As the cost of living in major cities gets higher and higher, many of us are stuck living in rentals for an inordinately long time.
Though there are a lot of upsides to renting—fewer responsibilities and less expensive in the short term—there’s also a feeling of transience that can come along with it. If your place is a bit of a fixer-upper, there’s a feeling that you could do better or that the place you live doesn’t really feel like home.
Fortunately, there are a handful of affordable ways to fix that—here are 10 simple rental home improvements.
1. Scrape off splotchy paint.
Many rental apartments are sloppily painted for quick turnaround between tenants. For that reason, you may find splotches or streaks of caulk or paint throughout the kitchen or in your bathroom. If you invest in a simple scraper, you can touch these areas up and make everything look a little fresher.
2. Replace any old faucet or shower heads.
Similarly, many rental properties have a long history—which includes the all the old fixtures that were put in ages ago. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult (or expensive) to upgrade your hardware with minimal tinkering. While replacing sink parts is a little ambitious, shower heads are pretty simple to switch.
3. Ditto for doorhandles and knobs.
Just like with faucets and shower heads, don’t expect any of the knobs in your place to be in particularly good shape either. Fortunately, replacing these is a cinch as well (and without the risk of any leakage).
4. Invest in some wood wax for old wood panelling.
After time, old furniture or cabinets can get dirty, damaged or just plain old-looking without the proper upkeep. Without spending too much money, you can rub in a little wood wax to clean them, protect them and give them a richer color.
5. Use frosted window decals instead of curtains to keep your natural light.
A problem with many old rental apartments is a limited amount of light. As such, you need to be strategic with your windows. Instead of using blackout curtains that will cut down on all light, consider investing in some removable window films for privacy and brightness.
6. Take old cabinet doors off for open shelving.
Sometimes the cabinetry in rental apartments has seen better days. Rather than deal with old dingy doors, sometimes taking the doors off entirely can give your kitchen a more open and clean look.
7. Use Washi tape to accent bland walls.
If you’ve ever wanted to put a design or pattern on any drab walls without harming it, you can! All you need to do is buy a roll of Washi tape from a crafts store and go to town. When it comes time to move out, you can peel your decorations off without any damage.
8. Upgrade your rug situation.
Though many people prefer hardwood apartments to carpeted ones for cleaning purposes, the floors can sometimes be battered or uneven. In those cases, investing in a nice throw rug can liven up a room (and protect your feet from splinters).
9. Add a new coat of paint to the walls.
Ok, so this one takes a little more work. But honestly, not that much is needed to give your apartment an entirely new look. After putting down some drop cloths, getting supplies and moving your furniture out of the way, you could be living in what feels like an entirely new home.
10. Use special adhesive stickers to hang things without damaging the walls.
Afraid of doing too much damage to your walls? Instead of swinging into them with a hammer and nails, consider getting some mounting squares to hang up wall art or small decorative shelving.
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