHP 4,000 total) and our pillows at PHP 400 for 2 pillows each (PHP 800 total).

Storage

The condo came with a cabinet already. However, the cabinets were really small. So, I had to buy drawers for PHP 1,000, a clothing rack from Lazada for PHP 600, and some storage boxes for PHP 1,200.

Work Area

I am a student and a content creator so a proper work area is a non-negotiable for me. For this, I bought a Lifetime table for PHP 2,500 and an office chair for another PHP 2,500.

I didn’t include the gadgets (laptop, monitor, etc.) in this computation anymore.

Dining

I bought my dining table set, a round table with 2 chairs made up of wood and steel S&R at PHP 6,000.

Kitchen Equipment

We like cooking and heating food at home to save money. So, we bought an induction cooker for PHP 2,400, a microwave for PHP 2,500, and a mini rice cooker for 1,500. And of course, as “broke” students, cup noodles are our saving grace; for this, we bought a water heater for PHP 500.

We also bought some storage for snacks for PHP 1,000 and another for plates for PHP 1,000.

I no longer included the pans, ladles, and other kitchen stuff in this computation anymore.

Appliances

We also had to buy lightbulbs for PHP 500 since it is a pretty big room at 27 square meters with a 9-foot ceiling. And since we’re living in the Philippines (it’s so hot!), we bought a 1HP window-type air conditioning unit for PHP 14,000 plus an installation fee of PHP 4,000.

Conclusion

To be really honest, moving into an unfurnished condo rental wasn’t in my plan because of the inevitable bulk expenses. However, a 27-square-meter room with a 9-foot ceiling priced at only PHP 17,000 per month is hard to find in the vicinity of universities; so, it was really hard for me to pass up on it. I spent PHP 56,000 to furnish my dorm on top of my rent deposit and advances — which totals more than PHP 100,000 in one go.

I wouldn’t recommend moving into an unfurnished rental if you don‘t plan on staying there for a long time. Remember, if you end up moving out and transferring to a furnished rental, you’ll have to store or sell the things you bought at a loss.

Anyway, I hope my experience helped you realize the reality of moving into an unfurnished rental. By the way, we have available furnished and unfurnished rentals on https://app.dormy.ph. Happy renting!