FEATURE: DECORATING
FIVE RENTER-FRIENDLY DECORATING HACKS
Whilst living in rented housing has its perks, it can be tricky to make a home feel uniquely yours, with most UK landlords having some form of decorating restrictions in place. Luckily, Jo Smith, decorating expert at Toolstation is on hand to share five renter-friendly decorating hacks that won’t upset the landlord that you can pass on to your customers.
the property ladder, with 9.3 million households now living in rented housing. As a renter, it may feel difficult to have the freedom to decorate your home and make it feel more personalised without making permanent changes. Many rental contracts state that the property should have minimal changes and be left how it was found when vacated.
D Decorating expert, Jo Smith at
Toolstation has pulled together a list of renter-friendly decorating hacks that shouldn’t stop you from getting your full deposit back.
How lenient are UK landlords? From a Toolstation survey of UK renters, 15% stated that they have previously lost some of their house deposit due to decorating without the landlord’s permission. The most common reason being scuff marks or paint damage on the walls. When asked how strict their
current landlord is on decorating, 11% stated their landlord was ‘very strict’, whilst 33% answered ‘somewhat strict’, and 35% ‘not strict’.
Almost a quarter (22%) of UK
renters stated they have no decorating restrictions from their landlord and that they have free reign to do whatever they please.
Reversible remodel - the top renter friendly changes 1. Wall art additions – Using self- adhesive strips/hooks was the most popular decorating hack with UK renters, with 22% stating they have previously used them in the home. Heavy-duty strip tape can hold up to 7kg per 50 x 100mm making them a suitable alternative to nails and screws for holding up large
20 DIY WEEK DECEMBER 2023
ue to the cost-of- living and housing crisis, more
Brits
now than ever are penny-pinching and struggling to get on
up any space. Again, make sure to keep the old ones to switch back out after the tenancy ends.” 4. Plumbing hardware – 8% of renters have replaced their old kitchen tap whilst a further 17% have upgraded their showerhead. Cara Yates, bathrooms manager at
Toolstation shares how renters can update their plumbing hardware: “While a new shower or kitchen sink may be out of the question, you can easily update the plumbing hardware. Most shower heads in the UK are universally sized meaning you can easily unscrew and update a dingey old one to a more powerful feeling shower. Kitchen taps are slightly more complex however, so will require you to measure the existing taps base to see what size you need. Make sure to call in a plumber to change over the kitchen tap.” 5. Peel-and-stick coverings – 13% of UK renters have previously used peel-and-stick coverings on walls or flooring to add some colour to a room.
pictures and mirrors. Self-adhesive hooks are also great to use for hanging up coats and jackets as well as bathroom towels. Remember to be gentle when removing and you may want to invest in some patch- up paint to cover any marks or scuffs left behind. 2. Lighting changes – 12% of renters have switched out the older light bulbs for new coloured ones and 13% have added new LED lighting. Meanwhile, 7% of renters have switched out old plug sockets – small details like these can make a big difference.
Whilst you won’t be able to install new lights or plugs you can update the ones already there. Although it might not seem like a big change, updating your light switches can make a huge improvement to your home. Chrome switches are a popular
choice which add a modern yet classy look to any room, while brass and gold switches can offer a more traditional aesthetic. Make sure to call in a professional electrician to help change the switches if you’re not confident yourself, and keep the old ones to switch back later. 3. Door handle upgrades – 8% of UK renters have replaced their existing door and drawer handles with new ones. Lucy Trevelyan, ironmongery manager at Toolstation shares how renters can upgrade their door handles: “Another simple yet effective upgrade. Simply screw off the old handles and replace these with newer ones. This can easily be done for kitchen or bedroom drawers as well as interior door handles. You can upgrade the style, shape, colour, or material to quickly spruce
Peel-and-stick coverings can be used for almost any surface in the home. These sheets of vinyl can be laid down to cover the older, uglier surfaces. The downside of this though is it may be more difficult to remove and can sometimes leave behind a sticky residue. In these instances, you may have to wipe the areas down with a cleaning solution and replace any peeled paintwork.
Asking the landlord
Following the classic saying, ‘if you don’t ask you don’t’ get’, it’s always worth checking with your landlord to see if they would allow your decorating request. However, I recommend to always check with your landlord for the following requests: wallpapering; painting walls; or drilling holes.
In many instances, landlords will simply request that everything be returned to how it was when you started your tenancy. In this case, you can simply invest in some neutral-coloured paint and filler to smooth out any holes or imperfections and return walls to their original state.
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