Renting a flat or a house nowadays is common more than ever given several facts: First, it’s the migration of professionals, who tend to travel from city to city seeking new career opportunities. Second, the affordability of buying your own accommodation is less frequent, since the living expenses are rising and so do the prices of the housing market.
Those who live in expensive countries and cities know very well that renting a flat is a usual thing even for locals. In several countries, the percentages are quite high, led by Switzerland. According to a study, more than half of the population is renting there, which is roughly 56.6%. Other countries are Hong Kong, Germany, Austria, and South Korea with 49%, 48,1%, 44,3%, and 44,8% renters respectively.
If you’re one of those people who do not belong to one place and like to travel around the world, frequently changing houses, then you know how difficult it might seem to make the rented flat your own for the period of living there. We all understand that it’s a temporary period, but don’t we pay for that, and don’t we want to feel like in a space the environment and atmosphere of which belong to us? Of course, we do. So, let’s jump into some practical suggestions.
Equip the home with smart devices and features
Even if you’re just renting temporarily, there’s no reason your living space can’t enjoy all the conveniences of a smart home setup. Today’s array of top smart home devices makes it incredibly easy to upgrade any apartment or rental house with automated solutions. Luckily, given the fact that such devices are highly in demand, many tech companies invest in the field, widening the variety in the market.
One good example is the voice assistants from Amazon, Google, or Apple that integrate seamlessly to operate your smart home features hands-free. And affordable video doorbells or security cameras from other renowned brands can be simply installed in the walls using removable adhesives – granting high-tech monitoring while protecting your rental deposit.
The real game-changer is smart home hubs acting as central control units. Samsung’s SmartThings Hub, for example, wirelessly networks all your disparate connected gadgets from thermostats to speakers to small appliances. Controlling every aspect of your rental’s environment happens with a few taps or voice prompts. You can even create routines like having the lights dim, music start, and rooms shift to sleep mode temperatures when it’s time for bed.
If utility costs are a concern, smart plugs, and power strips help reduce energy usage by automatically shutting off unnecessary electronics. Of course, responsible renters should get landlord approval for any smart home modifications that could impact infrastructure. But more open-minded property owners may agree to splits on costs – particularly if smart thermostats deliver long-term efficiency savings on heating and cooling. Negotiating smart upgrades during lease renewals can also make sense for longer-term tenants.
Decorate with family photos
One old-school decorating tip still resonates even today: displaying framed family photos all around your rental. While personal photo albums may seem obsolete amidst today’s cloud storage, there’s something psychologically powerful about having cherished memories in constant view.
From a design perspective, thoughtfully curating these personal items ensures instant color and thematic coherence no matter how neutral the rental’s base decor is. You can simply mix and match vintage frames for visual variety.
Pro tip: pack a portable hole-free mounting system like Command strips so you can temporarily hang without damaging rental walls. Not only can you keep assembling new personalized photo galleries with each move, but it’s now easier than ever to continually refresh arrangements by rotating different shots to the forefront.
Nurture living greenery
While color palettes and furnishings help rentals feel like home, there’s no quicker spirit-lifter than introducing some living greenery. Be it a few potted plants artfully arranged or entire indoor garden setups, biophilic design offers big psychological advantages.
Study after study underscores the mental health and productivity benefits of being surrounded by nature. Having living flora around is shown to improve moods, lower stress, and anxiety, and boost overall well-being for individuals especially today when very urbanized life severed our connection with nature. Sometimes, we don’t even have time to shut down these computers and smartphones and look at the amazing surroundings our planet offers us generously.
Better yet, getting hands-on with your green environment through gardening offers an empowering dose of control. The self-care trend surrounding houseplants reflects our intrinsic human-nature connections. If you are someone who doesn’t have experience in taking care of plants, remember that with careful planning and plant choice, your environment may soon breathe with flourish greenery, so it’s not difficult to create such an amazing atmosphere, but you just need a passion and love towards nature.
