Renting comes with so many amazing advantages. No mortgage, no major repairs, no location limits. You can live in your preferred neighborhood without worrying about inflated real estate prices and delegate all leaky roof problems to the owner.
The downside of renting a home is the lack of freedom you have with renovating it. Thankfully, there are many ways to give your rental the wow factor without risking your security deposit.
Give Your Kitchen Energetic Vibes
Let’s start with the kitchen. There is no reason to settle for a “blah” kitchen when you can create a masterpiece. Or at least something very close to it.
1. Change Cabinet Knobs
One easy fix is to change your cabinet knobs and drawer pulls. You can quickly unscrew your knobs and replace them with something more modern.
Remember to keep your old knobs and pulls in a safe place to replace them when you move out. You can find fun options at your local hardware store or Home Depot for better variety and fancier options.
2. Peel and Stick
This may be the first time you hear about peel-and-stick flooring but it works great all the same. These products can do wonders for outdated and dingy kitchen floors. Peel and stick flooring tiles are a great option to add some life and color to your kitchen.
To make sure new floors stick, you need to clean the old surface thoroughly, start from the middle of the room, and work your way out. Before you know it, your kitchen will be transformed.
The best part about this flooring is that you can change it anytime you like. Want a new floor every season? Bring it on! If the landlord wants floors removed, you can do it within minutes.
3. Apply Contact Paper to Countertops
Old, greasy countertops do little to make you feel comfortable in a rental kitchen. Pick out a decorative, self-adhesive film in a marble pattern and you’ve instantly got the look of granite countertops. They are easily removable when you’re ready to leave.
4. Install Stick-On LED Lights
If you are unhappy with the light in your kitchen, you don’t need to get used to it. Go to the nearest hardware store and buy a strip of stick-on LED lights or order them on Amazon.
Long strips can be found for under twenty dollars, and sticking them under your cabinets gives you perfect task lighting for whatever you’re up to in the kitchen.
Keep these lights in mind when adding the wow factor to the rest of your rooms. They work great everywhere.
Brighten Up Your Living Room
Designing an amazing living room without changing anything major doesn’t have to be a challenge. Here is where to start.
5. Make Windows Shine
Windows are the eyes of your living room. If they look boring, you must do something about it. The easiest way is to use window treatments.
If you have a plain wall that you don’t know what to do with, jazz it up with some curtains and blinds. Instead of hanging your curtain rod at the top of the window, consider putting it about a foot over the window frame, and extending it out a bit from the windows.
This trick will make your ceilings look higher and your windows look bigger, and patterned curtains that coordinate with your furniture will add a lot of shine.
6. Let Nature In
You can also make your rental living room cozier and more inviting simply by adding several plants.
Consider a tall, tree-like plant in a corner to bring a room to life. You can put a small light under it and aim it up into the leaves for a dramatic effect at night. Choose exciting planters to match your special environment.
7. Hang Some Art
You don’t need to bring Van Gogh to your living room to make an impression on your guests. Simply hang some paintings or photos on the walls by using tape and clips.
Photos and paintings can turn a lifeless living room into a fun place to be and help you feel more at home.
Turn The Bedroom Into Your Sanctuary
A beautiful bedroom is a centerpiece of the entire home. An inviting design can help you relax and enjoy comfortable nights and mornings in your sanctuary.
8. Dress Up the Walls
Have a plain wall in your bedroom? Dress it up with fabric. Buy a bolt of bold fabric and a staple gun, and cover one accent wall with it.
You’ll have instant results that can be pulled down easily when you move. While you can use this trick anywhere, it’s especially effective in the bedroom where patterned fabric creates a more intimate atmosphere.
9. Change Lighting Fixtures
It’s also a great idea to swap out the ugly overhead lighting fixture in your bedroom. Get creative and choose a chandelier or something funky from the thrift store, and your bedroom will get a brand-new life.
Sconces that can be mounted on the walls with a cord are also a good choice for soft lighting in the bedroom. They also add an impressive architectural effect.
10. Invest in a Rug
Adding a full-size area rug to the bedroom is a simple way to cover ugly carpet or flooring. Of course, this is another idea that can be used in any room of the house.
Not only does it transform the look of the room, but it also keeps it warmer and cuts down on noise coming from occupants below you.
Make Your Bathroom Great
Bathrooms may seem hard to improve without making serious changes. They aren’t. Here are a few tricks for your arsenal:
11. Replace the Showerhead
One of the easiest and most dramatic improvements you can make to your rental bathroom is to replace the showerhead. Most rentals have a skimpy little showerhead in the bath, which does nothing to make rinsing off fun.
Head to your local home improvement store and browse the selection of glamorous shower heads. You can get anything from a rain shower to a double shower head with a hand-held feature. You’ll immediately add class to the bath and will certainly enjoy your showers more.
12. Add Glamor to the Toilet Seat
Another easy upgrade for the bathroom in your apartment is a new toilet seat. In fact, this might be the first improvement you want to make in your rental.
Toilet seats are inexpensive, come in a variety of styles, and make a big difference.
13. Change Hardware
You can also replace the hardware in the bathroom as you did in the kitchen. Pick up a new set of towel rods and a stylish toilet paper holder, and the bathroom gets an instant upgrade.
Remember to keep the old hardware in a safe place for the day you move out.
Give Your Rental Home a New Look Without Breaking the Bank
Other great ways that can improve your rental space include:
14. Replacing light switch covers
15. Getting new door knobs
16. Putting a shelf top over ugly radiators
17. Adding a picture rail along the new wall
Use one or all of these tips to transform a boring rental space into your own personal sanctuary. You can express yourself in bold, creative ways and still keep your landlord happy.
