Over the past few years, many people have decided to rent homes over purchasing them. When you rent a space, it limits the cosmetic changes you can do to a room. If you rent, it becomes a challenge to make your home “your own” without compromising the security deposit.
What you need to know is that there are many temporary solutions to spice up your rental without causing any type of damage.
Before you start decorating a rental home it’s a smart idea to have clear, defined guidelines written and agreed upon between you and the landlord. Also, keep in mind, should you want to upgrade any fixtures in the bathroom or kitchen, speak to your landlord about reimbursement for it. Without an agreement prior to the purchase, it’s better to assume upgrades come directly out of your own funds.
Temporary Accessories
In order to make an area feel distinctive requires a few unique pieces. For instance, a new area rug, floating shelves, or a nice lamp changes a room’s atmosphere without making any permanent changes. If you have limited funds, set up a budget you can use each weekend and search resale shops, estate sales, and flea markets to find home décor that suits your personality.
Avoid at all costs
What you don’t want to do to a rental as it will more than likely result in losing your deposit: Do not wallpaper the bathroom or any room for that matter. Stick to temporary cosmetic changes like peel-n-stick stencils or easy-to-remove contact paper. You also want to avoid painting any natural wood materials, such as the cabinets or baseboards, as poorly prepared painted over surfaces peel.
Color choices
Should the landlord provide you with written permission to paint be sure to pick your color palette wisely. Stick with shades that are light and pair well with any other color. You’ll want to choose tones that if you move out, a new tenant could move right in, without the landlord needing to make any changes.
Taking Care of the Space
One of the first things you should do when renting a home is to line the cabinets in the kitchen and under the bathroom vanity. This keeps surface damages to minimum. You can add creative storage through bookshelves or shadow box frames on the wall. Just make certain that prior to moving to another residence that you cover and patch any holes.
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