When you are renting a home in St Albans you will no doubt want to make it feel as homely as possible. Just because you’re not the owner of the property it doesn’t mean it can’t be made to feel like a home-from-home. Below are 5 top tips for making your St Albans rental house a home.
1. Go green
Plants are a quick and affordable way to transform any room into a calm and inviting environment. The amount you purchase will depend on the space available, but whether it’s floor standing or in a small pot on a window sill, they bring colour and health benefits to your home. Inexpensive plants like aloe vera, ivy, spider plants and rubber plants always make for a good choice. You can even bring some herbs into the kitchen to add a new dimension to dinner time. Low maintenance plants are also a good idea if you are worried you may forget to water them.
2. Add layers and texture
Whether you bring your own furniture or use the furniture provided by the landlord, you can add in some additional layers and texture to make the space feel more homely. It can be anything from some cushions or a throw across the sofa, or even a new rug on a wooden floor (which can be very helpful for autumn and winter). Different coloured towels and bedding will also make a big difference to how the space feels to you. Avoid cluttering the space, but even just bringing two or three new items in will transform things.
3. Shine a little light
New lighting makes a big difference to every room. Mirrors help to reflect existing lighting, while lamps add depth and texture to the space. There are lots of things you can try to make your rental property in St Albans feel like a home, from LED strips, to lava lamps or strings of lights. Even just the simple changing of a lamp shade can change the atmosphere in the room, replacing an existing lamp shade with one of your choice. Go for bold colours to take away from any characteristics of the room that don’t appeal to you.
4. Transform the windows
There are plenty of things you can do with a window to change the shape and texture of the space around it. Replace existing curtains with colours and designs of your own, selecting fabrics that are more suited to your taste. There are a huge variety of blinds you can use, from roman and pleated blinds, to Venetian and bamboo blinds. It’s easy to find a colour to match the décor and they are relatively inexpensive, taking only a few minutes to hang. Just be mindful of the fact that any existing curtains or window dressings provided by the landlord will need to be put back at the end of your tenancy and stored safely in the interim.
5. Hang art or pictures
There is nothing more personal than hanging pictures or art pieces around the home, as they bring colour, style and say something about you. Whether it’s a poster, canvas print or a set of family photos, they can fill a large space on the wall and give focus to the space. Of course, hammering hooks into walls is not usually allowed in rented accommodation, but you can use command hooks that can be taken off the wall when you leave without leave a mark behind or speak to us about obtaining consent.
Thinking of moving to St Albans?
If you’re looking for a property to rent in St Albans, get in touch with our expert lettings team today, who’ll be happy to help. Alternatively, you can browse our available properties to rent online.