Cost-conscious improvements for rentals

[Sycamore Chins]

I am about to send in an agreement signing a 3 YEAR lease at the place I'm at now. WOAH. BUT I negotiated no raise in my rent or pet fees, and just a 5 dollar raise in the association fee. My rent also includes all my utilities except for cable/internet.
It's not the nicest place (i've been spoiled in undergrad), and much more than I was planning on paying for rent but I have my own place (NO ROOMATES!) and 5 animals (2 dogs, 2 cats, 1 rabbit) that most landlords would never allow. It's a 2 br/ 1 ba with a nice size living/dining room and a nice size kitchen, albeit very strangely arranged. And I also have a nice-sized deck!

My landlord is super nice and said that pretty much anything I want to do to the place that they see as improving the value of it, they would pay for 1/2 the cost. They actually added a light fixture outside at no cost.

The place is reminiscent of an old cabin. Cedar planks on the outside and everything. The cabinets are awful stained pressed wood - I think to go along with the whole 'rustic' vibe. The bathroom is very tight and I don't even have a normal sized sink. It's smaller than a piece of paper.

What're some things you guys did in rentals that didn't cost too much, to make the place more comfy?

So far on my list:
-Fence in the yard (which is really just a gravely bit of ground that goes downhill into some sparse woods, and continues under the house)
-Get a normal size sink in the bathroom (I've seen some for $150 at home depot?)
-Possibly get a septic-friendly garbage disposal in the kitchen sink
-Put some open shelving in the kitchen (there are strange empty spaces that look like they may have once had cabinets there...but no longer)

Warning: I'm not a big painter...but am dying to do SOMETHING with the awful kitchen cabinets.

 

[monarch]

My new apartment is really strangely arranged also. The worst part is lack of storage and cabinetry. My boyfriend had a ball building shelves and putting them up, and I'm really enjoying the extra space.

If you are able to get in a garbage disposal I would recommend doing that AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Living without a garbage disposal is the worst, it's almost impossible preventing clogging and backup even if you throw your food away and rinse out.

Area rugs really brighten up the place!

We hung tapestries in all the open walls we could. It may look a little hippy-ish, but I love it, and it makes it feel homey to me.


Also for the cabinets, we lined all of them with this plastic foam thing. It really makes it look nicer and it prevents your dishes from sitting on top of the old shelves. We got this one, in black: http://www.target.com/Thick-Grip-Shelf-Liner-Taupe/dp/B001TGQ2XS/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton

You can also get a cabinet for your bathroom: http://www.target.com/s?keywords=cabinet&searchNodeID=3151061&ref=sr_bx_1_1&x=0&y=0


(ps.: I absolutely LOVE target and their style. I bought most of my new furnishing and supplies from there)

 

[Sycamore Chins]

My best guess as to the arrangement of my duplex is that is used to be part of a much bigger house. (there's technically 4+ units mushed together here). They did a weird chopping job. I have a dry-walled over doorway in the middle of my kitchen, half the living room/dining room is an add-on (and doesn't have heat registers >_<) and the bathroom I think is an add-on too (it doesn't have heat registers) and the water heater is in the bathroom surrounded by a wood "cabinet". It's funky funky.

I don't have a problem with the insides of the kitchen cabinets, funny enough. They left those natural so it just looks like pressed-pine. It just needed a good vacuum when I moved in. It's the outside of them that's got the awful dark wood stain - makes me depressed to go in the kitchen haha.

I've only been 4 months without the garbage disposal and it's driven me nuts. Countless times I've forgotten and have to dive down in a split second to catch whatever was about to go down.

 

[addictedtochins]

We need pictures! I think that would help with ideas

 

[Sycamore Chins]

I can do that! I'll take them shortly!

 

[3CsMommy]

Window treatments (blinds/shades/curtains).

 

[mishellyshel]

you could change the knobs on the cabinets. and paint goes a long way in any room.
pictures will definitely help!

 

[Sycamore Chins]

MMkay - Can't remember if there is a limit to number of pictures posted, so I'll start with the key areas.
*my cats are like a bad photobombs - have to be in all the pictures. They literally followed me around the whole house.

Starting with the kitchen:
1. Sink area - notice big...open...space...
2. Far wall in kitchen - notice little...open...space - I'm going to put some open shelves here for foil, etc. and spices
3. Near wall in kitchen - hard to do anything with because of the heat register. Or I would so put a washer and dryer under the counter.
4. Bathroom - notice *teeny tiny* sink, and 'rustic' vibe
5. Second bedroom - no idea what to do here. I'm using it for storage, cat's litter box, bedding, food, hay, etc.

 

[Sycamore Chins]

And then living room and bedroom

1."Headboard" area - my bed is a futon mattress, on the ground. Comes with the territory of moving many times, all my stuff is very compact, or easily broken down.
2. Window + A/C Wall
3. Other window wall...notice the books...lots of them >_< (one more final exam and I've survived my first semester of vet school!)
4. Living room wall where TV is
5. Wall where the recliners are. The side to the left has a table against the wall and the rabbits cage.

 

[monarch]

I can see what you mean about the dreary cabinets! I think you definitely need more brighter lighting in there!

