The Importance of Making Your Rented House Feel Like Home

Getting the Most out of Your Situation
America has always been a country where the dream is to find enough success that an individual is able to start a family and maintain it with maximum independence. To that end, home ownership has always been a goal of our nation’s youth. However, the reality of life, economy, and technological changes has shifted this dream.

Now, the majority of people who are at or reaching the traditional age where they would buy a house are instead renting, and they’re not in a position where acquiring property is even on the table. Many families today start in apartments, and remain there. There are positive and negative aspects to this, but wherever there is life, a silver lining can be found.

Also, there are situations where rental is better than ownership. I you were working the oil fields of North Dakota, it’s more likely you’d be there for a season than permanently. Accordingly, what’s the point in a 30-year mortgage? Rental is more convenient. Additionally, it’s good to rent in a city before you move there permanently so you really know what you’re getting into.

Since it takes three months to close on a house after you decide anyway, and about that long to find one, a six-month lease makes sense. That said, just because rental is impermanent doesn’t mean it should feel rushed. An apartment should feel like home. Here we’ll explore a few ways you can make even the most temporary surroundings feel that way.

1. Meet the Neighbors
If you don’t know who you live next to, you’ll never feel at home. Do you know your neighbors in a hotel? Rarely. Many apartment residents have that sort of relationship with one another, and it’s less than ideal. But when you are on a friendly basis with those living adjacent to you, everything feels more secure.

2. Decorate to Match Your Style
Stained glass window film makes normal windows feel artistic. You can put up posters, pictures, and mirrors. You can use partitions to divide rooms, imparting a feeling of greater space in the area and compounding its utility. Soft rugs protect hard floors or stationary carpet from damage, and feel great on your toes. Decorate to fit your style.

3. Start a Little Garden in Whatever Window Works Best
Another great way to make a rental feel like home is to add some plants! Having a garden is aesthetically pleasing, the plants help purify the air, and if you grow it right, you can have a recurring source of fresh veggies located right in your own kitchen. Now that feels like home.

4. If Your Lease Allows it, and You Want to, Get a Pet
Cats are ideal for apartments, though dogs are good too; if they’re allowed and you can give them proper attention. Even a goldfish or a lizard in a terrarium are better than an empty unit. If you’ve got a pet, bring them along. If you don’t, and your lease allows it, get one. Pets make houses homes.

5. Minimize Clutter With Strategic Storage
Strategically store everything in places that don’t “get in the way”. Downsize by getting rid of that which you don’t want or need, and organizing what remains in a way that’s easy to access and unobtrusive.

Making Your Apartment a Home
Knowing the neighbors adds a social element to your apartment. Decoration helps everything subconsciously connect with you. Reduction of clutter through storage and other tips helps your apartment be more livable. Pets are excited to see you, and provide a reason to want to go home if you live alone.

Lastly, a little garden saves money in veggies, purifies the air, and makes your unit distinct. Altogether, these moves can make your apartment feel as much a home to you as any family residence ever did.