We’ve recently moved in to a rental property in the lovely town of Bedford. It’s the first time we’ve had a proper garden and a lot of time has been spent outside already!
If you’ve ever rented then you’ll know how restrictive the contract can seem when it comes to changes you’re allowed to make in the house and garden. I’ve put together a few tips that I know have helped me make the house in to a home.
Pots and baskets are your friend
I love our garden. Having moved at the start of the summer, we’ve been lucky enough to be able to enjoy our garden. Our rescue dog Monty is a big fan too! Landlords typically choose to keep the gardens in a low maintenance state which leads to lots of patio and slate. If you are a landlord and want to protect yourself then remember to compare landlord insurance options available to you!
Whilst the temptation can be to rip it all up and plant extensive orders of your favourite flowers, your contract is unlikely to allow it. There is good reason for that too as the next tenant may not be as green fingered as you and the garden can quickly become a burden for them.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t soften up and beautify your outdoor living space. Make use of pots to lay on top of the tiles or slate and you can almost create a border without needing to lay one spade of topsoil! Have a look around and you’ll find some amazing colours and shapes for pots that will put your personality in to the garden.
Hanging baskets are another great way to soften up fences, add some colour to the front of your house and make the outdoor space your own! Depending how creative you are feeling, you can buy empty baskets and pack them full of your favourite plants and watch them blossom over time. Want a ready to go solution? Buy them pre-made!
The local weekly market had a vast choice when I popped down this weekend and all reasonably priced. Now to remember to water them!
A splash of colour
My very unofficial poll of the most popular rental home wall colour is: white. Well, off-white if the landlord hasn’t painted in-between tenancies! Firstly, you may want to ask your estate agent/landlord if you can paint some of the walls to something that better reflects what you want for a room. Failing that, there are ways you can still add colour to any room.
Statement vases are a vey easy way to bring character in to a room. Leave them empty as pieces of decorative furniture or fill them with colourful flowers or dried out lavender to create the look you are aiming for. You don’t need to put paint on the wall to bring the colour in to the room.
Have a quick look around your house and see if there are any hooks already in the wall that you can put to good use! I recently got some small paintings done by a local artist that I found via Instagram. I love them and they sit proudly above a chest of drawers on the landing. Unique artwork like this doesn’t have to be expensive but can mean so much more than a print.
Don’t let the fact that you’re renting put you off from making your house a home!
