Tips for Making a Rental Feel More Like a Home

Finding a new rental place that checks off as many boxes as possible is always a great feeling. However, even when we get everything we want in a home (and especially when we don’t), it’s still not the same moving into a rental property as it is a place we buy for ourselves. 

Just because we can’t do an extensive renovation or otherwise make a house or unit our own, though, doesn’t mean we can’t make it feel more like home.

Do a Big Clean

Your first step should be to give your new place a thorough clean. The property won’t feel like yours if you keep spotting stains, crumbs, and other messes from past tenants or owners, as well as abandoned items people left behind. Besides, completing a deep clean will help you feel safe about the cleanliness of each area, so you don’t have to worry about germs too much.

Your cleaning time should involve the usual basics plus things like wiping down windows and window frames, baseboards, drawers and cupboards, light fixtures, fans, and the like. It’s worthwhile, if accessible and safe enough, pulling appliances such as the stove, dishwasher, and fridge out and cleaning under and behind them, too. 

Look for the Best Elements to Shine a Light On 

As you prepare to set up your new home and design its look and feel, consider the property’s best features that you can highlight throughout. You may not be able to change the things you don’t like, but you can draw attention away from them by shining a light on the loveliest areas instead. 

For instance, you might be able to set up your living room furniture to best show off the view or a standout architectural feature or place your best crockery or attractive vases and other display pieces on the vintage-style shelving in your kitchen area. Look for the best bits of your new place, and you’re sure to find at least some things you can decorate around.

Find Ways to Cover Up the Quirks You Don’t Love

Similarly, you can make your home feel more liveable and to your tastes if you find ways to cover up as many of those interesting “quirks” in the space that you’re not a fan of as possible. For instance, if one wall is unsightly due to lots of scuffs or some unsightly cords you can’t move, you might like to place your couch in front of it or display some large potted plants. 

You could also camouflage an ugly-colored feature wall with some big, standout artworks. Or, if there’s an area that gets little sunlight so always seems too dark, this could be a place you make feel cozy and snug by placing your favorite chair and a standing lamp or side table and desk lamp there to make it more of an effective use of space. 

Make the Bedroom Cozy

One of the most important rooms in our house or apartment is our bedroom, where we spend around a third of our lives resting. Your rental won’t feel like home until you set yourself up with a cozy, luxurious bedroom that you want to be in and feel comfortable sleeping in. You can achieve this by ensuring you have an excellent mattress to sleep on and a quality bed base to support it.

There are many mattress types on the market these days, so if your current product is old and lumpy, do your research and invest in an upgrade. For example, you might like a memory foam mattress or a latex, innerspring, wool, or hybrid option. Also, choose soft-on-the-skin, breathable, and pretty bed linen to snuggle up in and bring cheer to the room. 

Add some new blinds or drapes (and ensure the room will be dark enough for you to sleep in when you want) and some throw pillows, artwork, and, if the flooring isn’t already plush, an area rug. If there’s room, you may also want to bring in a reading chair and some bedside tables. 

You can take numerous other steps to strategically make your new rental place feel more like a home. For example, swap out old, dated light fixtures for more eco-friendly and modern options, create dedicated, specific spaces with room dividers as needed, and focus on making the entryway feel bright and welcoming. It pays to decorate with your memorable, sentimental items so you feel like you have something special in every room. You might like to start some new traditions in the home, too. 

Plus, try getting to know your new neighbors and the neighborhood so you can settle in more quickly. Doing these things can make a big difference in how comfortable you feel in your new abode.