It is important to take care of the home you rent. Being aware of what you put on the walls, and making sure not to drill any holes.  In the financial long run, it is in your best interest to keep the decor rent safe because, as a renter, you will be fined for damages. Here are a few fun, and creative, ways to decorate your rental home without worry!

Have a Pop of Color! 
You have chosen your rental home, now it is time for the fun part! While decorating, consider an accent color. Depending on the color of your walls, a nice blue or even a yellow will bring that pep into your decor! Infiltrate your home with your chosen color with throw pillows, paintings, or even curtains! 

Hang using Command Strips.
The LAST thing you want to do, as a renter, is drill holes in the walls. You will not get your security deposit back that way! Instead, investigate the varieties of hanging tools such as; command strips, sticky tack, and command hooks. While these are just a few options, there are many other useful tools to help you hang that painting in a non destructive manner!

Curtains Cover!
Those dreary blinds should not be settled for! While it is safer to cover than remove them completely, curtains should do the trick! This may be an item you want to splurge on. Sturdy curtains will show to be a better investment than cheap or thin ones. Pick a pattern that displays your accent color to tie the whole room together!

Wire shelves BE GONE!
One of the most off-putting situations when looking to rent is opening the pantry and seeing wire shelves! To the eye of a decorator, they are atrocious. That is where foam board and contact paper come into play. Since you cannot remove the shelves, you will need to cover them. The beautiful part of contact paper is the style variety! Measure the length and width of the wire shelves as well as the front layover. With those measurements, cut a foam board (or whatever sturdy material you choose) with the guided measurements. Cover the top with your chosen contact paper and tape the two pieces together! Slip your new shelf cover over the wired shelves and tell those wires to be gone!

Lay Down a Rug.
Sometimes flooring can be a bit boring. A great way to put a little spunk back into your rental home is to buy an area rug! While these will be expensive, they can breathe life into the space you are wanting to create. Make sure you know the measurements of the space you want to fill before buying!
Your space should be an extension of yourself. Renting should not put a damper on your creativity. At URHome, we want our clients to feel at home in their rental properties while maintaining respect for their landlords. 

The hot months of summer are upon us and with that comes higher energy bills.  
Here are some ways to lower that bill at the end of this month!

Air Filters: Keeping clean air filters in your heating and air conditioning system is by far the biggest way to cut your energy cost.  Ideally, you want to change your air filters every month, but at a minimum every 90 days.  As dust, dirt, and pet hair gets pulled into the air filter, the harder it its to pull air through and the harder the air conditioning unit has to work to cool.  The harder it works, the more energy it uses.  As well, dirt that gets through the filter because it is  full or if you’re using the cheapest filters the greater the efficiency of the unit will get reduced.   So, replacing your air filter with a mid-level filter is one of the best things you can do to keep your electric bill down.

Journey outside: the least amount of time you are inside, the lower your energy costs.  Take a trip this summer with your family to the beach, or the mountains, and remember to unplug your appliances before you leave.

Use a Fan: taking the time and energy to use a fan to cool your house can lower the AC bill. Fans circulate the air around you take advantage of this in the mornings or evenings to circulate that cool air into your home!

Be Efficient: Be mindful of the thermostat. Make sure that your thermostat is not below the margin of 68-78. Understand that the gap between the outside temperature and your internal temperature will determine the increase or decrease of your bill. This means that if it is 75° outside the lower you have your thermostat set, the higher your bill will cost.

These are just a few small things you can do to lower your energy bill.  Implement a couple of these this summer to get the most out of your energy and say goodbye to that high energy bill!