If you live in a rented house or apartment, especially if you only plan to be there for the short term, you might find that it is hard to really think of it as home. However, a rental car – and should – be just as homely as a property you own; after all, you are the one living there, so you need to be comfortable within its four walls. It might be someone else’s house, but it is your home, so you should do what you can to make it feel that way. Here are some useful tips to help you.
Change the Color
Before you can make any changes to your rented property, you need to have permission from your landlord. Doing anything without that permission will potentially cause trouble and bad feeling, so it is good to check. Most of the time, the answer will be yes to cosmetic changes, with the proviso being that you change things back to a more neutral tone when it comes time to leave.
Changing the color of a room, even if it is just to put up one feature wall of something brighter and more interesting, can really allow you to bring out your personality and make you feel much more comfortable. Your home will suit you a lot more if you have your own touches within it. Make sure before you start, you get some renters’ insurance quotes just in case there is an accident, but otherwise, if you have permission, go ahead and have some fun with changing up the colors and giving your home a more unique style.
Use Rugs
Changing the flooring in a property is a big job and one that often costs a large amount of money. Even if your landlord did say you could go ahead and do it, you might have second thoughts, especially if you are not planning to live in the property for a long time.
As an alternative, if you don’t like the flooring or the carpet needs to be changed, but you don’t want to be the one to pay for it, a better idea is to invest in some rugs. You can choose the colors that you like best, or even have patterned rugs if you prefer, and you can inject your own style into the property in this way.
The great benefit of using rugs is that you can switch them when you want to, changing the look of the room cost-effectively.
Indoor Plants
It is incredible what a few indoor plants can do to change the look and feel of a property, whether you rent it or own it. Adding some plants to your home is a fantastic way to make it feel much more comfortable, and if you choose plants that don’t need a lot of care, you can happily live in your home without having to worry. Plus, plants can cover up any stains or marks that you do not want to look at and that your landlord is responsible for.
Some of the types of plant you could have include:
- Cacti
- Mini trees
- Succulents
- Potted palms
