Your apartment is your home, the place where you finally relax and put your feet up after a long day. It doesn’t have to be bare just because it’s a rental, you can personalize it and make it comfortable—within reason, of course. Getting your first apartment is a big step into adulthood, but it can be just as fun as it is scary. Here’s how you can make your first apartment feel homey. 1. Improve the Air
You’ll notice after a few days in your new place that you may smell your neighbor cooking dinner or dust left from when the apartment was vacant. While smells can be irritating, they can’t harm your health like dust and mold can. You can freshen up your indoor air by opening a few windows on warm days and using an air purifier to help rid your home of dust and reduce the damage done to your health by mold spores. Breathing clean, healthy air is the first step to turning your apartment into a home. 2. Deep Clean
While your landlord, if reputable like those at rent.com will have had your apartment cleaned and fixed up prior to your moving in, it’s still a good idea to do a deep clean to make sure they didn’t miss anything. Doing so will help you get more in touch with your apartment, and taking care of it immediately when you move in can get a good routine going of regular cleaning that will keep your apartment feeling like home. 3. Make Coffee
What’s a more refreshing scent than your favorite beverage brewing? Much like the smell of freshly baked cookies, coffee turns your apartment into a relaxing place no matter the time of day. The pleasant scent of coffee can get rid of any smells in your new place from dust accumulation, previous tenants, and new paint your landlord may have put on the walls.
Make sure to unpack your coffee grinder and coffee maker first so that you can brew your first cup of coffee in your first apartment and kick back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. 4. Design, Design, Design
Your apartment is a reflection of who you are. Make sure that your personal style shines through with unique interior design. While you may not have all of your design elements as soon as you move in, you can accumulate things like throw pillows, blankets, and even furniture donated by relatives as time goes on. For now, start with the basics like your comforter and a few art prints or posters. 5. Get a Rug
Many apartments have carpet because it’s cost-effective for the landlord and lasts a long time. Maintaining your carpet to get back as much as possible from your security deposit is easy with proper cleaning. However, the carpet doesn’t always match your personal style.
To take your drab apartment carpet and turn it into something that brightens up the room and transforms your first apartment into a home, you can purchase a large rug for your living room or bedroom. Rugs are also cozy and can help keep your feet warm during the winter! 6. Change up the Walls.
Make sure you change the things that you are going to use personally like line, plates, or even mattress. Buy a new mattress for apartments and other rental properties by visiting Sleepify. It also gives you an extra mattress whenever you have visitors who will stay for a night.
Unfortunately, some landlords may not allow you to paint your apartment. They do this so that when you do move out, they can easily make the apartment available as soon as possible for a new tenant with almost zero time in between. If you are allowed to paint, your landlord may require you to return the wall back to its previous color, which can be time-consuming. Whether or not you’re allowed to paint your walls, you can completely transform them with temporary wallpaper. 7. Find Your Scent
Your sense of smell can have a huge impact on your mood. Your home should promote a feeling of peace and happiness, and the right scent can do wonders. Whether you choose candles or wax melts to get the job done is up to you. If you prefer a more natural scent, you can also use a diffuser with your favorite essential oils. You may find that you like the scent of one over the other or like to use your wax warmer as a design element.
Yes Don’t be intimidated by empty walls and the lack of hominess you feel when you first move in. With time—as you get unpacked and start adding personal touches—it’ll transform into a space you love to come home to.
