Renter Hacks and Tips

I cannot stand when people do not put any effort into their home, regardless of how long they’re planning to be there. I’m sorry. I have friends and family members that don’t decorate because they don’t know how long they’ll live in their current digs. To me, it’s an excuse. Tough love y’all. That’s why I put together renter hacks and tips – so there is no excuse.

Here’s my argument. Don’t you want to be happy? Don’t you want to be comfortable? Life is short enough, don’t sit in your house thinking it’s ugly and annoying. Take small changes to upgrade it and let it put a smile on your face and put you at ease when you walk in the door. I think we’ve all seen enough home makeover TV shows to learn that a nicely decorated home makes people happy.

OK, I’ll calm down now. Renting a place does not mean you’re stuck with what you’re given. There are plenty of renter hacks and tips to upgrade your place without spending an arm and a leg. Trust me, in my adult life I’ve moved five times within eight years. So I’ve accumulated some renters tips and hacks that can make the most of each home. Side note, if you are moving check out my ultimate moving checklist and my open first box posts.

You can shop Amazon specific products on my Amazon storefront. I’ve created a Renters Hacks & Product List with a majority of the items listed below on the list.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my disclosure by clicking here.

Renter Hacks & Tips

Lighting

I think my biggest pet peeve in most of the houses we’ve lived in, is the lighting. I cannot stand it if a room is dim, or overly lit. Luckily, you typically makes changes pretty affordably.

• Under cabinet lights for the kitchen
  • Plug-in or battery operated version – around $20
  • These long skinny lights attach easily under your kitchen counters and provide glorious light to help you cook your food instead of chop your finger off
  • Sometimes you can get away with heavy tape to attach the lights, other times you’ll need a small screw
  • Almost every house we’ve lived in we’ve left them behind because the homeowner thought they were great
• Lamps
  • I know it’s obvious, but you do need to have lamps – both table and floor, ready for all moves. So don’t sit there and not buy one because you’re not sure if you’ll use it in another house. You will. You will always find a use for all your lamps.
  • You know I love a thrifted lamp all day but I you don’t always have time to dig around for some extra lighting. I obviously love Target, Crate & Barrel and World Market but Amazon has some great lamps too. Here’s a great floor lamp and table lamp
• Light bulbs
  • You don’t have to just be stuck with too white of a light or too dark of a light in your home. It’s as easy as unscrewing the light bulb and putting a new one in.
  • Make sure it’s energy efficient like these warmer bulbs or these upgraded bulbs
• Ceiling fans
  • Both Lowes and Home Depot are probably your best bet for finding cheaper, good ceiling fans. So be on the look-out for sales, even on Amazon

Cleaning

You obviously need to clean you place before you move in and these products help make it look and smell extra clean.

• Magic erasers
  • The product’s name says it all, magic. I prefer the name brand ones.
  • Use it on the walls to get rid of dirt and marks. This will instanly make the place feel instantly cleaner
  • You can use it anywhere. On floors for smudges, cleaning the stove, countertops, cabinets, sinks, really you-name it. If it’s stubborn, use a magic eraser
• Baking soda
  • You should absolutely put baking soda in the fridge, freezer, closets and any musty smelling area. It will help.

Kitchen

Oh how each kitchen is so different. I’ve never had the same style, layout or cabinetry in any home I’ve lived in. So to make it work over and over again, you need to get the tools that transfer to every home.

• Oven thermometer
  • Each stove is different so you need an oven thermometer. Even if it’s brand new, you need a thermometer to measure if your cooking temperature is accurate. Don’t find out the hard way and burn dinner.
• Fridge & freezer thermometers
  • Same goes here if they are providing you with a fridge, don’t assume it’s at the correct temperature – get a thermometer.
• Kitchen sink aerator sprayer
  • Let’s say you don’t have a detachable kitchen sprayer but you’d like the same shower properties and something that swivels to get more of the sink and your dishes. Then you need this little sprayer that screws onto the head of your sink’s faucet. It’s a game changer and it’s under $20.
• Lazy Susan
  • These always come in handy for your pantry or cabinet to put your condiments on. Heck, even in the fridge. Get a 12-inch, 16 inch or a wooden one

Washer & Dryer

• Carpet piece or simple rug
  • If your laundry area is in the basement or the garage, like almost all my rental homes have been, then you need a quick upgrade. If you’re anything like me I drop my clothes on the floor frequently. That’s why I want a carpet piece or simple rug to go in front of my washer and dryer
  • Spend $20-30 dollars to place a rug in front of your washer & dryer and it feels upgraded immediately
  • It quick, easy, cheap and you can take it to the next house or leave it there

Decor

There are a ton of renter hacks and tips for home décor so I’m trying to take it easy here. The two biggest takeaways are: don’t be afraid to buy furniture and hang artwork. I’ve given you three different ways to hang your artwork from creating holes to no holes. Please, don’t look at empty walls. They’re very sad looking.

