making a rental homey on a budget

[Zoe Girl]

I am at the point where I either need to spend money or just deal with it. And I really want to feel all comfy in my rental house. It has some very cute qualities, just a few too many little things bothering. I have started to dream of newer or just larger places to live. I MUST do something about the super drafty windows, that is essential, and that means figuring it out on a budget. The insulated curtains can work well if I look for a sale, and then i need curtain rods as well. But if I am doing that I have taking down all the little bits of hardware left from the last couple renters and patching things up nicely.

The other thing is a door in the basement, which is also our living area, that was chewed up very badly by a previous dog. I want to replace it, the landlord said if I find a door for a reasonable price then I can take that off my rent. I just need to do it.

Not on the list of affordability are a new Ikea table and chairs (I saw the perfect one to fit in my small space, my current table cannot have anyone lean on it) and a chair that expands out to s single bed for when my son has a kid sleep over here. Seems like dental will come first.

I would do all these things if I was buying my place, but renting makes me think twice. I am not getting much out of my effort except being happier in my space for a year.

[leslieann]

Being happy is worth quite a lot.

The door costs you in time and the landlord probably ought to be replacing it for you (but we know how that goes). The furniture, even if it is out of sight right now, is something you'll take with you so the rental argument doesn't matter if you'll use the stuff elsewhere. Can you find old quilts or something to be casual and warm window coverings? Flip up in the day and down at night? I have become acquainted with a number of artists who make everything...like curtain rods, or towel racks...out of whatever they have. Placed against a warmly white wall they look like art rather than a hodgepodge. Wish I had the knack.

Good luck....oh, I think plants make a huge difference for cosy. I have ONE spider plant that has provided us with practically every other plant in the house. If you lived here, I could load you up with spider plants and christmas cactus..the gifts that give forever and ever.

[Simplemind]

Ask your landlord if you could work out the same deal on insulating curtains as you have on the door. Obviously they will be left for the next person but the curtains and the door will make big differences in your comfort level with low to no cost to you. Do what you can because a year can seem much longer when you aren't comfortaable in your sanctuary.

[redfox]

If you sew, you can make insulating roman shades. For IKEA stuff, craigslist is my go-to. I have a list of CL stuff, and I plug the items into a CL search daily when I am on a serious hunt! Sometimes it takes me a year to find the right thing at the right price.

I have a friend who bought long bamboo poles, about 1-2" thick, at a garden store, for curtain rods. Super cheap! She mounted them by drilling holes in the underside at each end, and screwing a heavy duty hook in the wall. The holes have to line up with the hooks. You could buy cheap brackets too, to cradle the rods. The bamboo poles look really cool.

Good luck! Having surroundings that you like is important... And dental does come first...

[Gardenarian]

Yes, it is so important to feel comfy at home!

About the door - I have struggled with a lot of door issues, and replacing a door is not as easy as it might sound. A pre-hung door is easier. If possible I would just sand down the areas that are chewed up and paint the door.

I bought some black-out insulating fabric from Joann's that was very inexpensive, and used it to line the curtains (I had them from our previous home.) I think it cost me $8 to do four large windows.

I second the idea of bamboo as curtain rods, though I would take a good look at Craigslist first. I know it is a nuisance to be running around chasing after deals, but you can really save a bundle. And there is always the thrift store - I found eight perfect heavy lined curtain panels for my cabin for $2 a piece.

I totally get the " taking down all the little bits of hardware left from the last couple renters and patching things up nicely." It seems like every owner of my cabin had a different idea on curtain rods and just left all the hardware on the walls and window frames - it's a good feeling to pull out all that old stuff and patch the holes.

[sweetana3]

Gotta say that a one year rental does not really generate any payback for a lot of work. Paint the door, patch holes if you absolutely must, cover the most drafty windows with the temporary window film. I did that for one window that was askew and it worked great. You could even see the film move in and out when the wind tried to get in. Balance savings in energy with cost of improvements.

If you are staying for one year, will the table and chairs be perfect in your next place? I am assuming you will be moving after one year. How about a couple of L brackets to strengthen the table and a tablecloth?

