Furnished or Unfurnished? That is the Question! (Meublé ou Non-meublé? Ca c'est la question!)

(With apologies to any of my dear readers who may be in the real estate biz ...)

It turns out that French real estate agents (les agents immobiliers) pay little, if any attention to what you say you want.

"Je cherche un appartement meublé à louer ... deux pièces ou un grand studio, avec une cuisine équipée ... calme et clair ..." was the gist of my initial message to four agents I visited who specialize in the 16th arrondissement (also known as the 16e or seizième to those in the know).  Loosely translated, I was only asking for a "frnshd apt w/1br or bg stud w/eqd ktch, quiet and sunny."  Too much to expect?  I thought not.

But consider the following:

• The definition of apartment furniture in Paris includes anything from 1950-1972; and,
• Equipped kitchen is most often defined as a closet-sized room with a hot plate and a refrigerator the size of -- I'm being generous here -- a sheet of postage stamps.

After looking at a dozen or so apparts meublés, I concluded that my French must really have been bad because not one of the apparts resembled in any way, shape, or form what I was seeking.  And the furniture (meubles) ???  OMG!  The only things missing were lava lamps!  I subsequently discovered by exploring Paris' many flea markets (les marchés aux puces) that lava lamps are an incredibly popular item.  Every marché aux puces had dozens of them, and they were selling like crèpes.  I firmly, but politely rejected all of the apparts meublés on the spot.

Madame l'agente or Monsieur l'agent would politely, yet with great purpose, ask me to consider an unfurnished apartment (un apart non-meublé) because s/he had several charming and perfect aparts to offer ... just what I would want.

I was finally convinced that perhaps a non-meublé would be the better way to go.  After all, ther are eight IKEA stores in the greater Paris area, not to mention a Habitat or two, and I was not looking to purchase Louis IV pieces (in the style of or otherwise).  So, my thinking revised, I set out on a new course of action.

Coming Up Next:  Les aparts non-meublés