I've lived in my own place for over a year now and during that time I've really focused on ways that I could make the place look nicer without risking losing my deposit. For my American readers, landlords can be really funny over here, docking your deposit for everything from moving furniture to putting pictures up so I have steered away from any kind of paint/hardcore decorating.
However, there are still plenty of ways that you can make a place look like yours, without putting your deposit in jeopardy.
However, there are still plenty of ways that you can make a place look like yours, without putting your deposit in jeopardy.
Make the most of curtains and cushions
Curtains, cushions and even rugs are little things that you can easily swap but make a massive impact to a room. They are also a brilliant way of adding a pop of colour if your rented home is mostly made of neutral colours like beige or white. If possible, ask your landlord to store the curtains/rugs you don't want until you move out.
Curtains, cushions and even rugs are little things that you can easily swap but make a massive impact to a room. They are also a brilliant way of adding a pop of colour if your rented home is mostly made of neutral colours like beige or white. If possible, ask your landlord to store the curtains/rugs you don't want until you move out.
Use your bookshelf as wall space
The worst thing about a rental property is not being able to put things on the wall without worrying that my deposit is going to be docked for the smallest mark made on the wall. However, I've found that bookshelves are the perfect solution. Getting a big bookcase from IKEA that will stretch across an entire wall is the ideal way to add some personal style to your home. Look up tips for how to style it and use it as a way to inject more colour into a room with books or accessories.
The worst thing about a rental property is not being able to put things on the wall without worrying that my deposit is going to be docked for the smallest mark made on the wall. However, I've found that bookshelves are the perfect solution. Getting a big bookcase from IKEA that will stretch across an entire wall is the ideal way to add some personal style to your home. Look up tips for how to style it and use it as a way to inject more colour into a room with books or accessories.
Use photos
In our digital age, way too often photos stay on your smartphone and never see the light of day. I print off a number of photos every so often and they go in little frames on my fridge, on tables in my living room and I even have big collages like this lent up against my fireplace. Photos are a brilliant way to make a place feel like home for a relatively cheap price.
In our digital age, way too often photos stay on your smartphone and never see the light of day. I print off a number of photos every so often and they go in little frames on my fridge, on tables in my living room and I even have big collages like this lent up against my fireplace. Photos are a brilliant way to make a place feel like home for a relatively cheap price.