Kids are fine sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. Dont know the price of the chair but even a roll around twin that folds up is $79 here. Again floor is easier and cheaper for kids that are only there occasionally. (Otherwise, it might encourage them to sleep over more often increasing your food budget. :-) )

PS Dental and medical are way way more important.

[Rosemary]

Windows: cheap and easy -- buy one of those kits of interior plastic to insulate them. Done properly, it is hardly visible, and will insulate 24 hours/day without having to have drapes closed. Also prevents condensation on the windows. Basically you are creating an insulating air space on the inside of the window. I install this every fall on our Minnesota home and it makes a huge difference in our comfort level. There are various brands but I don't find much difference in the materials, so I suggest you go with what's on sale. The first and/or largest window will take the longest. I can do 2 very large windows and 2 regular size windows in about an hour (total) now; it probably took me 2 hours the first time. Cost is far less than insulating drapes - the kits I bought this year totaled $4 after a rebate.

Hardware for drapes is costly, so if you can avoid buying new that can save a lot. But if you're not using the current hardware, removing it and patching the holes will make the house seem tidier, and has minimal cost and time requirement. A can of pre-mixed spackle is just a few $. If the curtain rods are still there, you could use them with homemade lightweight curtains if you use the plastic on the windows.

Door: there are inexpensive doors. Will your landlord install it for you? Do you have a means of transporting a door? Is it just a cosmetic issue, or is it an exterior door that needs better insulation and/or security? If it's just cosmetic, perhaps it can be patched and/or painted -- but before you go this route, compare the cost of doors to the cost of a gallon of paint.

Table/chairs - look on Craigslist, or let friends know you're looking for one in the event that they have some excess furniture. We sit in our dining room more than any other room in our house so a comfortable table/chairs was a priority for us.

[awakenedsoul]

Good ideas above. I ended up buying the little house that I rented and fixed up. The landlord always seemed shocked at my improvements. Artists love to decorate. It's my favorite hobby. I bought my shabby chic curtains at Target. The rods were here already. They are just the cheap ones from the hardware store, but they work. I have found most of my furniture at the Salvation Army. I live really close, so I just stop by there every few days and see what they have. I love antiques, and have found some beautiful lamps and furniture that they've sent up here from their Pasadena store. Pasadena is "old money" and the chairs and dressers I've bought are stunning. You can't beat the quality. My parents have also given me some of their old furniture and I love it. Things were so well made back then...

Hope you can get that door fixed. Seems to me the landlord should do that for you. I agree with above post about kids sleeping on the floor for sleepovers. You can't put a price on loving your home. I'm a real homebody, and it saves me a lot of money!

[SteveinMN]

Don't underestimate the value of "parts". Depending on what part of the door is chewed up, it is possible to buy kickplates and doorknob surrounds which will cover good-sized areas of a door. That and a pint of paint might be enough. If the problem is drafts, there is a variety of weatherstripping that is self-adhesive or fits in channels already present in the door. You can find these items at larger hardware stores and big-box home-improvement stores and they don't cost a lot of money.

[Zoe Girl]

Ooh lots of good ideas, I am going to remember to look for that blackout/insulating fabric. The small amount I have for a very small window is very thick.

I think I need to just tell the landlord to replace the door. The bottom foot of the door was chewed off by a dog. Not pretty or patchable that I can see. I have lived here 2 years and if all goes well I want to stay until my son is done with high school (3 years) but maybe when his sisters are on their feet I can move somewhere in the same neighborhood. The nice area a few blocks north is $1500 a month for 2-3 bedrooms, eek.

I have that plastic on the one window that works. I wish I could show a picture of these windows. There is a handle that opens the window in the center and it sticks out even closed. Then there is a nice ledge at the bottom that the sticky stuff for the window film does not stick to. I have always used the film before so it is frustrating to not make it work. I have an idea with teh basement casement windows that are beyond horrible to get a furnace filter to have the cardboard frame, put the window film on that and then fit it into the window with some insulating type tape or foam to fill the gaps.

