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Make Your Rental Feel Like Home

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

As house prices have risen over the years, renting a property is increasingly common, particularly for young people. There are lots of positives to renting, but restrictions may limit what you can do to make the property “your own” and feel like home. All it takes is a little inspiration to transform your rented home from bland to beautiful without upsetting the landlord and without splashing cash you won’t get back. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Work with the existing style of the rental property. If it’s a period property, furnish and accessorize according to the structure and appearance of the home. Styling a rental home is about working with what you’ve got, not reinventing the wheel so don’t go ultra-modern if your home is not.

Establish what you can and can’t do – there’s no harm in asking. Whilst your tenancy agreement will undoubtedly contain restrictions, some landlords might allow you to redecorate especially if it could increase the value of the property. If you agree colours in advance and keep changes purely cosmetic, they may be more flexible.

Lighting is an easy, high impact way to brighten your home and you can take it with you when you leave. Table lamps, downlighters, fairy lights or even candles can be used to great effect turning a bland space into something special or highlighting a particular area for decorative purposes.

Whilst you can’t reconfigure or extend a rented property, you can create zones using room dividers such as a folding screen. Bookcases also do the trick and can be the perfect combination for storage and decoration.

If you’re moving every couple of years, invest in furniture that you can take anywhere. Modular furniture can be moved around and reconfigured and is easy to remove at the end of your tenancy. Several small tables, are better than one large coffee table and more flexible for a future home. Rental homes often lack storage, causing clutter so avoid this by choosing furniture that provides storage as well as looking stylish.

Whether you’ve got wooden floorboards, laminate or carpet, the addition of rugs will add colour and style as well as protecting your deposit. If your landlord’s taste in carpets doesn’t match yours, find a sizeable rug to provide floor cover and instantly change the decor.

Unsightly sofas and chairs can also be camouflaged with cosy throws or loose covers. Inject life with colour and texture. Brightly coloured cushions and chunky throws add personality with minimal effort or cost. Textiles are the easiest, quickest way to make your house a home. Replace ugly curtains for an instant uplift and choose covers and throws to instantly change the look of a bedroom. If replacing anything, make sure that you store the landlord’s possessions safely so that you can return them in good condition at the end of the tenancy.

Leases often prevent tenants from hanging mirrors or artwork but a large canvas or mirror propped against the wall can create a dramatic focal point in a room. Check with your landlord and if picture hooks are forbidden, use picture hanging strips to keep the walls and your deposit intact! Wall stickers can be added and removed easily and come in a wide range of designs and colours. Use a mantle- piece, or freestanding cupboards to display pictures, photo frames and accessories.

Plants and flowers are an easy way to add life and colour to your home and can also make it smell fresh. If you’re not green fingered you can fake it with quality artificial flowers and plants, or buy indestructible cacti! Don’t forget to decorate your outdoor space with hardy plants and comfortable seating for summer nights. It’s easy to create your own oasis of calm with ceramic pots and outdoor solar lighting or candles.

Don’t worry too much about not being able to change the fixtures and fittings. With a little inspiration and some TLC your rented house will soon feel like home.