What can you do to a rental?

[Guest sprayer]

Due to the credit crunch, we have reduced our house in the UK. This means we wont have lots of $$ to buy in Adelaide at first. We will have to save for a while.

I have been looking on Realestate.com at rented properties. I have seen a few I like but the decor is awful.

Are you allowed to change the carpets, flooring, decor etc... to make it more like yours?

Thanks in advance

 

Jill

[andy and lindsey]

Hi there

 

In a word nothing - that is apart from clean it and keep the garden tidy. You cant even put a nail in the wall to hang a picture without written permission. We have two hooks in the whole house and a closet full of pictures . Your letting agent will inspect the property - roughly every 3 months to check that you are keep everything in good order and will look for extra nails etc.

 

Lindsey

[Guest Libby1971]

Lindsey is totally right.

 

Inspections are very precise for want of a better word. They notice everything. You have to remember the house belongs to the owner, and you are only paying for the privilege of staying there, not changing it. And there is also the issue of why you would want to spend your money on someone else's house.

[Rachiegarlo]

besides you can relive living in the 80s or 90s or if you are really lucky the 70s but there aren't many of them anymore....most have been 'done up'

 

you can have your own plants in pots outside tjhen you can take em with you and you can accessorise to your hearts content as long as it doesn't mark the walls, floors,ceilings, doors etc:huh:

[Guest Deb17]

Yes folks, this is the reality of renting...like Andy and Lindsey I have loads of pictures leaning against the wall in the garage that I wonder will ever see the light of day again! I came to our present house, delighted to see a few picture hooks on the wall in the front lounge, rushed to hang a picture on one, which promptly fell to the floor, scratching the wall and smashing the glass in the frame!! I ought to sue for reframing my picture - instead I'll probably get a big ticking off for scratching the paintwork, doh! In spite of Rachel saying most of the rentals have been done up, well, a quick flick with a dodgy paintbrush is the most I've seen in the way of 'doing up'. The rooms may look OK at first glance but look in the bathrooms - mustard yellow, dirty seagull grey and turquoise blue are still this season's colours in bathroom suites if you've been to opens in some of our local rentals!

[Rachiegarlo]

that's what i meant, the 70's decor has been replaced with 80s, so it has been done up

[cormcvcr]

Hi guys,

 

we must be lucky. We have great landlords even although they put the house through an agent....who we have yet to meet!

 

But the owners are more than happy that we are looking after the house, they came to look at it a couple of times when they dropped things off for us.

 

We enquired about decorating and they said that was fine, we have changed a few other things but it is for the better of the owner. We just call the owner and ask if we can make a change and run it by them, they haven't said no yet.

 

I am not talking about a great deal of expense, but just freshening the place up a bit and making it liveable as we are going to be here for a while.

 

The owners were only too happy to extend our lease and fix the rent as they know we are looking after their investment.

 

So I think it just depends on what you want to do.

[Guest Deb17]

that's what i meant, the 70's decor has been replaced with 80s, so it has been done up

:notworthy:Yeah, that's doing up a house by Adelaide standards. That old teak effect radiogram, fake walnut veneer dining suite, black vinyl settee with the swirly brown and orange cushions and the plastic coffee table with the screw on legs, (all from the 70's house of my childhood) would fit in great with the flock wallpaper and 'wood' effect panelling I've seen in some places. (We need to find a vomiting smiley to accurately express my views!)

[Rachiegarlo]

oohh that sounds like it would be a high class rental, ready to be snapped up....it would have to have an avocado bath or orange laminex kitchen or both if poss.

[Guest sprayer]

Thanks for your replies.

 

I thought that you wouldnt be able to do anything to a rental.

It's true, most of them advertised look like they belong in the 80's.

I think when we sell our house, we may stay with mum longer to saves as much as possible for a deposit for a house.

I could live with 6 months renting but I feel we would only settle properly if we had our own house and put our own stamp on it.

 

Thanks

Jill

[Guest caoimhe]

Great question Jill and one I never thought off.

As we are on a temp visa I wondered if we should put away any money we may have towards a house and stay in a rental until we get PR. But if stuck with awful decor I don't think I could stick it for 2 years, at least if you could paint walls neutral and make it feel more homely it would help

[Guest deb and stoo]

Yo dudes

Well from reading the above post's it looks like we were very lucky indeed. Admitidly we're not allowed to hang anything on the walls or change the colours but its a brand new house in a really nice area with views out over the quarry at the back of us and we've loved the past 10 months in it, whoever gets it next will be very lucky indeed.

[Guest katsmajic]

We've found the gem of all rentals, loads and loads of hooks in all the rooms, decent decor (its not a newbuild) nice bathrooms, and nice easy care gardens. We cant put any nails/hooks up, but then we have no need as we have lots of pics up - i have lots in the garage too as i dont want to go overkill with photos on the walls - afterall its only a rental.