Living in an apartment can be both a blessing and a curse. When something goes wrong it’s a lot easier to be able to call the landlord to have the problem fixed than it is to have to rely on oneself to find a solution.
But not too many landlords are keen on letting their tenants make upgrades to their living space, due to the inherent risks in trusting a tenant with home improvement projects. This is especially true for changes that are difficult to reverse.
Bathrooms take a lot of wear and tear from everyday living, and not being to make some structural changes such as replacing floors, painting or installing a new vanity can be frustrating for renters.
There are, however, some simple and inexpensive ways to make much needed changes to a bathroom to give it a personalized look without drawing the ire of a stern landlord. Here are some ideas:
- Upgrade the shower head. Installing a new shower can make a dramatic difference in the quality of the showering experience, and requires little cost and effort. If the renter is responsible for utilities, consider a low flow shower head to save on water costs as well.
- Rugs. Putting a new rug mat and floor cover can spruce up the look of a bathroom, and hide imperfections in the floor. It’s much more pleasant to have a soft, warm place to dry off than to have to rely on cold slabs of tile or laminate. Just be sure to keep things clean by utilizing the washer every once in a while, or change things up with different colors.
- Install a new shower curtain or rod. Putting up some shower curtains is another affordable way to add some individuality to the bathroom. Many stores sell matching packages of rugs, floor covers, curtains and seat covers. Curved shower rods add a small amount of breathing room to cramped showers, and are easy to install.
- Toilet bowl seats. These tend to wear away over time, especially where the seat is screwed to the bowl. There is a massive selection available that can match a wide variety of different bathroom configurations. Besides, there’s nothing worse than having to use a seat that slides around the toilet bowl.
- Shelving. Adding shelves can provide a tidy space to add extra storage, artwork or knickknacks to customize the room, and many stores such as Michaels or Home Depot offer very easy to install wall mounting kits to make the process simple and damage free.
With just a few simple add-ons a room can be drastically altered to shift the experience of getting ready in the morning to feel less like a chore and more like a fresh beginning.
