For many people, owning their own home isn’t an immediate requirement or indeed financially possible for the foreseeable future. Living at home with parents, house-sharing or renting a flat are the options while working in an area for a short period of time, looking for the ideal home to purchase – or saving for a deposit on their own place.
If you’re living in a rented house, how do you make it feel like home? How do you personalise it and inject some of your own personality? There are a lot of very quick and inexpensive things you can do to make it your own. A couple of the more permanent tips below may require permission from your letting agents or landlord. But it doesn’t hurt to ask, what have you got to lose?
Books
Books always make a house feel like a home, adding a certain warmth and personality to the place. You can buy them really cheaply at charity shops and car boot sales. You can take them with you when you move, re-donate them to charity or use a website like BookCrossing where you register your unwanted books then leave them in public spaces for the next person to enjoy them.
Plants
Plants can add instant character to a home – perhaps it’s the presence of another life. They provide colour & structure – and there are limitless options when it comes to pots or containers. There’s something to suit all decorating schemes. With plants removing the negative ions from the atmosphere released by the ever-increasing number of electrical devices we have around the space, there’s a health benefit too.
Photos, posters and artwork
Photos, posters and artwork can add almost instant colour and style to a room. Do ask before you begin drilling holes though. If you’re given the go-ahead, don’t forget you’ll need to go around with filler and paint to make good before moving out. Don’t use drawing pins, Sellotape/Scotch Tape to stick up photos or posters, it will damage both the walls and your pictures. If you use Blu-tack, try the white version which leaves less conspicuous dots on the wall when pictures & posters are removed… unless your walls are painted blue that is!
Rugs and throws
You can inject your own taste or choice of colour instantly through the use of rugs or throws. This can be particularly successful if the landlord has decorated in a fairly neutral background colour. It also warms and softens a hard wood, tiled or laminate floor.
Paint or paper the walls
Rental properties are often painted floor to ceiling in magnolia or white. Very neutral, but very ubiquitous, impersonal or perhaps a little bland. Landlords are sometimes open to tenants painting or papering a feature wall. There is actually a wide range of specialist removable wallpapers on the market.
Personal collections
Building a collection can be a great hobby. Concentrate on smaller items if you’re going to be moving them at some point soon – perhaps leave that lawn mower collection till you have your forever home! It’s a bonus if your collection is easily displayed to bring interest & character to your living space. Groups of glass or pottery vases are ideal – or even colourful neck ties like in the photo above.
Put things away
Sometimes, less is more. If your furnished rented house or flat feels cluttered put some of the excess things away out of sight – in cupboards, drawers, loft or cellar if there is one. If there are items that aren’t to your taste – lamps or lampshades, cushions or nick-nacks box them up and hide them away somewhere safe where they won’t get soiled or damaged. You want your deposit back when you eventually move out so you can at least guarantee that there won’t have been any mishaps if items have been stored away properly.