Five Renter-Friendly Equipment Replacements to Upgrade Your Home
When it comes to improving the aesthetics of your home, you don’t have to spend a lot of time or money to achieve results. In addition to inexpensive upgrades that increase the comfort and efficiency of your home, there are a number of small changes that can make a big impact without breaking your budget.
All of these replacements are convenient for tenants: they are unlikely to cause damage during installation and can be easily returned to their original condition. Just save what you delete and replace it when you leave.
Purchase a new switch plate and outlet covers.
Remove cheap plastic light switches and outlet covers throughout your home and replace them with brushed metal or wood plates, or look for uniquely shaped or painted covers on marketplaces like Etsy. Hardware stores also sell slipcovers that can be painted, so you can either blend them into your walls or add an accent color.
Wall plates are one of the easiest and least expensive swaps you can make to add a decorative element to your space: a set of six duplex brass outlet covers costs just $20 on Amazon , and all you have to do is unscrew the plates from the wall with a screwdriver.
Replace vent caps
Standard vent covers installed on floors, walls and ceilings can also be replaced with more decorative versions with minimal effort and relatively low cost. You can replace registers that have louvers and dampers to regulate air flow, as well as decorative grilles. You’ll definitely see a difference when you ditch the plastic vent covers in favor of metal or wood vent covers, but you can also find more ornate designs or grille patterns in the same material as your existing covers for less than $20 apiece .
Be sure to choose a material that’s right for your space—for example, stainless aluminum is a good choice for bathrooms—and take care to measure correctly before purchasing new covers. Floor grilles can often be re-installed, but walls and ceilings will require mounting hardware.
Consider new equipment
Cabinet handles and drawer pulls are another simple change that can make a big difference in the look of your space. If you buy the hardware that is the same size as the one you are removing, upgrading it is as easy as unscrewing the old one and installing the new one. Otherwise, you may have to fill existing holes with putty and drill new ones – so if you’re renting, consider how easy it will be to return your cabinets and drawers to their original condition when you move.
You’ll likely find expensive hardware options, but you can pick up some decent looking knobs and knobs on Amazon or a hardware store for less than $1 each.
Replace your construction grade mirrors.
Elements of a builder-grade home that are typically considered basic and cheap don’t necessarily need to be changed , but updating a few here and there for the sake of your design aesthetic can make a big difference. Builder grade mirrors are often frameless pieces of beveled glass attached to the wall that are easy to remove and replace with a more decorative alternative. Search Facebook Marketplace for a gently used mirror you love, or consider adding an inexpensive DIY decorative edge to an existing mirror.
Switch to new lamps
Another builder-grade feature you can replace relatively easily for the sake of your home’s aesthetics: light fixtures (especially the dreaded boob light fixture ). This project requires some basic electrical knowledge and a few supplies, but it’s completely do-it-yourself —just remember to turn off the breaker before touching any fixtures.