More immediate dental however, I am getting in tomorrow am and am in significant pain right now. That will be the table and chairs, sigh

[mschrisgo2]

I highly recommend that you search for your Ikea table and chairs on craigslist. Because you know the exact name, it's easy to search. Routinely search, especially around the first of the month when people move. My daughter has several pieces of Ikea furniture that we've gotten off of craigslist, mostly for a song. Really and truly. Nothing more that $25, and that was the 1-month old Ecktorp couch! (still had the creases in the covers; new: $399). Don't give up so easily!

[Tussiemussies]

How about you go to the dentist first and then see what you can save up for the things you want after that. It would really bother me to have a door like that and old curtain hangers on the wall. Think it's a great idea to look on Craigslist for the kitchen set you want. :)

[Rosemary]

There is another, heavier, kind of window-covering plastic that goes on the outside of the window - but I think it has to be above 50 degrees to apply it. Maybe too late this year, but keep it in mind for next year, if you can reach those windows from the outside?

[Miss Cellane]

I am at the point where I either need to spend money or just deal with it. And I really want to feel all comfy in my rental house. It has some very cute qualities, just a few too many little things bothering. I have started to dream of newer or just larger places to live. I MUST do something about the super drafty windows, that is essential, and that means figuring it out on a budget. The insulated curtains can work well if I look for a sale, and then i need curtain rods as well. But if I am doing that I have taking down all the little bits of hardware left from the last couple renters and patching things up nicely.

The other thing is a door in the basement, which is also our living area, that was chewed up very badly by a previous dog. I want to replace it, the landlord said if I find a door for a reasonable price then I can take that off my rent. I just need to do it.

Not on the list of affordability are a new Ikea table and chairs (I saw the perfect one to fit in my small space, my current table cannot have anyone lean on it) and a chair that expands out to s single bed for when my son has a kid sleep over here. Seems like dental will come first.

I would do all these things if I was buying my place, but renting makes me think twice. I am not getting much out of my effort except being happier in my space for a year.

Okay, first get the teeth seen to and get out of pain. That will make everything seem a little better. It's hard to be happy about anything when your teeth hurt.

Second, if you are planning on living here for a few more years, in my opinion (which is worth exactly what you are paying for it), it makes sense to do a little work and spend a little money to have surroundings that you enjoy coming home to. I've rented all my adult life, because I move a lot, and over the years I've found it makes more sense for me to spend a bit and make a new place work for me, rather than put up with stuff that irritates me on a daily basis.

I have a yearly budget of $200 for "home improvements." I might buy a new piece of furniture, or new sheets or towels or a kitchen gadget or curtains or a rug--something that either I need in my current home or that I just plain flat want.

I also budget about $200 for when I move to a new place. There is always something that can make living in a new place easier--one tiny kitchen needed a microwave cart for more storage, in one place my sofa didn't fit through the door into the apartment leaving me with almost no seating, there might be no window covering at all on any window and the landlord won't provide them, curtains don't fit the new windows, I need an area rug to cut down on the footsteps the downstairs neighbors hear. This stuff will all come with me to the new place. It might or might not work there. Sometimes I use it, sometimes I store it if there is space and sometimes I end up selling or donating it. I have accepted this as a cost of renting. I get more benefits from renting right now than owning, so this cost is worth it to me.

So, the windows. Unless your heat is included in your rent, dealing with the windows may save you some money. Can you remove the handle that sticks out and put plastic on them that way? Then put the handle back in the spring. Use a different tape to hold the plastic down on the windowsill.

Or, get some removable caulk or some caulking cord, and caulk all around the edges of the windows. That will help stop some of the drafts. Then put heavy drapes over the windows. I have a lot of tension curtain rods--they fit most windows, don't require hardware, are easy to put up and take down and take with you. Maybe not the most fashionable rods, but they do the job. There are plain white ones, or more expensive decorative ones.

The basement door. You need to make a decision on this one. Either fix it or forget it. Will the landlord install the door, or will you have to provide the labor? I'd go back to the landlord and ask if he won't buy and install the door. It's worth a try. If he says no, then ask if you buy the door, will he install it. That seems reasonable and fair to me. I would time this discussion around the time that your lease is renewed---it's a heck of a lot easier for landlords to have tenants renew their leases than to go to the time and effort and expense of advertising and showing and renting to new tenants. If he still says no, then you need to decide if you want to fix it or not. But at this point, you should make a decision and stick with it, so that it stops bugging you. You could also do a semi-repair, where you nail a piece of wood over the bottom of the door and then paint the whole thing. Not perfect, but better than what you are looking at now.

