Personalising rental spaces is not only a game-changer but also necessary when you consider the number of people that opt for rental commercial or residential units as opposed to purchased ones. By personalising the rental space, you not only feel more at home in it but also your identity shines through as it now becomes an expression of yourself, your personality and your identity. Understanding the various ways in which this can be achieved is key and that’s what has brought us here today.
Way #1 Lighting
When it comes to Lighting, replacing the lampshade or light fixture altogether to one of your liking, automatically elevates the space. Don’t limit yourself to the fixtures already in place, as long as you properly store them away and return them when vacating the premises, you will have no issues with your landlord.
Way #2 Painting
A fresh coat of Paint gives any space a new lease of life. If the cost of repainting the entire unit is wanting, then several accent walls and feature details like doors, windows and trims will do the trick. Whenever possible, paint away and don’t hold yourself back, especially since you’ll still have to repaint and restore the space to its original colours when you do vacate. This is regardless of whether you changed its colour or not.
Way #3 Window Treatment
With regards to the Window Treatment, just because the space comes fitted with the standard old school curtain boxes or venetian blinds, does not mean that you must limit your window treatment options to something that will work with these. Instead, carefully remove the fittings and replace them with something that is more to your liking, like curtain rods or roman blinds for instance. And just like in the case of Lighting, safely store these fittings away until you wish to vacate the premises. At that point, restore them to their original positions and move spaces with your personalised fittings.
Way #4 Wainscotting
Wainscotting or panelling is a beautifully timeless way of adding interest to your walls. Be it a feature wall or corridor, introducing some wainscotting in line with your personality will go the extra mile in personalising your space. Installation is also a no-brainer with several cut to size, peel and stick options available in the market.
Way #5 Wallpaper
Wallpaper application and installation is another easily accessible and easy to install solution to beautify and personalise your surfaces. With a myriad of patterns, textures, designs and colours to choose from, one is spoilt for choice. Add the fact that waterproof options like contact paper, are now readily available, meaning that that kitchen backsplash, bathroom vanity or countertop, can now perfectly reflect your personality.
Way #6 Flooring
Finally comes Flooring which is another item that can also be personalised. With relatively easy to install options like wall-to-wall carpets, laminate and bamboo flooring and peel and stick vinyl tiles, the list is practically endless and the varieties equally so. The best part is that these options can be installed on top of the current flooring and when the time to vacate the premises comes, all you’ll need to do is remove the new flooring (which can be reused in the new location) and the previous one is left intact.
Way #7 Locks and Switches
A bonus way that you can personalise your rental space is by replacing the door Locks and light Switches to those that mirror your personal style. These come in a variety of shapes, sizes and finishes and are not only easy to install but even easier to restore when you finally move units.
Clearly there’s no reason to lease a space that lacks character and you have no excuse to deny yourself the experience and joy that comes with living in a space that fully reflects your personality. So, do yourself a favour and personalise that unit that you are leasing, the positive ripple effects that come with this move far outweigh the minor inconvenience attached to restoring the space to its original condition.
Till next time…Baraka Tele
