Turning a house into a home is easier said than done in a rental property. The terms of the agreement with your landlord usually restrict what you can do with your space.
Forget adding a splash of colour to the walls or ripping up old carpets; you’ll have to work within the constraints of living in a rented property. Your renters’ insurance can cover accidental damage to the landlord’s items, but if you go a bit far with decorating, you’ll have to pay the price!
Fortunately, there are ways to add personality to your home without risking your deposit. Below we explore some of the best ways to do this.
Hang with non-damaging adhesive strips and hooks
Bare walls can be the most daunting aspect of a rental property. Although you probably can’t hammer nails into the wall, you can hang artwork and other decorations using adhesive strips and hooks.
Many of these are very strong but also easy to remove and shouldn’t leave any lasting damage. They usually have weight restrictions, but you can always combine them to handle more weight. They’re typically discreet, reliable and non-damaging – perfect for helping you to enhance your home decorations without risking your deposit when you move out.
Use soft furnishings to add character
You may not be able to make drastic changes to your rented space, but soft furnishings are brilliant for sprucing up your home without altering any of the fundamentals.
New curtains can transform a living space and be easily replaced when you move out. Throws, blankets and cushions can help to turn the dullest of rental sofas into a comfortable and stylish feature.
Don’t like your flooring? Rugs can introduce new textures and colours to bland or worn carpet and woodwork. They can also help to limit the wear and tear you inflict on the flooring over your tenancy – win-win!
Upgrade the lighting
Lighting can make or break a living space. It’s one of the few things you can radically change without making permanent alterations.
Switch lightbulbs to give off warmer tones and hues, or install LED strips under cabinets or behind furniture to give you an alternative to wall or ceiling lights. You can always put the old lightbulbs back in at the end of your tenancy.
Don’t forget the table and floor lamps. They can help to create more relaxing environments with different shades of light to set the mood.
Personalise with freestanding furniture and features
The average rental property is usually lacking in the furniture department. Adding your units during the tenancy is a great way to boost the practicality of your home while improving the look and feel.
Freestanding shelves, cabinets, chests of drawers and bookcases are as much decorative elements as storage solutions. Bulkier features such as mirrors can be positioned against walls to make use of space.
House plants bring a bit of life and colour to window sills, empty corners and bare furniture tops. Just make sure to stay on top of watering!
No one wants to lose their rental deposit when they move out of a property, so finding ways to decorate without damaging is crucial. Maximise the easy wins as outlined above and you should be able to turn your house into a home in no time, and without the risk!
