Hi, my name is Jordan and I’ve moved A LOT in my lifetime. All of the places I’ve lived in happen to be rentals. You know those thoughts of “I REALLY wish I could change that.” or “If this were MY home, I’d *insert change here*.” I certainly do! I’ve lived in rentals my whole life, and in every rental, there was always a long list of things we would change if we could. Sometimes as tenants, we only think of all the things we can’t do as opposed to all the things we CAN, and it keeps us from really making the places we rent feel like home! That is exactly why I’m glad you’ve stumbled upon this post. Are you ready to find out how to make a rental feel like home? Let’s get started!
Paint
This is an easy one, but first, you need permission from your landlord. Painting makes a huge difference though! Some landlords say no, some want to approve the paint color, and some just don’t give a rat’s ass as long as you repaint before you leave. If you’re going to paint, make sure you ask your landlord for the paint color that is already on the walls. That way it’s a lot less stressful when you move out.
Removable Wallpaper
100% no way you’re allowed to paint? No problem, create an accent wall with removable wallpaper! All you do is peel and stick, it’s really that easy. Then, when it comes time for you to move out, all you do is unpeel it from the wall. No mess, no hassle, no angry landlord. Do an accent wall, or a full room if you’re feeling up to it! Check out some cool peel-and-stick paper here!
Peel and Stick Tiles
These are so easy to use and can completely change the look of your kitchen or bathroom. Check out my D.I.Y. Kitchen Makeover and D.I.Y. Bathroom Makeover posts to see how I used them! They’re super easy to install and come in a variety of shapes, colors, and styles!
Contact Paper
Again, check out my kitchen, as well as my bathroom makeover posts to see how I used this. This peel-and-stick contact paper can be used on basically everything, which makes it a great inexpensive upgrade. And again, the beauty of it being a giant sticker means that it peels right off when you’re done with it!
Upgrade Lighting
Listen, I’m going to say it, landlords tend to choose very basic lighting. They don’t know and don’t care what your personal decor style is. That’s ok though, lighting can be switched out! Just be sure to keep the original lighting stored somewhere safe, so you can switch it back before you leave. When it comes time to actually switch them out, I can’t help you, I’m not anywhere near handy enough, so either ask your landlord or hire someone to do it for you. It won’t take long!
Have Fun With Decor
The options are literally endless when it comes to decor; It all comes down to your personal style. Here are some easy ways to inject your own personality into your rental.
Hanging Photos
Now, I know a lot of you aren’t sure about putting holes into your walls and that’s fine, you don’t have to. You can still hang photos without ruining the walls! I love to use Command Strips. They’re super easy to use and can be taken down easily. If you want to hang something heavy, like a mirror, and need to put some holes in the walls, don’t sweat it! Patching holes is SO easy! All you need is some spackle, sandpaper, and paint! Here’s how to do it:
- Lightly sand down rough edges around the hole in your wall.
- Put some spackle on a spatula and fill the hole
- Let it dry.
- Repeat if needed
- Lightly sand it down so it’s flush with the drywall.
- Repaint!
Scents
Scents remind us of home! If you know me, you’ll know that I’m a candle FEIND. I’m obsessed and own way too many for my own good. I love them, but I have some rules you should follow:
- Do not leave candles burning unattended. You don’t want to burn the place down, do you? I know it’s common sense, but hey, it happens.
- Do not light more than one candle at a time. No one likes to have their noses accosted!
- Do not leave them burning for more than an hour at a time. Ok, I have a confession to make; I don’t follow this rule most of the time because I forget. But apparently, it’s not good for air quality. I want you to breathe in clean air, so do as I say and not as I do. Blow your candles out after an hour.
- Not allowed to have candles for some reason? Buy some nice room diffusers! You get the same effect without the risk of burning your house down.
Fireplaces
Did you know that you can put in a fireplace without a major renovation? You can buy electric fireplaces! Yep, they plug right into your wall and some even push out heat! Some are just fireplaces and some are in entertainment units! All the positives of a real fireplace and none of the hassle; like burning yourself, burning the house down by accident, and no cleaning up after it! Not in your budget? Download the fireplace app on your AppleTV!
Plants
They bring life into the room, quite literally! Maybe it’s because I’m 30, or maybe it’s because I’m friends with the biggest crazy plant lady, but I love plants. I used to have what I called a “Green Pinky” because I could keep plants alive, but for maybe about a week. I’m not sure what changed, but I’ve been able to keep FIVE plants alive for about a year now! Plants are great though because there are so many to choose from and so many fun planters and pots to put them in!
Thank you for reading this post I hope you found some helpful ways to make a rental feel like home! Did you use any of these tips to spruce up your space? I’d love to see them! Upload them to Instagram and at me in them @hey_littlej.
xoxo Little J
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