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Reversible Renovations for Renters
9 Renter Friendly Upgrades that You Can Put Back the Way They Were
Being a renter definitely has its drawbacks. One of them being that you’re not at liberty to make many changes to the space. Luckily there are plenty of renter friendly upgrades you can make that you can reverse later on when it’s time to move.
Here are 9 renovations for renters that you can undo without leaving a trace.
#1 Gallery Wall
If you have an inconveniently placed outlet or cable access port, these can be really hard to cover up without being obvious about it. The solution lies in the gallery wall. Gallery walls place many framed artworks or pictures all across the wall at different heights. They are the perfect way to cover up anything on the wall, no matter how weirdly placed it is.
#2 Washi Tape Accents
If you haven’t discovered washi tape yet, it’s tape that won’t damage paint or walls when you remove it and comes in all sorts of colors and patterns. You can use it to create a pattern on a blank wall or make flat frames or . . . the list is as long as your creative imagination.
#3 Area Rugs
Whatever type of flooring you have, area rugs are a great way to give your rental a refresh. You can get all sizes, shapes, colors, textures, and patterns. You could even get one large enough to go wall to wall and completely transform your flooring.
#4 Mirrors
A big mirror hung on the wall can instantly make the room feel larger. It also increases the light in the space. A framed mirror just enhances the impact even more. A mirror is one of the easiest ways to change the feel of a room.
#5 Dividers
You can’t build walls or knock them down when you’re a renter, but that’s why we have room dividers. These tall folding dividers can be purely functional (solid color) or can be the visual center of the room (decorative, colors, textures, patterns, etc.). They are generally easy to move in case you want the flexibility of changing up the room.
#6 Light Fixtures
Switching out one light fixture for another allows you to add some style without tinkering with permanent structures. You can also get creative with pendant lights plugged into an outlet then hung with a little panache.
#7 Showerheads
Some showerheads screw right onto the plumbing so it’s easy to change it out for something you like better. With a large selection of showerheads, both design-wise and functionally, you can get a better shower experience and change the look of your bath at the same time.
#8 Doorknobs
If the doorknobs in your apartment hail from the 80s (and not in a good way), trading them for something else gives your entire space an update. So long as the new knobs fit the old mechanisms, this is an easy renovation for renters. All you need is a screwdriver and a few minutes.
#9 Kitchen Update
Many of the elements of the kitchen are permanent and therefore, not update-able. You can’t paint cabinets or change the layout. But you can do a few little things that will refresh the room. Start with changing out the knobs and pulls on the cabinets and drawers. Pick something with a little personality that will stand out and draw attention away from the old fixtures.
Armed with all these renter friendly upgrades, your only problem will be figuring out where to store all the things you took down until it's time to put them back when you move out. For more renovations for renters, take a look at this idea.