How to make your rental feel like your home

In episode 16, Ludwina Dautovic interviews Mitchell McLean. Mitch is passionate about all things DIY, having spent the past 19 years with Bunnings supporting customers with bringing their projects to life. Mitch is currently part of the Bunnings workshop team, an online community for sharing DIY advice and inspiration.

About Mitchell McLean

Mitch is passionate about all things DIY, having spent the past 19 years with Bunnings supporting customers with bringing their projects to life. A renter himself, Mitch is currently part of the Bunnings Workshop team, an online community for sharing DIY advice and inspiration.

Whether you're a tenant or owner, turning your house into a home is imperative. Creating positive surroundings with your personal style should be seen foremost as an investment into your own well-being. 

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Mitchell McLean has been renting for 20 years and has had quite a rental journey. It’s provided him with variety and flexibility. Bunnings workshops is all about assisting customers with DIY projects online.

Renters are coming in daily to improve their property.  They have just hit 30k members and a high percentage of them are renters.

How you can make your rental feel like your home with out losing your bond

1. Touch base with your landlord and have a chat. They're usually happy to negotiate changes in the home.

2. The kinds of things you can change are basically anything that doesn’t damage your property and it’s easily removable. Make sure that you put the property back in the same state that you found it.

3. You can hang pictures and curtains. Just be mindful how you hang them. You can now get hanging strips from Bunnings which will hold up to 4kg which will save you putting a hole in the wall.

Bathroom vanity story

Mitch and his partner were living in a rental that had a very old bathroom vanity. They replaced it and it improved the quality of their home and their experience living in it. The landlord was also very happy as it improved the value of his house.

Chris Bellesini - Negotiating a rent reduction

Our past guest, Chris Bellesini, did a similar thing and negotiated a rent reduction by doing work on the house. He managed to save thousands of dollars over the three years he lived there as he not only negotiated a lower rent, the landlord never put it up as he was grateful for the improvements on the property and the increased value.

“ We need to look at it like we’re investing in our happiness, not in someone else’s property.”

Garden ideas for your rental property

• Container planting

• Free standing gardens

• Don’t invest in things that you can’t take with you.

• Outdoor wall art from succulents

• Hang cheap art outside and seal it with a waterproofer - silicone spray

Improvements you can do inside your rental home

• Add some plants indoors as well. It will improve the quality of life inside your home.

• Add some rugs around the home that reflect your style and will also protect the carpet.

• Window furnishings

• Change the light fittings if you have batten lights. They will have a DIY label on them in Bunnings.

• Floor and table lamps are great to create mood and ambiance

• Candles. Bunnings have battery candles which are safer.
  
  

Bathroom tips for rentals

• Add suction hand rails if you need additional bath towel or hand towel hangers
• Replace the toilet seat with something more comfortable and new

How to connect with the Bunnings Online Workshop Community

Bunnings have a wealth of knowledge and DIY projects on their website. Workshops are also being held again in store so keep an eye out for those. They also have a large Instagram following. (Links below)