Cost-conscious improvements for rentals

[Sycamore Chins]

A window would be fantastic. I'm not sure if the wall is load-bearing but even having a pillar where the doorway is and the area above the sink and open counter opened up would be amazing.
I am really getting into being a hostess (now that i don't have any obnoxious roommates) and that would allow me to have even more people over with the open-ness!

Now if I didn't paint the kitchen...would painting just the cabinets white, wash everything out? The current paint is an off-white - not as white as my appliances. I think it would still be an improvement over the dreary stained wood, but I dunno...I'm really not big on painting. Though the paint job here wouldn't have to be as perfect as at my mom's place. They didn't even pull the oven out to paint behind it, so I guess I wouldn't have to either. haha!

This will actually be my first full-time home (since high school), since I won't be going home for the next 3 summers (or any breaks) except maybe a week or two as a 'vacation'. I'm kinda excited about it but also hope I don't get terribly bored with the place.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I doubt it would wash it out but it might be a little bland. I dont like to paint alone because it's so much work so I usually bribe a few friends with food to come help me.

 

[3CsMommy]

Honestly, that space above the sink would be a good spot for art. I'd look for pretty plates at cheap places, and set them facing out on some little shelves or those plate hooks and add a lot of color.

Then again, I was also going to suggest painting the cabinets something bold like a bright blue or canary yellow-- it's all very "brown and white" which can be really dreary. Don't be afraid of colors!

 

[cremellomare]

I don't have many decorating suggestions, but garbage disposals are not septic safe, no matter what they say. Septics are made to only work on human waste, and the disposals can make things a lot worse, a lot of times that kind of stuff ends up in the drainage field and cause it to not function right.

 

[Essentia]

Honestly, that space above the sink would be a good spot for art. I'd look for pretty plates at cheap places, and set them facing out on some little shelves or those plate hooks and add a lot of color.

Then again, I was also going to suggest painting the cabinets something bold like a bright blue or canary yellow-- it's all very "brown and white" which can be really dreary. Don't be afraid of colors!

I agree with this suggestion 110%!

 

[Ash]

Painting to improve your own place is way different then painting because you have to. And like Christi said, invite friends over to help!

 

[momenteller]

I don't know if you'd be open to this, but on a few Trading Spaces I saw them remove the cabinet doors altogether, leaving open shelving. You could paint the inside or leave as be. I don't understand why those cabinets don't extend all the way to the wall. Maybe you could put a spice cabinet there? Other than that, paint and window treatments will go a long way!

 

[Sycamore Chins]

Thank you guys for all of the advice!

Bribing friends is an awesome idea! I'm sure there will be some people stuck here over summer with not much to do.
I'm not too sure about painting bright colors. I myself love colors, my room back home is bright green (and I reallllly want a purple room) - but if I paint once, I don't want to have to paint over it all before I move out!
If the landlord okays it, maybe I'll do a brighter version of a hunter green or something on the cabinets. Still kinda neutral and not 'offensive' lol

Thank you for the note on the garbage disposal. I have talk to my landlord first - I'm only assuming we're on septic, but it's a safe guess. If he doesn't want it, it won't happen!

I don't think I could do open cabinets with the cats. They've been really good so far about not getting on the counters (I'm shocked really) and I wouldn't want to do anything to encourage them. But I'm definitely going to put something in that little corner, and hope the cats aren't too enticed.

 

[monarch]

Just an interjection - could someone explain what septic is, and how garbage disposals influence?

 

[Ash]

Basically, septic systems drain into a tank in your yard and naturally break down a majority of your "waste" (though usually only human waste), whereas a sewer system takes the waste to a treatment plant.

Garbage disposals don't dispose of human waste, therefore the food and such doesn't break down as well and can cause back ups.

 

[Annieo]

As a landlord myself I can advise this...take pictures of EVERYTHING as it is now. Even if your landlord tells you that something is OK to do (paint, removing doors, etc.)...get it in writing. I know that sounds tedious and opens you up for a "no" answer, but do it. It will save you a lot of grief at the end of your lease. Also, learn your tenant laws when it comes time to move out. Landlords can only charge X, Y, Z after X amount of years. For example here in San Diego, I cannot charge ANYTHING for paint, rugs, etc. if a tenant has lived here for 3+ years, regardless of what it looks like. Check out your local "tenant/landlord laws" on the web.

That said, paint, paint, paint. Although not the cheapest solution, paint will have the biggest impact on the "style" of your place. Painting is the base and you can build from there.

As others have said, window treatments should be next. If you can't afford to do everything at once, do the windows that have the most exposure (the ones that people can see into or you can see out of) and do the others as you can afford it.

