It can often be difficult to make a rental property feel like home. This is one of the reasons that renting often gets a bad rep, but the fact of the matter is that there are actually so many advantages. For a start, it can be more affordable than buying. As long as you can make your monthly rent payments, you don’t have to worry about that huge deposit you’d require to get a mortgage.
The Benefits of a Rental Property
A rental property is also less commitment, as you can move out whenever you like and find a new place. But perhaps the greatest benefit is the fact that you are not responsible for managing the property. Although you’ll need to look after it and keep it in good condition, any major issues, such as faulty plumbing or a broken central heating system, are the responsibility of your landlord or property management company to deal with. On the other hand, when you are a property owner, you have to fix these issues yourself. Or at least pay someone else to fix them. This was a huge shock for us when we bought our flat and actually still is even now.
The Downsides of a Rental Property
However, this lack of responsibility does have its downsides for renters. When you own your home outright, you are free to do with the property as you wish. You can hang artwork on the walls, replace the flooring, and buy whatever furniture you want. If you’re renting, you do not have this luxury. A generous landlord may let you hang a picture, but you are often very restricted in the amount of changes you can make. This makes it hard to make a rental property feel like home, as you are prevented from creating your desired environment.
But not everyone can afford to buy their own place. You may be saving up for your first home, or be waiting for the right time in your life to buy. In the meantime, you should be able to live in comfort and happiness without walking on eggshells around your landlord.
To help you feel at home in your rental property and enjoy a comfortable quality of life, here are a few great tips for making the most of your space. Even though you may not be able to make huge changes, there are things you can do to improve your environment and feel more at peace. Read on to learn more.
1. Build a Good Relationship With Your Landlord
The main thing stopping you from doing what you like with your rental property is your landlord. They own the house or apartment, so are understandably protective of it, and might be reluctant to let tenants make major changes. But many landlords are reasonable people and you can negotiate with them.
If you can build a relationship with yours, you can show them that you are trustworthy and competent. Assure them that if you hang a painting on the wall, you will ensure any marks or holes are fixed before you move out. Convince them that a different colour of paint in the living room will be a huge improvement and if necessary you will paint it back to the original colour before you leave.
There is never any harm in asking for something. The worst-case scenario is that they say no, and you have to come up with another idea. The best outcome is that they are amenable to all of your suggestions and happy to let you go ahead.
It’s important to establish a two-way line of communication and show that you are a respectful steward of their property. Any changes you make will have a positive impact and not leave any lasting damage. This relationship may give you more freedom to make your place feel more like home.
2. Change the Layout
If your rental property comes furnished with its own furniture, it can sometimes feel like you’re living in someone else’s house. It may take some time to feel comfortable in your new home. One way you can make it your own and feel more settled is to rearrange everything.
There is no reason you can’t move the furniture around and create a complete new layout. In doing so, you may create a pleasing aesthetic and generate more space in which you can relax. Just remember to move things back to where they were before you move out. Take pictures to refresh your memory.
3. Add Furniture to Make Your Rental Property Feel Like Home
You may not be able to remove your landlord’s furniture, but that doesn’t mean you can’t buy your own. Perhaps you don’t like their choice of sofa, or think their tables look tacky. You can remedy this problem by investing in your own and placing it throughout your house. If you have a garage or spare room, you can use this place to store the original furniture out of sight and out of mind.
Next, head to your favourite furniture store to buy a whole new set of chairs, tables, sofas, and beds, depending on your needs. The exact choice of items depends on your preferences and needs. You may want modern, sleek furnishing, or classic Italian furniture. It’s entirely up to you.
4. Keep it Clean
The cleanliness of our living environment has a huge impact on our mental state. If your rental home is cluttered and dirty, you will feel stressed and anxious, even if you don’t realize it. On the other hand, a pristine ordered space will make you feel calm and relaxed. If you want to feel at home, make an effort to keep your space as clean as possible at all times.
Adopt good habits when it comes to tidying up. Always make your bed in the morning, and wash dishes immediately after meals rather than leaving them for the next day. Wipe down all surfaces in the evening, and put clothes away instead of dumping them on the floor. Have a thorough clean of your whole home every week to ensure good hygiene, particularly focusing on floors and bathrooms. In a clean living space, you will feel happier and more at home.
5. Add Colour to Make Your Rental Property Feel Like Home
Colour is one of the easiest ways to create a desired mood in any property. Perhaps your landlord will agree to let you paint the walls or change the carpets, but don’t worry if not. There are plenty of ways you can inject a splash of colour throughout your property. Colourful furnishings, pictures, ornaments, rugs, throws, and cushions are great options.
But what colour should you choose? The right selection will depend on the mood you want to put across. If you prefer a more relaxing, tranquil setting, opt for gentle pastel hues like pinks, greens, and blues. However, if you want your home to feel more lively and upbeat, you should pick bolder, more vibrant colours like reds, yellows, and oranges.
6. Cover Up
There may be aspects of your rental property that you don’t like. Maybe you can’t stand that leather sofa or the hardwood floors in the spare room. But just because you don’t have the authority to remove them, that doesn’t mean you can’t simply cover them up. Buy a few attractive rugs and throws that fit your particular style and taste. By applying these carefully to your home, you can make it your own without having to make any permanent changes.
7. Showcase Your Personality
You want your home to be a reflection of who you are – your values, your style, and your personality. So you need to find a way to let this shine through in your surroundings. Fill your home with interior accessories and personal items such as souvenirs from your travels, photos of good times, artwork that speaks to you, and other ornaments with a sentimental connection. Every time you walk around your rental property you will feel an emotional connection to your environment and forget that the place in which you live is not your own.
8. Hang Pictures the Right Way
No one wants to live in a home with bare walls. But if your landlord won’t let you hammer nails into the wall, you’re facing a tricky dilemma. Some people do it anyway and fix the holes before they move out, but this won’t help you build trust with your landlord.
Instead, find a less damaging way to hang pictures and paintings. There are plenty of products that use adhesives to affix artwork to walls, without leaving any marks. Just make sure you read the reviews and buy a good quality product, as there are many cheap imitations out there.
9. Buy Some Greenery
There is nothing better than a few well-placed house plants to boost your mood and make any old property feel like a tranquil paradise. According to the principles of biophilic design, greenery has proven benefits for our mental and physical health, and it looks great too.
Head to your local garden center to pick up a variety of attractive plants. Strategically place them around your home to bring joy and beauty to any room you walk through. You don’t have to be particularly green-fingered to keep plants alive either. Find low-maintenance varieties like cacti, aloe vera, and spider plants. These can thrive in most indoor conditions and only require minimal watering to flourish.
Or you could consider getting some preserved moss wall art if you aren’t very good at keeping plants alive. This requires absolutely no maintenance at all but still has all the mental health and wellbeing benefits that come with plants and looks great too.
Hopefully, by following these tips to make a rental property feel like home you will be able to create a place that reflects your personality and makes you feel comfortable. You need to feel relaxed at home in the place you live. This will be beneficial to your mental health and stress levels. Perhaps one day you will have a place of your own, but in the meantime, you should be comfortable and happy.