How to Create the Illusion of Space

 

Eight Ways to Make a Small Rental Home Feel More Spacious

There are many small rental homes and compact apartments in any city. They can be cozy, enjoyable places to live, but their appeal often depends more on design than on size. If you own a small rental space, a few creative changes and practical solutions can make a small rental home feel larger and more inviting to tenants. These changes combine visual appeal, efficient use of space, and spotlighting what makes each small rental home uniquely attractive.

 

1) Use a Palette of White Paint

We all know that light paint colors can make a space feel larger, but stuble changes in in your white palette are even more effective. Choose palette of whites with the lightest white for the ceiling and a slight shift in different white shades used from room to room. This will give the small rental home a feeling of greater depth, and will enhance the sense of beauty renters experience each day in their home.

 

2) Upgrade the Light Fixures

Rooms cast into shadow always feel smaller. Old flush light fixtures or rooms that don't have good central light often feel more cramped. A few practical upgrades can ensure that each room is filled with bright yet diffuse light that reaches every corner. This will allow you to emphasize the entire space that you have to work with.

 

3) Open Up the Kitchen

Enclosed kitchens can make any home feel cramped, no matter the floorplan. Embrace the open plan trend and open up the kitchen. Replace one enclosing wall and door with a friendly peninsula breakfast bar that provides access to the living room. This will allow the family chef to participate in conversations and media while they cook, invite the family to keep them company at the bar, and solve the breakfast nook question.

That open space between the living room and kitchen will also make both rooms feel larger and more welcoming.

 

4) Make the Flooring Flow

A small space can feel larger when one flooring type flows through the entire space. Laminate board has become very popular for this purpose. It looks and feels like beautiful wood flooring (in any color or grain you desire) but it is also extremely durable and water-resistant. Replace old carpets and outdated tile with full-home laminate board to enjoy both a visual and lifestyle quality upgrade in your small rental home.

 

5) Elongate the Window Treatments

Most rental homes have white mini-blinds. While practical, they do not enhance the apparent size of any room. Floor-to-ceiling window treatments make a room look taller and more spacious. You don't need to go all-out with drapes, but a near-ceiling curtain rod with filmy drapes that reach the floor provide both diffuse light and a sense of elegant spaciousness to any room.

 

6) Hidden or Outdoor Storage

Storage that is out of sight or outdoors can also help enhance the roominesss of a small rental home. Help your tenants store their seasonal supplies and outdoor gear out of their small living space to ensure that they can fully enjoy the full space of each room. For apartments, consider offering storage in designated parking areas such as locked vertical racks, lockers, and cabinets. For rental homes, you might add a storage shed or a covered storage area in the back yard.

 

7) Emphasize the Patio and Outdoor Space

Expand a small home's living area by including outdoor spaces. Partially enclose the patio or balcony of an apartment or townhome to turn it into your tenant's sunroom where chairs and tables can be enjoyed with some privacy. Or expand the deck of a single-family home to create a lovely outdoor living space that might significantly increase the total 'square footage' where your tenants can enjoy family life.

Manicuring any available outdoor space, private or shared, can also make a smaller home more enjoyable if outdoor activities are inviting and safe.

 

8) The Subtle Advantage of Air Quality

Take a final thought for the home's air quality, which has a psychological effect on our feelings of being open or closed in.  Having the HVAC serviced, the vents cleaned, and the airflow balanced can subtly make renters feel the home is larger when they tour in person, and enjoy the home more as residents.

 

Managing a Small Rental Home

Once you have made a few upgrades, your small rental home is sure to feel more spacious and appealing for tenants. If you are looking for an easy way to keep your small rental space occupied and well-managed, you can rely on a property management service like Leaf Management to take care of your property and your tenants while keeping you in the loop on each management decision.