Making your rental space feel like home

December 05, 2009

Jennifer Wilson-Speedie

Yourhome.ca editor

There's nothing like the holidays to make you wish your space felt a little bit homier. Getting that feeling is even tougher when you're renting. On top of the landlord's rules, it's hard to make a temporary space feel cozy.

But being a tenant doesn't mean you need to resign yourself to bare beige walls. Jodi Gilmour, host of HGTV's For Rent (Mondays, 8 p.m.) says that landlords can be quite accommodating when you want to give your place a personal touch.

"We do a little negotiating with landlords," Gilmour says, like letting them keep a swapped out light fixture or custom blinds, to ease the way for mini makeovers on the show, which is currently airing its second season and taping its third.

Renters can try this too, as she notes, "Landlords are more giving and easy going if you're helping them out," and, she adds, it may even work in your favour. "If you can show you're adding value, hey, the landlords might add some value too and give you something you really like."

Once you've found your perfect rental pad, Gilmour suggests spending a week or two living in the space and thinking about your design before making any changes. As for budget, she says the general rule is to not spend more than a month's rent up to $1,000.

Tackle the walls first, as "paint is, always has been and always will be the quickest and easiest way to change the look of a place and make it feel clean," says Gilmour.

Once you've slapped on a fresh coat of your favourite hue – with your landlord's OK, of course – Gilmour suggests changing the window coverings and lighting, which should be fine as long as you keep the original fixture to re-install when you move.

Changing the hardware in kitchens and bathrooms is another easy way to revamp a space with minimal effort and a small budget, says Gilmour.

"You can get them at a great deal and it makes a great difference."

She says on-trend crystal knobs are a great choice for everything from door pulls to dresser drawers.

For a serious style update, she suggests swapping appliances for stainless steel models, noting you can get great deals scouring damaged sections in big box stores and shopping online.

Whether you're downsizing to a rental unit or just moving to a new pad, Gilmour says to look for furniture pieces that are multipurpose or that can be repurposed through small changes. For example, she once took a desk that the owners loved and turned it into a buffet cabinet, giving the tenants extra storage.

To cap off a space that works for you – and is more than just a place to hang your hat – Gilmour emphasizes the importance of art and photos. For Rent does "lots of reframing of artwork and elevating pieces that don't seem like art," she says, such as travel photos, children's drawings and pullouts from magazines.

"We've helped create a home for people who live far away from home by putting up photos of friends and family (in the entryway) to greet them when they come home."

While it may be difficult to make a temporary space feel like your own, Gilmour says "it's worth the time to make your rental do what you need it to do, make it feel like home."

AIRING THIS WEEK

Sunday: My Parents' House: Home for The Holidays (1 p.m. and 6 p.m., HGTV), Decked for the Holidays (2 p.m. and 7 p.m., HGTV), Sandra Lee Celebrates: Magical Merry Christmas (3 p.m. and 8 p.m., HGTV), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (8 p.m., ABC), My RONA Home (9 p.m., Citytv).

Monday: For Rent (8 p.m., HGTV), Income Property (8:30 p.m., HGTV), House Poor (9 p.m., HGTV), Love it or List it (9 p.m., W Network), Yard Crashers (9 p.m., DIY) My First Place (9:30 p.m., HGTV), Take This House and Sell It (10 p.m., W Network), Save Us From Our House (10:30 p.m., W Network).

Tuesday: Pure Design (9 p.m., HGTV), Man Caves (9 p.m., DIY), Dear Genevieve (9:30 p.m., HGTV).

Wednesday: Real Estate Intervention (8:30 p.m., HGTV), Property Virgins (9 p.m., HGTV), Renovation Realities (9 p.m., DIY), The Unsellables UK (9:30 p.m., HGTV).

Thursday: Holmes Inspection (8 p.m., HGTV), Family Renovation (9 p.m., HGTV), Colour Confidential (9 p.m., W Network), Cool Tools (9 p.m., DIY), Divine Design (10 p.m., W Network), Love it or List it (11 p.m., W Network).

Friday: House Hunters International (8 p.m., HGTV), Relocation Relocation (9 p.m., HGTV), BATHtastic (9 p.m., DIY), Kitchen Impossible (10 p.m., DIY).

Daily: Wasted Spaces (4 p.m., DIY), Fresh Coat (4:30 p.m., DIY), From Junky to Funky (5 p.m., DIY), Carson Can (5 p.m., HGTV), Junk Brothers (6 p.m., DIY), Real Renos (6:30 p.m., DIY), House Hunters (7 and 10 p.m., HGTV), Sweat Equity (8 p.m., DIY), Desperate Landscapes (8:30 p.m., DIY).

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http://www.hgtv.ca/ontv/hostdetails.aspx?hostid=41791

http://www.hgtv.com/jodi-gilmour/bio/index.html

http://www.cineflixproductions.com/shows/53-For-Rent/hosts/20-Jodi-Gilmour

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http://www.jodigilmour.com/agentprofile/profile.cfm

Agent Profile

JODI GILMOUR       Broker:   905.858.3434 Direct:   905-858-3434 Fax:   905.858.2682 Awards:   100% Club Winner 2003-2006 Outstanding Achievement 2003-2005 Million Dollar Club Accreditations:   2000 - Bachelor of Arts, Huron College at The University of Western Ontario Languages:   English