Apartment for rent - without a kitchen!

Here's How to Deal With the “No-Kitchen” Situation

If you're moving to Germany from pretty much anywhere else in the world, there's a good chance nobody warned you about this: apartments here are often rented completely empty. And we mean empty. No kitchen. Not even a sink, sometimes. Just four walls, a window, and a cold water pipe sticking out of the wall where a kitchen used to be.

Welcome to Germany.

Before you spiral, know that this is completely normal, widely accepted, and — once you understand the system — actually manageable. Here's your guide to getting a kitchen in your German rental apartment.

Option 1: Buy the previous tenant's kitchen

This is by far the easiest and most common solution, and if you have the option, take it seriously.

When a tenant moves out of an apartment, they're technically supposed to take their kitchen with them — but nobody actually wants to haul a fully installed kitchen across town. So it's become standard practice for outgoing tenants to offer their kitchen to the incoming tenant for a negotiated price.

You'll typically see this advertised in the rental listing itself ("Küche kann übernommen werden" — kitchen available for purchase) or it'll come up during the apartment viewing. Prices vary wildly depending on age, quality, and how motivated the seller is: anywhere from 500€ for a basic IKEA setup to 5,000+€ for a custom fitted kitchen in good condition. Everything is negotiable.

Pros: Fast (it's already installed), no delivery or installation hassle, often good value.
Cons: You get what you get — no choice of layout, color, or appliances.

Timeline: Immediate — you move in and the kitchen is there.

Option 2: IKEA

IKEA is the backbone of German rental kitchen culture, and for good reason. The METOD system is modular, widely available, affordable, and — crucially — designed to be disassembled and taken with you when you move. Which is exactly what you'll want to do.

A basic IKEA kitchen for a standard rental apartment (roughly 8–12 cabinets, sink, and appliances) will run you somewhere between 2,000€ and 5,000€ depending on your choices. Add another €500–1,500 if you hire someone to install it, which we strongly recommend unless you're very handy and have a free weekend.

IKEA also offers a planning service (free, in-store or online) and an installation service (paid). The planning appointment is genuinely useful — bring your room measurements and they'll help you figure out what fits.

Pros: Affordable, flexible, takes it with you when you move.
Cons: Takes time to plan and install; IKEA delivery slots can be weeks out during busy periods; assembly is a commitment.

Timeline: 4–8 weeks from planning to finished kitchen, realistically.

Option 3: Custom kitchen studio (Küchenstudio)

If you want something beautiful, perfectly fitted, and built to last, a German Küchenstudio is where you go. These are specialist kitchen retailers — think dedicated showrooms with designers who will spend hours with you planning every last drawer divider. Brands like Nobilia, Häcker, Schuller, and Nolte are popular mid-range options; Bulthaup and SieMatic are at the high end.

The experience is genuinely impressive: you'll get a full 3D rendering of your kitchen before anything is ordered, professional installation, and a result that looks and feels like it belongs in the apartment. The tradeoff is cost and time.

Budget 8,000–20,000+€ for a mid-range custom kitchen, installation included. High-end kitchens can go much higher. And lead times are long — German kitchen studios are notoriously backed up, with 10–16 weeks from order to installation being typical, sometimes longer.

Pros: High quality, perfectly fitted, long-lasting.
Cons: Expensive and slow. Also harder to take with you when you move.

Timeline: 3–6 months, sometimes more.

Option 4: A local carpenter (Schreiner)

For something truly custom — unusual room dimensions, specific materials, a design that doesn't fit standard modules — a local Schreiner (carpenter) is worth considering.

A Schreiner will work with you directly to design and build exactly what you need. You can mix custom-made elements with off-the-shelf components (IKEA carcasses with custom fronts, for example) to keep costs manageable. The result tends to have a warmth and quality that factory kitchens can't quite replicate.

Prices are highly variable depending on materials and complexity, but expect to pay more than IKEA and potentially less than a high-end Küchenstudio — roughly 5,000–15,000+ € for a complete kitchen.

Pros: Truly custom, high craftsmanship, unique result.
Cons: Requires more involvement from you, longer planning process, harder to compare quotes.

Timeline: 2–4 months typically.

Option 5: Secondhand

Germany has a thriving secondhand market for kitchens, and it's worth a look — especially if you're on a tight budget or just need something temporary.

The best places to look:

• eBay Kleinanzeigen (now called Kleinanzeigen) — the go-to platform for secondhand everything in Germany. Search "Küche" plus your city.

• Local moving sales and estate sales

You can find complete kitchens in decent condition for 300–2,000€, sometimes including appliances. The catch: you'll need to disassemble, transport, and reinstall everything yourself — or hire someone to do it. And older kitchens may not fit your space perfectly.

Pros: Very affordable, can be a great find.
Cons: Time-consuming to find and install, uncertain condition, no guarantees.

Timeline: Unpredictable — could be a week, could be months of searching.

What about appliances?

Appliances are a separate question. German apartments sometimes come with a built-in oven or stovetop, but rarely. Budget an additional 800–2,000€ for a basic set (oven, cooktop, refrigerator, dishwasher) from brands like Bosch, Siemens, or AEG — all standard in Germany. IKEA also sells appliances that integrate cleanly with their kitchen systems.

The bottom line

If you're moving into a new apartment and need a kitchen fast, try to buy from the previous tenant first. If that's not an option and you have a few weeks, IKEA is your friend. If you're planning to stay for years and want something you'll actually love, invest in a Küchenstudio or a good Schreiner.

And if you want a second opinion on your kitchen plans — whether it's layout, materials, or just figuring out what's worth spending money on — that's exactly the kind of thing we love to help with.