In Germany, the term “unfurnished” means something entirely different than it does in most places. When you refer to unfurnished apartments or houses in Germany, this most literally means bare walls housing. This is one reason for the price difference in furnished and unfurnished. Unfurnished means no closets, no built-in cabinets, no kitchen fixtures, no lighting fixtures, no carpets or rugs, and no curtain rods or curtains. The kitchen will be a room with utility lines ready for cabinet, sink and appliance installation. All of these items are your responsibility to supply.
It is also important to know that kitchens,bathrooms, laundry rooms and halls are not included in the number of rooms specified in a housing option.
In other words, if you want a 4 room apartment, this will mean you are looking for 2 bedrooms, a living room and a dining room (plus kitchen and bathroom, etc.).
This is what makes furniture and fixture rental so appealing in Germany.
For less than the difference in rental between furnished and unfurnished, you can rent everything you need to furnish and equip your new home for occupation. Your best source for these items is FurnitureLeasing.net.