There are a few simple things you can do to make your rental feel like home and love where you live.
This post has been sponsored by The Duck Brand. All opinions are my own.
My husband and I have lived in seven different rental homes or apartmentssince we've been married.From a tiny apartment in Hollywood to a duplex by the sea to a four-bedroom 1960's home in Texas, our rentals have been diverse. But regardless of the type, condition or location of each new place, it takes a little while for it to feel like "home."
There's no getting around the fact that any new homewill take some getting used to, and thosethose first few weeks are tough. It feels awkward cooking ina new kitchen, showering in a new shower, and navigating all sorts of new cabinets and drawers. Over the years,I've learned some tips that have made our rentals feel like home sooner rather than later. That's what I'm sharing with y'all today.
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4 Ways toQuickly Make a Rental Feel Like Home:
1) Get unpacked as fast as you can.
Most of the time, I'm an advocate for slowing down, but not when it comes to moving into a new home. I'm not saying that you should stay upfor 48 straight hoursto unpack, but you should definitely try to get your itemsout of boxes and into cabinets, closets, and drawers as quickly as you can.
Waking up to a bunch of boxes every morning and having to dig through them forwhat you need, is not going to make you feel at home. You can always reorganize closets and cabinets later on after you're fully unpacked, but the quickest way to feel more relaxed in your new rental is to get those boxes out of there and get things put away.
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2) Decorate the walls ASAP.
While we were living in Phoenix, AZ, we rented a nice, newer home with plenty of room for the kids to run around in. As prettyas that house was, however, there was nothing that made it look like "our" home. I hesitated to put up art or photos because it would just be ONE MORE THINGwe'd have to take down when we moved again.
Well, we ended up staying in that home for three years, and when I look back at photos of our time in that house, I really regret not making it a little homier.
Granted, one major factor was that I had two kids under three years old at the time, so I wasbasically just trying to make it through each day with my sanity intact.Still, when I look at photos of that house, it just looks so "blah."
If I'd spent evenone day tossing some things onto the walls — even if it was just the girls' framed artwork — it would have made it feel a lot more welcoming, and I would have felt more at home within those walls. Now, whenever we move into a new place, decorating is one of the first things I do.
In ourcurrenthome, I put up this little gallery wall before we even had groceries in the fridge. Having that little bit of personality in our entrance made me feel better about the new digs.It made all of the unboxing and errandsfeel more tolerablewhen I had something pretty and personalized to look at as soon as I walked in the door.
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3) Make some inexpensive swaps and updates.
Nobody wants to sinka lot of money into improving/fixing up a rental home because you won't see any return on your investment. But spending a little bit of money on some simple updates will make you a lot more content in your new place. Here are some inexpensive things you might consider replacing or updating when you move in:
- paint (check your lease—for less work, you can do an accent wall and paint it back if your lease allows)
- toilet seats & lids (how about a warming toilet seat, or a soft-close seat? You can always take it with you when you move!)
- light fixtures
- light bulbs (update to LEDs and choose a tone you like—you can always swap them out and take them with you)
- shower heads (add some water pressure)
- outlet covers
- cabinet knobs & drawer pulls
- towel bars
Obviously you'll have to check with your landlord first to make sure these updates are allowed.But even the smallest updates can make a big difference in the overall feel of a room and make it feel more like your home.
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4) Line your shelves andcabinets.
This is one of my top suggestions, especially if you're moving into an older apartment or home. Like I mentioned earlier, our current home was built in the 1960's. There are plenty of charming features about the house, like our built-in wall-to-wall shelves and brick fireplace.
Then there are the less charming features, like the old kitchen drawers and cabinets. Let's just call them "well loved." :)
Thankfully, making the cabinets and drawers in our home feel clean and new wasone of the easiest things to do.
I lined all of our drawers and cabinets withEasy Liner® with Clorox®by Duck® shelf liners. These liners include Clorox® antimicrobial protection to prevent the growth of odor-causing mold and mildew, and giventhe humid environment in Houston, that is KEY.
It only took me a short time to line tons ofshelves and drawers throughoutthe house. All I had to dowas measure the space Iwanted to cover, cut the liner to fit, and lay it in.It has a grippy surface that stays in placewithout any adhesive.
Isn't that SO much better?
You can use the liners virtually anywhere in the house, but I focused on areas where moisture can accrue, like my pantry, cabinets where westore glassware or dishes...
...and under the sink where I keepsponges and cleaning supplies. Theantimicrobial additive is embedded into the shelf liner material, so it remains active as long as the product is in use – even after washing.
Even if you're buying a home instead of renting, these tips can help you get settled faster. Getting comfortable in a new space won't happen overnight, but I'm hoping that the things I've learned from so many years of renting can help others!
I'd love to hear from you in the comments. Are there any other frequent movers out there? What do you think is the hardest part about making a rental feel like home?
