Inexpensive Ways to Spruce up Your Rental Property

Drooling over home interiors on Insta and pinning chaise longues to your Pinterest board? Whilst scowling at the grey laminate floors and bare, yellowing walls in your rental property? Dear lord, what a sad little life Jane. While it can indeed be the life of a renter for some, it needn’t be so! It’s amazing what you can do without a lick of paint and less than a few pennies to rub together. Taking your tenancy agreement firmly in hand, we’re turning off the ‘big light’ and throwing down a Gumtree rug to offer up some budget-conscious alternatives to spruce up your rental property. Oh, but if you could pop that floor lamp on first, we can’t see what the chuffing mood board we’re doing in here…

Furnish for a song

Whether your rental property comes furnished or not, you’ll still want to welcome your own chests and pouffes into the foray. Settle down Marjory, we’re talking about furniture. Should you need extra storage, or you just fancy incorporating some more of your own personality into the space, a well stocked bookcase or vinyl rack can quickly do the job. These moveables can soon add up however. So try checking out your local charity shops or hitting Freecycle again for a bargain or even a freebie. The world is your 1970s oyster lamp, once you start looking!

The lights are on, and you should be home

*Switches on that epic charity shop floor lamp and vintage downlight sourced from ebay*. Ah, that’s better Keith. We can see what we’re working with now. Lighting is so often overlooked, but can really transform a space. From a neon strip-lit waiting room to an ambient, cosy haven – in the literal flick of a switch. Bought new, lamps and shades can also cost an arm and a leg, but a quick peruse in those same charity shops, or Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and Freecycle could lead you to a lightbulb moment. You may well end up with something much more to your taste than whatever Argos has decided is on trend this season. The laminated book of dreams it may be. But when it comes to interiors your bank account and front room will thank you for putting the effort in. Just don’t forget to switch everything off when you’re not using it, Keith. We are in a cost of living crisis after all.

Stack your bread

By bread, we don’t actually mean that half eaten loaf of wholemeal. If you’re short of a side table, or bookcase, or that special bamboo plant stand worth £200 – try stacking books instead. A well placed pile of literature with a lamp on top can really transform an otherwise sad little corner. Make sure you don’t put the novel that went viral on TikTok at the bottom though. Or you’ll find yourself Jenga-ing your way to a good read later. Larger, coffee table size books work well for slightly more robust house plants and really help to showcase your exquisite taste in military history.

Go green or go home

Oh, you are home. Injecting a burst of greenery into your otherwise bland-as-sin rental property is one quick way to liven up the space. Whatever your decor and palette, house plants pretty much go with everything. Those au natural beauties. Plain white walls, wooden floorboards and leopard print cushions? A match made in heaven with a splash of foliage. Even better when paired with a wicker pot or even a pop of colour. Your collection can grow as you become more confident with your watering routine, and you can quite literally sleep better at night. More plants means more oxygen in your home, less mould, and some even aid sleep. Like the peace lily or the pineapple plant that reportedly helps reduce snoring. Line our bed with them, Stonehenge-like, with one on the bedside book-stack for good measure.

Feather your nest, lawfully

While a rental property can feel temporary, it needn’t mean you keep your belongings in boxes and drink out of takeaway cups. It can be tricky to make your home a home while sticking to the terms of your tenancy agreement, but it is possible. Any decorations that would affect the property will need to be pre-approved by your agent or landlord. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying furnishing your quarters. Try hanging pictures with command strips… for example or placing them on your mantle. Rather than hammering large holes into the walls and ending up face to face with next door’s breakfast table. Larger changes, such as swapping furniture for items more to your taste can be arranged, and should you fancy painting the walls a fresh white you could also be in luck. Plans to knock down the adjoining wall to create an open-plan layout will most likely get shot down. So do bear that in mind when you start storyboarding.

Floor your guests

When all else fails, throw down a rug! No one loves grey laminate or lino- even though we know it does make cleaning easier. And a rug can kill two design choices in one. Not only do they help keep the floor intact beneath, but can infuse a pop of colour and warmth to your home. Cover up the bore that lies beneath and enjoy the feeling of wool between your toes. Again, a brand new rug can end up costing the earth if you’re not concentrating. So try Ikea or Dunelm if you don’t fancy a second-hand rug in your bedroom. Or you could even tick off that new year’s resolution to start making things from scratch this year and get cracking with the punch needle or tufting gun. Careful, Jean, we’re within firing distance!

When in doubt, always check with your landlord or estate agent first before embarking on any home interior projects (so you don’t end up reading eviction papers for the sake of a picture frame). Give us a call for more advice, drop us a line or pop in for a chinwag.

Please note that all content contained within our website is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. All Content on this site is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. We advise seeking professional advice from a legal, financial, or other professional.

Contact us:

alex@daviesdavies.co.uk – Lettings Director (contact for lettings and property management)

mark@daviesdavies.co.uk – Sales Director (contact for sales, new homes and chartered surveying)

Davies & Davies Estate Agents, 85 Stroud Green Road, London, N4 3EG

Article & images by Barefaced Studios

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