I’ve always dreamed of owning my own home, but being self-employed has made that a slightly more tricky goal to achieve. I wouldn’t change my job for the world as I love the freedom it gives me, but at times I do resent the fact being self-employed makes getting a mortgage and ascertaining credit more complicated.

 

For now, I am living in a rental property. I’ve rented for the past four years since leaving university and I’ve learned a lot about making your rental property feel more like home. You’d actually be surprised at how easy it is to personalise your rental home, just make sure that before you do anything too significant, you consult the landlord.

 

So, how have I made my rental property my own?

 

I got inspired

 

Pinterest has been my very best friend when it comes to decorating my home. I mean the ideas that you can find on there are amazing. I am such a fan – I could legit spend hours at a time on there skimming ideas and pinning cute pin after cute pin.

 

I actually found some amazing ideas on there that were designed especially for renters. Like, using contact paper instead of wallpaper because it’s much easier to put up and take down without ruining the walls. Honestly, there’s a huge bank of ideas on there, so if you’re not already browsing, I urge you to do so.

 

I choose stylish furniture

 

I’m lucky to live in an unfurnished rental home, which means that I got to pick all of the furniture that I wanted for my home. My first rental property, a flat on Cheltenham high street, was actually part furnished and I hated it. I like having my own stuff around me, which is why since then, I’ve only rented unfurnished properties.

 

For my living room, I purchased a beautiful Ikea ‘L-shaped’ sofa in grey that comes with a pull out bed underneath. I revamped some old pieces of wooden furniture in grey chalk paint to create a modern meets vintage vibe. I was lucky the floor was already wood because personally, I prefer wood floors to carpet.

 

 

I accessorised

 

In a rental property where you can’t change the walls or the flooring, you have to get creative. Accessorising is the key to putting your own stamp on a property – trust me I’ve done it and my home is 100% personalised and perfectly meets my design style.

 

I changed the lampshades to these lovely retro-style metal ones. I purchased grey curtains and  Thomas Sanderson’s bespoke window blinds to go in each window. If I had a bay window, which is a real dream of mine, I would have created a little window seat complete with cushions, throws and a cute blind. I got a modern rug, I put up bunting, I hung wall art. I also invested in some pot plants and stylish ornaments for the sides.

 

I spoke with the landlord

 

I’m super lucky that my landlord is nice and helpful because when I mentioned that I wasn’t best pleased with the carpets upstairs and would much prefer wood, he agreed to have the carpets replaced with wooden flooring. I am such a major fan of wood, so for me, this literally made this house perfect.

 

If there’s something about your rental home that you’re not keen on, don’t be afraid to ask your landlord to do something about it. For instance, our wallpaper accent wall in the lounge became a little shabby, so I asked if I could change it at my own cost and he agreed. Communication is key when renting a home.

 

A rental home doesn’t have to lack personality or your own style, it’s just a case of getting creative with how your decorate and accessorize, that’s all.