Making a rented house feel like home

[MamaGeekChic]

How do I achieve this? We've lived here 2years now and are likely to be here for as long as the landlord will have us- given house prices/mortgage availability and being first time buyers (1 commission based, the other self-employed) being able to buy our own home seems a long way off.

The landlord is happy for us to do what we like however I'm aware that at the end of any 6month period he could ask us to leave so I need to be able to take things with me. Its a new build so all magnolia and cream carpets.

What will make the biggest impact? Got a little bit of money to spend if that helps.

Im in exactly the same position as you, though hope to have own house within the next year. Magnolia and cream newbuild too! Ive dressed house with colour but using accessories...curtains, cushions, pictures/prints, rugs...havent spent any money or time on anything I cant take with us.

I usually move in and take down all of the LL's curtains and lamp shades and put my own up (the originals can be stored and it saves cleaning them when you leave as they are in exactly the same condition as when you arrived), that makes a big impression.

I put pictures up, especially those photo frames that hold loads of pictures or are several frames joined together, that way you get quite a few pictures up with only one picture hook this sort of thing.

Lighting is good, lamps and things, new shower curtain and bathroom bit, TK max is very good for cheap household bits and bobs. Also rugs are good and can change the look of a whole room. It looks quite homely here (and I have managed not to over do it with the picture hooks!).

We have put up curtains in this house because there were no downstairs curtains at all. Only cheap ones from Tesco because, as you say, we could be asked to leave any time. This is the first time that we've had curtains that match stuff and I think it does make a difference.

I lived in rented places for years and I guess it's lucky i quite like a neutral backdrop - i use large pictures in frames (on a picture hook, most LLs are happy for you to leave picturehooks in sensible places for the next tenant), rugs and pot plants to put my own touch on things - i like neutral walls for the lightness and am ambivalent about floors.

Pictures, mirrors, rugs, cushions, curtains, ornaments, light fittings.

I like shelves (if you're allowed) or shelving units to put 'stuff' on.

If your rooms are very neutral, and you can be bothered, just painting or papering one 'feature' wall can be quite effective too.

It's definitely missing curtains, there are just badly fitting venetian blinds everywhere. The windows are odd sizes though so ended up having to get the one curtain we do have, for DDs room, made specially. i worry that I wouldn't be able to reuse them. I also dont think I've got the lighting right.

I like lots of lamps rather than overhead lighting and those you can take with you.

If the windows aren't huge it's better to have too much curtain, that you can drape, rather than too short or whatever.

We moved every 18 months as children and it is just as Nanny says,

Pictures, lamps, rugs, cushions, mirrors, curtains if allowed. Your ornaments, your photos, your pot plants or herbs.

Kitchen and bathroom stuff makes it look like yours. Bedrooms: counterpanes that are yours and go with light shades or lamps help.

If you have a couple of small stools or tables or ( though I'm not a fan) pouffes that are yours, they can go everywhere with you.

If you are anywhere near an IKEA, get their curtains and trim and hem the length.