• Picture hanging kit
  • This little picture hanging kit has everything you need to hang artwork. You can also pick up a household repair and hanging kit that I like as well.
  • If you’re hanging over a bed, please try to use a nail guys. No one wants a picture to fall on their face in the middle of the night.
• Thumb tacks
  • Don’t want to commit with a nail? Use a thumb tack. It should only be used for really light-weight items.
• 3-M command strips
  • Freaked out about holes? Get these guys, variety pack for frames or for posters
  • You can also check out my DIY way to hang posters without a frame. It also doesn’t ruin the artwork or your walls on my Instagram DIY highlight. I’ll try my best to do a post soon!
• Spackle
  • Let’s say there are holes in the walls because the homeowner is lazy. Yes, this happens all the time. Or you made a hole and that’s not where you want to hang the artwork. Or your moving out and need to cover your tracks. Use spackle. It’s not hard.
  • According to Young House Love, who I absolutely love, this spackle is the absolute best and easiest. If you’re more old school with a putty knife I like this spackle kit.
• Plants
  • Nothing says cozy and warm like indoor plants. Plus they purify your air and bring warmth into your home.
  • Here are some of my favorite non-toxic plants approved for kids and pets
  • Also, I love Piep for plants, they are working on shipping plants. It’s also great to find your local plant store and support.
  • If you think you can’t take care of plants, check out my plants highlight on my Instagram about bottom watering. It’s easy and a great fool-proof way to keep your plants alive.

• Go thrifting
  • If you’re on a budget, or just like old things, go thrifting. And if you’re not sure how to thrift, check out my how to thrift for home décor post
• Use what you have
  • If you take a look below you’ll see my silverware in random thrifted jars. That’s because our kitchen did not have a silverware draw. Matter-of-a-fact it had something like five drawers total in the entire kitchen and they were all tiny. So I took some containers that I already had and repurposed them as silverware holders.
• Be creative
  • You might have to stop and look around to think about how you can use your existing items in a different way for each home. But as soon as you do, you can make your existing furniture and décor work for each home.

Organize

• Extension cords
  • You’ll always need them because who knows where the outlets will be and how many there will be. Surge protector ones or a basic six-outlet one.
• Organizational items
  • IKEA is always a good stop. The bathroom organizer below, turned can holder, is now an arts & crafts holder in our new place.
  • Organizational pieces are always so helpful. There will always be a new spot to use them in each home
  • Also please note how a push pin and some binder clips helped me to organize my weird pantry.

Backyard

• Astroturf
  • Whether you only have dirt or cement, Astroturf will come in handy. And this isn’t a matter of kids or pets, it’s helpful to have a softer spot plus the green makes your backyard look instantly nicer. See the below photo.
  • It can get expensive but here’s a 6×8 rug for $20 and then it just goes up from there. This roll is nicer quality for under $100. We were lucky enough to get two rolls on clearance at a home improvement store.
  • We’ve had our astroturf for three years in three different homes and it’s been awesome every time. Once to cover up dirt. Another time to cover up rocks and this time to add a pop of color to our cement patio and some cushion for the kids. And it still looks great!
• Plants in pots
  • You don’t have to stick with whatever vegetation is currently at the house. Buy pots.
  • Make sure to buy light-weight pots that are easy to move with. That way you can take it with you on each move.
  • We frequently plant herbs, tomatoes or nice flowers so everyone in the family can be involved.
• Patio furniture set
  • We’ve gone through several different patio sets to figure out what we like and what works at everyplace. I recommend folding, lightweight pieces, as well as a couch set that’s light-weight. Ours have been used on front porches and in backyards.
  • You can do a two seater, a four-seater with no cushions or a four-seater with cushions.
• An outdoor rug
  • It’s easier to find these in the summer, particularly at Target or a home improvement store. But you can find them here too
  • We’ve had our outdoor rug for three years as well and love it. There always seems to be a place for it and it automatically makes our backyard or front porch look inviting and nice.

I hope you learned a few new things from my renter hacks and tips. Again, be happy in your home. Don’t wait – upgrade your rental now!