B: The other good thing about the apartment we saw is that it is unfurnished. It has a refrigerator and washing machine, but that’s it.
A: Why is that a good thing? I thought you would want it to be furnished, so you didn’t have to fork out for new furniture.
B: We own most of what we need. We have a bed, sofa, dining table, chairs and a chest of drawers from the last apartment.
Photo: Pixabay 照片:Pixabay
A: It’s all good then. Don’t forget to ask about whether there is a management fee, and remember that you will need to pay the agent: I think they usually ask for half a month’s rent.
B: 我們去看的那間公寓,它的另一個優點是不附傢俱,只有冰箱和洗衣機。
A: 為什麼這算優點啊?我以為你希望它附傢俱,這樣就不用自己花錢買新的了。
B: 需要用的,我們大部分都有了。我們有床、沙發、餐桌、五斗櫃,是從上一間公寓搬過來的。
A: 那這樣就沒問題了。別忘記問是不是需要繳管理費,而且你也需要付仲介費,費用通常是半個月的房租。
(Paul Cooper, Taipei Times/台北時報林俐凱譯)
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