Are you stuck in an infinite cycle of renting? Unfortunately, today, there aren’t many individuals of house-buying age (20’s & 30’s) who can say that they own their own homes. With soaring house prices and increases set to skyrocket even further, it looks like renters are set for an even longer tenancy agreement than originally planned.
Maybe you’re like me, you’ve been renting for close to 7 years and you have parents who constantly harp on about how they bought their house for less than a packet of sweets back in 1998. It’s not helpful, times have changed and I’m sure that when you moved into your rented apartment or house you thought that it would be temporary while you saved for your very first home. Now, rentals are fast becoming permanent dwellings for those lucky enough to have a landlord willing to let them stay for as long as they wish.
A rental doesn’t have to look or feel like a rental anymore. Before it didn’t really matter, you wouldn’t be staying long enough to worry about it. Now, it’s time to face reality and incorporate some furniture items and home accessories into your rental that will help you to feel more at home and benefit your everyday life. Luckily, EZ Living Furniture is on hand to help share 5 easy ways that you can change your rental into a beautiful and functional home. Keep reading below for some expert advice…….
Step 1 - The Bedroom
A lot of rentals in Ireland and the UK come pre-furnished, meaning that there isn’t an unrealistic expectation that you will arrive with your own bed frame or bedside lockers. More often than not, these items are already supplied. However, what isn’t normally supplied in a bedroom is enough clothing storage. You might have one tiny built-in wardrobe that can barely fit your clothes, not to mention a partner’s. Purchasing another wardrobe is not an option, so why not take your clothes out of vacuum bags and storage bins and include some sticky hooks around the room. Hanging clothing from hooks is a cost-effective way to include some additional and much-needed storage. Also, seeing more of our own items on display in a rental can start to make us feel more comfortable and at home.
Step 2 - The Living Room & Kitchen
Most rentals do not have the luxury of having both a separate living room and a kitchen (I speak from experience). Yes, usually, it is one small room that has both a sofa and a dining table next to one another. Normally, a very basic couch will be supplied, meaning you can forget a recliner sofa or an electric reclining armchair. Instead, invest in a footstool where you can put your feet up after a long, hard day and this will allow you to become more comfortable in your multi-purpose living area. The best thing about a footstool is they don’t use a lot of floor space, which is great if it is at a premium (and we will assume it is). They can also double up as extra seating if you invite people over regularly. Be smart about your purchase too and pick up a single footstool that has storage space inside, you may find this useful at a later stage. Don’t forget that you can also take this small item with you when you do eventually leave.
Step 3 - The Bathroom
Pot plants and vases are small home accessories that have a big impact. Greenery can help us to overcome stress and fatigue and boosts our mood, productivity and creativity. Better still, these smaller home accessories can be brought with us to our forever homes. A simple plant can make a world of difference and make us feel more grounded and secure in a rental. If, like many, you can’t commit to a real plant, try incorporating a fake one, at least then you won’t have to worry about forgetting to water it!
Step 4 - The Living Room & Bedroom
Command strips are very beneficial for us renters. They allow us to display non-permanent features such as wall art without doing any permanent damage to walls with nails. Paintings, prints, and canvases are small, relatively inexpensive, and can make a rental feel more individual to the person living there. Wall art can help us to personalise a space and again, it’s easy to bring them with us.
Step 5 - The Hallway, Sitting Room or Bedroom
Most rented apartments and houses will include tiled flooring or wooden floors. Why? Because they are hard-wearing and can be easily maintained. Carpets, although warming on our bare feet, need to be shampooed every so often. They are very difficult to clean when you don’t have the right equipment or can’t pay for the professionals to do it for you. This is why most rentals will have hard flooring, but do you find yourself still craving the warmth a carpet has to offer? We do! So, to get the same feeling of cosiness try to include a small, simple rug in your living room, entranceway, or bedroom. It’s surprising what a simple rug can do for your rental. Now, you can walk around without freezing your toes off! Rugs too can be taken with you to your permanent home.
Let’s be honest, there will always be something in the back of our minds that tells us that we will eventually leave our rental. This makes us reluctant to buy larger items of furniture because who wants the hassle of transporting it? Not us. However, this list of suggested home furnishings above can make you more comfortable while still in your rental and can be easily brought with you to your next home.
For more home decor advice for renters, read: Non-permanent Design Tips For Your Rental.
We hope you enjoyed this content and found it useful and informative. We aim to share our expertise and knowledge with our customers and to do this we have a team of content creators working tirelessly behind the scenes. We do not use AI to create our content. Click this link to find out more about our team and content guidelines.
Share this post
