6 Renter-Friendly Upgrades You Can Take With You When You Move

6 slides · by Homeknacks Editorial

A rented home comes with a familiar list: magnolia walls, a bare bulb on a cord, a beige carpet of unknown history, and a tenancy agreement that says nothing permanent. Most renters conclude it is not worth spending anything, and then live for four years in a space that feels like a waiting room.

The six upgrades below are all reversible, all take a Saturday or less, and all come with you when you move. Together they cost roughly $400 to $700, CA$550 to CA$950 or £320 to £560 — and because they are portable, that money buys you the same improvement in the next place too. Photograph everything before you start and keep the original fittings in a labelled box.

1. 1. Put a peel-and-stick splashback over tired kitchen tiles
2. 2. Replace the lighting, which changes a room more than paint
3. 3. Cover bad flooring with a rug large enough to matter
4. 4. Hang art without a single hole in the wall
5. 5. Swap the cabinet and door handles
6. 6. Hang the curtains high, wide and long

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