Moving into a Rental - How much to invest in Furniture, Improvements?
I am moving to a rental house (3 bedrooms upstairs, LR, DR, K with B'fast nook downstairs) where I will live for a year with my family (husband 2 kids in elementary school) while we look for a house to buy in the area. Long story short, we have very minimal furniture (MBR set, dining table and a few odd antiquey bits and pieces).
The rental is not especially lovely. Not terrible, but has been a rental for 30 years and it shows. There was really nothing else in the area so we decided to take it anyway. Some nice features that if I were buying I would be happy about (hardwood floors, fireplace, new windows, etc) but some features I don't like (red laminate kitchen countertops, very old bathrooms, linoleum tile in the breakfast room, shabby landscaping in front) that if I were buying I would be ripping out ASAP.
DILEMMA: How much time, energy, money would you spend on this place knowing that it is a rental?
Is it worth buying our "forever" furniture now (budget is Crate&Barrel quality not beyond) or just do Ikea for now and wait for "good" furniture until we are moving into a home we own?
Any ideas on how to make this place shine without doing any actual renovations?
Where is our money best spent in the short term? Furniture? Window treatments? Landscaping? Rugs?
Thanks!
The rental is not especially lovely. Not terrible, but has been a rental for 30 years and it shows. There was really nothing else in the area so we decided to take it anyway. Some nice features that if I were buying I would be happy about (hardwood floors, fireplace, new windows, etc) but some features I don't like (red laminate kitchen countertops, very old bathrooms, linoleum tile in the breakfast room, shabby landscaping in front) that if I were buying I would be ripping out ASAP.
DILEMMA: How much time, energy, money would you spend on this place knowing that it is a rental?
Is it worth buying our "forever" furniture now (budget is Crate&Barrel quality not beyond) or just do Ikea for now and wait for "good" furniture until we are moving into a home we own?
Any ideas on how to make this place shine without doing any actual renovations?
Where is our money best spent in the short term? Furniture? Window treatments? Landscaping? Rugs?
Thanks!
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Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on temporary furniture, just to have to rebuy in a year. Instead, I would purchase versatile pieces that will fit almost any home. In other words, no extra large sofas but a few chairs instead; a dining table you love that has leaves in case your new house has a large dining room. That sort of thing.
I wouldn't put any money into landscaping at all. By the time the plants and such 'mature' you'll be out of there. Just neatly maintain what's already there.
For window treatments, go with the lowest cost items possible, as your new house may not have any windows that are similar in size.
And to make your rental shine, just clean it the best you can, and keep it clutter free.