Removing the window hardware. This is a quick and easy way to improve how your place looks. Even if you don't touch up the paint (I rarely do), just getting the old curtain holders down makes a surprising difference. Would one of your kids be willing to do this for you? At least the removal part? Then you could patch things up at your leisure.

The table and chairs. Can you fix the existing table so that people can lean on it? Then you have a longer span of time to save up money and find a bargain table that works in your space.

The chair/bed. This I kind of see as a luxury. Most kids are willing to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. So I'd put this on the wish list, and work on things that I needed/wanted more.

I seem to have written a book here. But this is something that I feel strongly about. You are not a second-class citizen because you rent. You are as entitled to a clean, repaired, nice-looking home as anyone else, with furniture that works and windows that don't let in cold air and make you freeze. Get your kids to help you do this stuff--they need to learn those skills anyway. And it never hurts for them to make a meaningful contribution to their own home.

[citrine]

I also agree that the dentist comes first!
Also, Craigslist is fantastic for finding a great steal....from curtain rods, to fold out futon, dining set, and even curtains! The only thing is that you need to be a little patient!
The door can be painted (OOPS section in Home Depot/Lowes) or you can cover it with fabric and modge podge, or even spray paint it! We had a chewed up door and hubby just sanded it down and I painted over it....good as new! The curb is also a great way to find things for free! We have found a little cabinet for our bathroom, a bench, a big clock, a crate, an old window...with some paint and project ideas from home improvement blogs, we have made them into really cool things.
As for feeling like you are "wasting money" by sprucing up a rental.....it is your HOME and whatever you have to do to make it your sanctuary, do so :)

[Zoe Girl]

teeth win, I get a root canal on Monday! The tooth is cracked and the filling is cracked. I got to see a super cool picture of it and i have a prescription for antibiotics and vicodin but it is not that painful. I really love having insurance i can tell you though.

[Miss Cellane]

Sorry about the root canal. Well, sorry that you have to go through one, but hopeful that it will solve your dental problems. Be wary of the vicodin if you have not had it before--it put me to sleep the one time I had to take it.

One more thought for you. There's a book, Apartment Therapy: The Eight Week Home Cure. In it, the author takes you step by step through your house or apartment, looking at things that need repairs and improvements that you can make to your living space. Some of it does entail spending money for painting and remodeling, but there's tons of very useful information on using what you already have to improve your life. You can focus on one room or your entire house. There's a lot about simplifying things, and decluttering and really thinking about how you want your house to function.

It's partly about decorating, but it is also about making your home work for you. If you are unhappy with where you live, I recommend this book. It can help you come to terms with where you are living, and help you make it the best home for you and your family right now.

There are two other Apartment Therapy books, but they are nice picture books with pictures of real people's homes. Make sure to the the Home Cure one.

[Zoe Girl]

Thank you for the boost, everyone really. The idea that I do not have to live second class because I rent is a wonderful one. I am going to check Craigslist out, I think the kids' vote for the one big house expense is going to be the dryer after all.

Today I got this spray foam to insulate gaps. It looks horrible, I tried it on the laundry room casement window first. However I cannot feel any draft! So I got tension rods and some fabric so I can do simple curtains on some windows and the foam on the window still. It can come off too, I checked that. Maybe some acetone and scraping. under $30 for 4 windows.

For my son's room i spent more on a curtain rod and insulated curtains. The foam won't work on the upstairs windows the same way. He still needs to put them up but we are having some lazy Saturday here.

Ooh then some black duct tape fixed the appearance of the dishwasher and a kitchen drawer that does not stay fixed. The dishwasher cover has been falling down and looks like they tried to glue it badly. So black duct tape put on neatly is totally perfect, I wish I took a picture before. I am thinking about taking before and after pics so when it comes time I can show the landlord. I have had nice landlords all of a sudden want to keep the deposit and I cover myself. I have a month-to-month as long as I want it and so it is a good deal.