Inspecting a furnished apartment before you arrive
Check a furnished apartment you cannot see in person by requesting specific photos and video, asking about water, heating and internet, and reading reviews for repeated problems.
When you cannot see a furnished apartment in person, the photos, the listing and your messages with the host are the only evidence you have. The goal is to turn that evidence into specific answers about the things that will matter every day: the bed, the water and heating, the kitchen, the internet and the building itself. Words such as cozy or well equipped tell you little until you have checked what they mean for the place in front of you.
Ask for more than the listing offers. Most hosts can supply additional photos or a short video on request, and the way a host responds to a detailed request is useful information in its own right. A host who answers specific questions clearly is a good sign. A host who avoids specifics deserves a closer look before you pay.
Request specific photos and video
Ask for photos taken from the doorway of each room in daylight, so that the size and layout are visible. Ask for close-ups of the bathroom shower, the kitchen appliances including the oven and washing machine, and the view from the main windows, which shows how much light a room receives and what the street is like. Request a photo of the building entrance and the route from the street to the door, since that is the first thing you will see on arrival.
A short video walk-through taken without editing is more informative than a set of still images, because it shows how the space flows and the condition of corners and ceilings. Ask the host to open the cupboard under the sink and the wardrobe, and to show the space behind the refrigerator if possible. If a host will not provide any further view of the property, ask why before you commit.
Check water, heating, power and internet
Ask how hot water is produced and whether it is continuous or limited in quantity. Ask what type of heating or cooling is installed, how it is controlled and whether it works throughout the stay. In cold seasons, find out what heating costs are likely to be and whether they are included in the price. Ask about water pressure in the shower, since a weak shower can make a daily routine unpleasant. If the building shares a water heater or boiler, ask who maintains it and how a fault is reported, because a problem you cannot easily report can last for days.
Check the electrical arrangements as well. Ask where the outlets are relative to the desk and the bed, whether there are enough for your devices, and where the fuse box or breaker panel is. Ask for the internet speed as a measured number rather than a description such as fast, and ask whether the connection is shared with other units. If the stay involves work, ask whether there is a quiet place to sit, and check the photos for a desk-height surface.
Look at beds, seating and storage
The bed affects your sleep every night, so ask for close-up photos of the mattress and bedding, and ask the host to describe the firmness and size. Confirm whether bedding and towels are provided, whether they are changed during the stay and how often. Check that there are enough pillows and blankets for the number of guests.
Look at the furniture for anything that will affect daily comfort, such as a chair that wobbles, a desk too low for a laptop or a sofa that is hard to sit on for long periods. Check storage for your clothes and belongings, including wardrobe space, drawers and shelves in the bathroom and kitchen. Look carefully at the corners of walls and ceilings and around windows for dark patches, which can indicate damp, and ask the host about any past issue.
Read reviews for patterns
Reviews are most useful when you read them for repeated themes rather than for the overall score. Look for the same complaint across several reviews, such as noise from a particular street, slow internet at certain hours or a boiler that needs resetting. One negative review may reflect a single bad experience, while a pattern across several reviews usually points to a real issue. Give more weight to reviews from guests who stayed for a similar length of time, because the problems that appear in the first few days can differ from those that appear in the fourth week.
Read the host's responses as well. A host who addresses a problem clearly and describes what changed is giving you useful evidence, while a host who ignores specific complaints is telling you something too. If a review raises a concern the listing does not resolve, ask the host directly and note the answer. If the answer is vague, treat the concern as a reason to keep looking.
Your own messages before booking are also evidence. Note how long the host takes to reply and how clearly each answer is given. The response time before you book is a rough guide to how quickly a fault will be handled once you are there, so record it alongside the photos and the reviews.