Whether you’re moving out of the family home into a rented place or due to a change of circumstances have had to sell up and move out into a temporary house, moving into a rented home can be tricky. It’s certainly a home, and for many, it’s going to be a long term place to live, but there is also the issue of being faced with temporary accommodation, furnished properties or strict rules about the changes you can and can’t make to your house. This guide aims to help you make the most of your rented home.
Furniture
A lot of rented homes come with furniture, which is great if you need it, but often many people would like to purchase or move in their own furniture. If this is the case, try to speak to your landlord first as you may be able to come to an arrangement before you even move in. If this isn’t possible, you should look into storage to put your furniture if you only intend to stay in the home temporarily. If it’s looking like a long term move then you should probably consider selling or giving furniture to charity shops rather than waste money on costly storage centres.
Decorating
The most difficult part of moving into a temporary house is often decorating, and more importantly what you can and can’t do to the interior of the house. It’s vital to know what you can and can’t do before moving in, especially if you intend to live there over a longer period of time. Many landlords will be happy for you to decorate the house as long as it would be easy to remove if you were to move out, however, some don’t even allow drawing pins in the wall. Depending on your needs depends on what type of property you should opt for. However, even in a rented house you can still create a homely and personal environment with a few small touches. If the walls can’t be painted or papered, choose some striking wall art canvases instead and if furniture is looking drab and dull dress it up with throws and fabrics to add a splash of colour and a homely touch to a rented home.
A temporary move
If your move is temporary then there is less to worry about when moving into a rented home. Your possessions can go in storage and only the necessities need to come with you into the house before you move on to a more permanent place. It’s important not to loose sight of your duration and to not get caught up on the details. A temporary home can feel lifeless but it is important not to waste time and money on finishing touches, especially if you intend to move out again soon, similarly, you can soon start to feel quite at home in a rented place, getting comfortable quickly, which is detrimental to your long term plans. Maintain sight of your goals and don’t get side tracked with your short term solution.
Long term property
If this is a long term property, you want to make it as comfortable and homely as possible, but the good news is, you have as long as you want to get it into perfect shape. If planning on staying for years you may find your landlord is a lot more flexible with what you can do to the house. The best way to do this is to be a good tenant for a good few months before asking for flexibility in the rules, once you’re seen as a model tenant willing to look after the house, it’ll be much more likely that decorating and changes will be allowed. Even then, you should be wary of spending too much money decorating as circumstances may change and there’ll be no financial benefit to a nicely decorated home.