Also maybe get some drawers under that random countertop you have next to the fridge?

 

[Sycamore Chins]

There's a heater underneath that counter so not terribly much I can do there. I thought about a slide out kitchen cart thing to just stash under there, but I kinda need that heat as it's the only thing heating the kitchen and diffusing heat into the bathroom.

The lighting is pretty bad. I have a fluorescent fixture in the kitchen as well as a small chandelier (which is the saddest, ugliest thing I've ever seen) but I'm not too sure about electrical work.

I had to put that upright lamp in the bathroom because the light in there did nothing. I could barely see what I was doing in the shower. It's so weak it's practically a nightlight!

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Where are the chins??? Could they be in the 2nd bedroom/storage room???

 

[Sycamore Chins]

Oh, haha - those are with mom. Boy would she LOVE me to take them off her hands, but I don't know what my landlord would do if I asked him to bring 26 (28? I can't remember) chins down. He's pretty young but he might have a heart attack!

ETA: plus it's really hard to keep the temps in the house. The only A/C unit is in my bedroom. And the heaters are on individual dials that don't have temperatures on them...:hmm:

 

[VolunteerChin22]

I would put barstools under the counter next to the fridge and use it as a bar to eat or do homework or whatever - if there isnt a hook up there already that might be tricky to put in - and then you'd have to look at them : /

I know you dont want to paint but I definately would - I would paint the cabinets, put on new knobs and paint a nice neutral color in there. I would get a new medicine cabinet and vanity for the bathroom and figure out a new light fixture so you don't have to use a floor lamp.

That big open space - is the landlord handy? It would be nice to cut that wall out to open that up as my first thought...or open shelves would be good.

 

[Sycamore Chins]

Can you be my interior designer? lol

Barstools are a fantastic idea!
What color do you guys think I should paint the cabinets? Any idea how many coats it would take to cover that ugly stain? Would you guys paint the interior too, or just leave it?
There are no knobs right now, just the lip that you grab. They also have NO doorpads which drives me nuts and is also on my list.

New medicine cabinet is an excellent idea - i really think a mirror would be enough if I had a normal size sink. Would also make it look a little bigger. The left side of the bathroom is a double-sized closet so there is no lack of storage in the bathroom. (though it'd be wonderful to rip out the closet because I can't find anything to use it for but my few towels and cleaning supplies)

WHAT A FANTASTIC IDEA to take that wall out! That would be AMAZING!!! I will have to have a talk with him, I know he has a much younger guy that does most of the repairs (he's the one that put the light fixture outside using one of my outlets inside the house). Wonder how difficult that'd be...

Oh, there's a pocket door you can use to separate the kitchen from the living room...why??? I still haven't figured that one out.

 

[monarch]

I love this lamp! It gives off soooo much light, and you can twist the arms to make it like you wish

http://www.target.com/Head-Floor-Lamp-CFL-Bulbs/dp/B0038Z7V6K/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton

 

[monarch]

And get drapes for all of those old windows! Maybe blinds?

 

[Sycamore Chins]

Most of the windows have blinds. Two in my bedroom have the weird bamboo curtain/blind things. Then I have curtains for the other windows in my room. The only window that needs something is in the second bedroom. That window is the odd man out.

 

[monarch]

Yeah I mean replace those!

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Can you be my interior designer? lol

Barstools are a fantastic idea!
What color do you guys think I should paint the cabinets? Any idea how many coats it would take to cover that ugly stain? Would you guys paint the interior too, or just leave it?
There are no knobs right now, just the lip that you grab. They also have NO doorpads which drives me nuts and is also on my list.

New medicine cabinet is an excellent idea - i really think a mirror would be enough if I had a normal size sink. Would also make it look a little bigger. The left side of the bathroom is a double-sized closet so there is no lack of storage in the bathroom. (though it'd be wonderful to rip out the closet because I can't find anything to use it for but my few towels and cleaning supplies)

WHAT A FANTASTIC IDEA to take that wall out! That would be AMAZING!!! I will have to have a talk with him, I know he has a much younger guy that does most of the repairs (he's the one that put the light fixture outside using one of my outlets inside the house). Wonder how difficult that'd be...

Oh, there's a pocket door you can use to separate the kitchen from the living room...why??? I still haven't figured that one out.

I think white - the appliances are white and the counter tops are light. Then I might paint a nice tan or sage green in there. I think you could just do the outsides and the inside of the doors - probably need to sand briefly just to rough up the surface and you might need to use a primer first. Lowes has lots of knobs to choose from - I would pick silver

Yes I would lose the medicine cabinet for a simple framed mirror if you dont need the storage...I would also pick out a new towel bar and hand towel bar. Little paint in here with a nice fresh shower curtain :thumbsup:

The wall - only bummer is you would lose the vent for your stove unless they just took out that portion of the wall...They could also just put in a "window" like pass through - had one just like that in my old house and it was perfect when you were washing dishes to look into the living room - Im pretty sure it's easy to cut and frame it out. I could try to find a picture if Im not describing it well.

Pocket door is so you don't have to look at a dirty kitchen while you are in the living room duh :neener: