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HOME: Renter-friendly home upgrades
Paging through the latest property brochure would make any twenty-something professional wince at the amount of zeros and commas beneath thumbnail-sized pictures of the average homes on the market. These horrendous property prices exclude a large chunk of our population from becoming homeowners, even those of us who have repeatedly heard our elders say, “Property is the best investment.” In August, The Brief reported that Namibians require an average monthly income of N$36,000 for a N$1 million home loan. Yikes!
While owning a home feels out of reach for many people worldwide, the interior decor industry has caught up with renter-friendly solutions. Sure, you won’t be allowed to break down walls for that Pinterest open-plan kitchen, and you certainly can’t smash out the shoebox-sized shower, regardless of where you land with the landlord lottery. But when you find that apartment or townhouse rental that ticks your boxes, and imagine making it your home for a good few years, here are some renter-friendly home upgrades to invest in.
Peel-and-stick wallpaper
In Namibia, the options are still rather limited, unfortunately. If anyone in the procurement department of Namibia’s many home décor and lifestyle stores is reading this, I’m looking at you to add some peel-and-stick, renter-friendly wallpaper to the next order. PEP Home has a few affordable options in this department, but if you are unafraid of international online shopping and patient enough for your renter-friendly wallpaper to show up a couple of months down the line, I highly recommend having a look at what is on offer at Amazon or Etsy. As with all wallpaper, less is more. Pick one accent wall or even just the backsplash in the kitchen when adding this finish to your home.
Change the hardware on your cabinets
I know you would much rather refurbish the entire kitchen as it currently resembles a time capsule from the 70s, but I’m sure you would also like your deposit back. Changing the handles on kitchen and bedroom cupboards might not seem so significant, but it can make a huge difference and level up the interior vibe of your home. It is an easy and high-impact switch, plus you can unscrew them and take the hardware along to the next place when the time comes. Just be sure to keep the original ones in a place where you’ll find them again, however tempting it may be to discard them altogether.
Lighting makes all the difference
Almost every single rental has what the professionals call “boob” lights. You know the kind – unimpressive domes that do absolutely nothing for ambience, especially if they are housing cool white light bulbs. Changing up the lights in your rental, as with any home, instantly adds aesthetic value. Let’s face it though, lighting is expensive, so this is an investment to thoroughly think through and not jump on a passing trend. Consider your longer-term home decor ideals, and purchase accordingly. And when the time comes to change the lights and fiddle with wires, switch off the main power first and strongly consider hiring an electrician if you are out of your depth.
Paint, if you may
If you hit the jackpot with a lekker landlord, they might let you paint the place, often on the condition that you will paint it back to the original colour when you move. Intentionally adding colour to a blank space pulls its weight in bringing life to a home. Adding colour does not necessarily mean a bright blue or orange accent wall. Even subtle tonal changes can add warmth, as is the case with soft pastels and neutrals. If you choose to go with a more palatable, universally liked colour, you might even find that the landlord prefers it, and you won’t have to worry about returning the walls to their original state. Arguably the only downside to painting is that you cannot rip it off, pack it in a box and take it along to your next house. Unfortunately, even peel-andstick wallpaper is single-use.
