5 Ways to Make Your Rental Property Your Own

White walls, basic carpet, run of the mill appliances—this is the story of most rental properties. When it comes to living in one, you’ll have to make the most of the situation you are presented with. There is no rule that says you need to put your household personality on hold until you purchase a home of your own. By finding ways to express yourself in temporary formats you can have a lot of run with a rental space, and really turn a standard rental property into one that is all your own.

You might not own your home, but your rental property is yours for the duration of your lease. This is where your friends will come to visit, where you’ll return home after a long day at work and where any pets you have will safely wait for your return. Do your best to embrace your rental home by making personal changes that can be easily covered up when your lease comes to an end.

Here are five ideas to bring more of your personality into your home:

1. Add curtains: Oversized curtains can add a lot of character to a wall, not to mention provide a bit of extra privacy. Curtains often have to be measured to the specific window, but are well worth the pop of personality they provide.

2. Use area rugs: You can’t do much about the flooring that comes with your rental property, but you can add something to cover it up. Use area rugs to your advantage to match your furniture and your personality. Plus, this is a great way to help keep the real floors clean and free from damage.

3. Paint with light colors: If you’ve received permission to paint the walls of your rental property, use light-colored paint. The darker the paint color the harder it will be to cover it up. Paint can add an ambience to a home whether it be a warm bright color or sophisticated faux finish.

4. Start a container garden: Whether you decide to grow flowers, herbs or vegetables, there is nothing better than a well-kept garden to personalize a space. If you use a container garden you won’t fundamentally alter the property you are living on, and if you do decide to move it can easily go with you.

5. Use standing lamps: You most likely cannot add ceiling lights to your rental property, but you can use as many standing lamps as you can get to light up the place. Find fun lamps that express your personality by playing with the size, shape and color of lamp shades.

Before you make any changes to your rental property, check your lease and with your landlord. Ensure that anything you do to your property can be easily reversed down the road, and leave your home in as close to the condition you got it in as possible when moving out.

Dwell360 is a residential real estate firm based in Boston and Newton Massachusetts. Dwell360 services the cities and suburbs of metro Boston. We are focused on our customers and our experience in the residential real estate market is extensive. Search for homes in Massachusetts and then give us a call.