Learning To Love Your Rental Home

Almost every week, we’re greeted by more new of skyrocketing property prices and the idea of home ownership seems further and further away for a lot of people. The reality is, more and more people are spending longer and longer in the rental sector. With that comes a shift in the way people want to treat their homes. The idea of a rented home being temporary is no longer the situation in a lot of cases, and people are wanting to know what they can do to make where they live more personal and to their own taste – without getting into territory like house extensions and kitchen replacements. There’s now a whole market for purse-friendly home improvements that can personalise a place while staying within budget and the terms of the rental agreement.

Go Bold With Furnishings

When you’re restricted to neutral walls, it can feel as if colour is off the table, which is a shame as it’s such a mood-altering, impactful way to change the feel of a space. One route is to aim to introduce a shot of vibrancy through furniture, upholstery and accessories. In fact, a neutral backdrop is ideal for showing off a statement magenta velvet armchair or patterned throw to its full advantage. You could try upcycling old furniture sourced of eBay, Freecycle and Gumtree with bright paint colours that you’d normally be afraid to try. Soft furnishings are also a great and inexpensive way to liven up a scheme, and best of all, they can go with you when you move.

Sort Your Storage in your rental

Who said storage couldn’t make a statement? Freestanding, flexible and modular storage can look amazing, giving your favourite pieces a home and showing them off nicely. You don’t have to attach units to the wall in most cases, making them rental-friendly. Fill them with personal photos, favourite objects and books or a display of candles to add personality into your room, or top with a great selection of houseplants to cleanse the air and invite the outside in.

Add Some Art

There’s no greater or more personal finishing touch than art on the walls where you live – but with rental homes, that can be tricky, as landlords rarely appreciate things which leave marks on their walls. There are a few workarounds to ensure that you can add art to your rental home which are worth considering – you just need to think outside the box. Framing things and leaning them up against the walls in groupings can look extremely effective, or you could try clipping and suspending artwork from a length of invisible fishing wire or even fairy lights attached to furniture. Equally, command strips can be used to hang prints without damaging paint on a wall, or the lo-fi but beautiful solution of using Blu Tack to add a print and then bordering it with washi tape works a treat in certain spaces.

Rock A Rug

Whether it’s dingy lino, chipped tiling or brown nylon carpets, the flooring is the bane of many renter’s lives – but impossible to change, right? Well, wrong actually. You can do a lot with a rug, which can really boost the look of your space – go for the largest size you can find to cover more of the space. Either opt for a plainer, neutral rug to tone down flooring you don’t like and visually melt it into the background or choose something patterned to add interest – another item which can go with you when you leave as well!