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At Home in Your Rental House

24 Nov

Photo: Courtesy of twenty20photos 

At Home in Your Rental House

Renting has many benefits. You do not have to come up with a sizeable down payment for a home purchase. You do not have to pay for maintenance. You are not committed beyond the terms of your lease. However, the downside to renting is that you have limited freedom to make the house your own. Because you do not own the property, you cannot renovate or landscape for two reasons. Number one: you do not own the home, so significant, permanent changes are not within your jurisdiction. Number two: you have no equity in the house, so whatever money you sink in, you will never get back. While large-scale changes may be off the table, the good news is that there are many small-scale touches you can do. Added together these small changes can paint an overall picture that reflects your tastes and style.  

Hardware 

Kitchen and Bathroom 

An update to your kitchen and bathroom pulls and knobs can upgrade the entire home's look. After all, "Cabinet hardware is the jewelry to your space. It will complete the look, feel, and vibe in any location you place it" (clarkandaldine.com). According to Matthew Griffin, owner of At Home Real Estate Consulting, "This is the most affordable and easiest of all the upgrades. Getting rid of the 2002 gold-colored handles and bringing in a matte black or silver handle is an easy way to help your kitchen look less dated" (finance.yahoo.com).  

A pull can be a bar pull, bin pull, cup pull, ring pull, etc. Different designs create alternate looks and feels (clarkandaldine.com). Pulls are bigger than knobs and require two holes to install. Knobs are simpler and only require one hole. As a tenant, you will be limited to selecting the type of hardware already installed, as you will not want to have to drill holes or fill holes in your landlord's cabinetry. However, you will be able to choose your color (black, gold, or silver) and finish. 

Buying hardware by the piece can be expensive, but you can save by buying in bulk. For example, you can find a pack of 30 matte black cabinet handles on Amazon for around $25. Be sure to save the original pieces; when you move on to a different home, you can take your purchases with you. 

Doors 

You can replace the interior door handles and hinges as well. Having new door hardware throughout the house will improve the overall look of the entire space. These can also be taken with you when you leave.  

Lighting 

Outdoor 

Add solar lights to your walkways. They are inexpensive and easy to find. Home Depot and Lowes carry several varieties, as does Amazon. In addition to adding beauty to your yard at night, lighting offers security to your home by providing light in blind spots and illuminating decks and walkways for safe passage (lanailights.com). 

Indoor 

Choose a style and color of bulb for the inside of your home, and change all of the bulbs to cast a uniform glow. There are four popular types of lightbulbs: incandescent, compact fluorescent (CFL), halogen, and light-emitting diode (LED) (wayfair.com). Colors to choose from range from warm white, which casts an inviting yellow hue; neutral white, which shines bright and vibrant; and daylight—which throws an invigorating and sharp light with more of a blue tint.  

Fixtures 

Lights 

Fixtures are easy and affordable ways to enhance your rental house and make it feel more like home. Chandeliers, scone lights, wall lights, all of these are integral in contributing to the look and style of a home. An economical option is to shop for these items at estate sales.  

Faucets 

Faucets are relatively easy to replace and can make a tired-looking bathroom space or kitchen sink look new again. It is good to simultaneously change the faucets and hardware to create a cohesive look and a more noticeable style update.  

As with the hardware, you should plan to take your replacement fixtures with you when you move so that they can continue to enhance your rental space.  

Summary 

As a renter, you are often not allowed to make permanent changes to the home, and it is not a financially wise decision to spend a lot of money on purchases that you cannot take with you. However, there are many items that you can purchase that will spruce up the overall look that are economical and portable. 

 

Sources: 

 

clarkandaldine.com 

finance.yahoo.com 

lanailights.com 

wayfair.com


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