Also as others have said, do the lighting. First start with floor lighting and build on that as you can afford. Lighting is hard to do at first, but with a few tweaks you should be on your way.

Next on your list might be your bathrooms. If you choose to paint first, then focus on fixtures like the shower/sink/tub to your satisfaction and then rugs/toilet seat, etc.

Basically rule of thumb should be...fix the things fist that you'll use the most.

Good luck!

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Your landlord sounds awesome! I'm pretty jealous. Mine is kinda grumpy.
If you don't mind me asking, how much do you pay for rent? I so wish my utilities were included!!

Also, yeeeaaah Target. I work there, and I have to use all of my will power not to buy everything in the domestics department every day.
PS if you get a Target Red Card (doesn't have to be credit, we have a no-fee debit version that just links to your checking account) you get five percent off on everything, everyday. It really adds up.

 

[caiti]

Just an FYI: If you paint ANYTHING red, for the love of god use primer first. I painted my room red and learned the hard way.

 

[Sycamore Chins]

As a landlord myself I can advise this...take pictures of EVERYTHING as it is now. Even if your landlord tells you that something is OK to do (paint, removing doors, etc.)...get it in writing. I know that sounds tedious and opens you up for a "no" answer, but do it. It will save you a lot of grief at the end of your lease. Also, learn your tenant laws when it comes time to move out. Landlords can only charge X, Y, Z after X amount of years. For example here in San Diego, I cannot charge ANYTHING for paint, rugs, etc. if a tenant has lived here for 3+ years, regardless of what it looks like. Check out your local "tenant/landlord laws" on the web.

Do you mean after 3 years you can't charge to paint over, or replace what the tenant has already done?
I will definitely look into that as I will be here for 4 years total.

Your landlord sounds awesome! I'm pretty jealous. Mine is kinda grumpy.
If you don't mind me asking, how much do you pay for rent? I so wish my utilities were included!!

Do you go to VT?
I pay quite a bit compared to what I paid in MI. And I believe it's relatively expensive for this area. Of course it'd be cheaper if I had a roommate! For my 2br/1ba which is probably...800-900 sq.ft. I pay $775. Then $55 (going up to $60) for trash, water, snow removal. And $40 for my 5 pets.
It's much more than student loans factor in, but luckily I'm still on my mom's health insurance, my car is paid for, and I don't spend a lot of money on food or misc. stuff - so it works out that I can manage to afford it.

I have been extremely lucky with landlords - but I pay it back. My last landlord let me get another dog (he was already leery about us having 1 dog and 1 cat) and when we moved out he called me up and said the house was the cleanest he's ever seen it (no thanks to my roommates). And he gave me back more than my deposit was!

Caiti, no red here. I don't think I could ever do that. I'm a blue/purple/green kinda gal!

 

[arf2184]

If it were me, I would ask to replace the awful baseboard heaters...those things take up so much wall space and they're ugly. Installing new fan forced wall heater shouldn't be too difficult if they are able to use the wiring that the baseboard heat is on...it will require a handyman though. In my opinion, they are safer than the old baseboards because you don't have to worry so much about not putting things too close to them.

We have two of these and they heat the whole house. Could do smaller ones if you had them in each room though.
http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

And I would paint...those walls need some color. At least an accent wall or two in the living room. It would be cheap and not too difficult to do.

I think the bar stool idea for next to the fridge is great.

 

[cremellomare]

Basically, septic systems drain into a tank in your yard and naturally break down a majority of your "waste" (though usually only human waste), whereas a sewer system takes the waste to a treatment plant.

Garbage disposals don't dispose of human waste, therefore the food and such doesn't break down as well and can cause back ups.

To expand on what Ash says, a septic tank is a small bacteria amusment park. Waste from a house goes into the tanks, the solids sink to the bottom where bacteria work on breaking it down. The water is on top but grease and other food particles will be on top of the water. In most areas, there are pipes or pipes coming off the tank that go out into the dirt, and the extra water goes out into those pipes. The solids stay in the tank. Every few years depending on the size of the tank and how many residents a house has, the tank should be pumped out to get rid of the solids. This way they don't build up and end up in the pipes which can block it. Same goes for grease and other things. Garbage disposals grind up stuff into little pieces, which means most of the time it ends up floating and then ends up in the tubes which then get blocked, and the water back ups into the house causing major issues.

Even if your landlord says yes, I would not put one in, most people have no idea of how it works or how to prevent problems. I spent two years as a Groundwater Educator as an AmeriCorps member for the State of Michigan. I even went to the annual conference of septic tank pumpers the one year and it was very interesting talking to the people there. JMO though.

You've got some great ideas for redecorating though!