Renting a Home: Things I've Learnt

I know I know, it's not exactly what you'd call a catchy title, but what the heck! I have been desperate to write this post ever since I moved out in October, because in the space of a few short weeks I had realised that adulting is hard. Very hard.

(Side note: this is most definitely not the view from my rented apartment, it is actually the view from somewhere near the top of the Eiffel Tower- but a girl can dream! I will live my Emily in Paris dream one day...) 

Budgeting is Important 

Thankfully I have always been pretty savvy when it comes to spending and saving, because the thought of not having enough money to survive terrifies me. There are many pros and cons to renting, but one of the biggest wins is that if things go wrong it's not your problem. Thankfully we've had a pretty smooth ride since we moved in, however one of the more notable issues was when the washing machine stopped working within the first month... if we owned the flat it would have been our job to either get it fixed/replaced, but thankfully after a visit from our contractor and a conversation with the landlord, a new washing machine was on route free of charge!

Decorating is my JAM

...but sometimes it sucks that I don't own the place! I have always been obsessed with interiors, so it's safe to say that the prospect of moving into and decorating somewhere new brought a surge of excitement; but with renting there are always going to be limitations. We've had nothing to do with our landlord since we moved in (I'm not even sure I know his name!) however our letting company told us that he was happy for us to paint, wallpaper, hang things on the walls etc. as long as when we leave we put it back the way we found it- sounds like a good set up, right?

I am a neat freak

This is something that has come as no surprise, however I didn't quite understand the extent of my problem until I had my own space... Now don't get me wrong, I love a good purposeless decorative object as much as the next person (did somebody say pampas grass?) but my family home is filled to the brim with nic-nacs which just isn't my style. Although I am very grateful that the 'collecting' trait has skipped a generation, my parents have instead unknowingly created a tidying-monster that only Kim and Aggy would be proud of! Did somebody say Minky?

It's the perfect trial run

If you've been following me for a some time, you'll know that I've been desperate to move out for years. When I met my partner last summer we got onto the conversation of moving out quite quickly, and after just a few months of being together we decided to take the plunge- and I couldn't be happier! Ultimately my plan was never to rent, but looking back I'm so glad that we did, as over the past 8 months we've learnt so much about not only running a home, but about each other too. We have had the opportunity to find out what works for us, so when the time comes to buy our first home we should be able to get settled without the shock of living together for the first time!

There are lots of things that nobody tells you about moving into your own place, so it's safe to say that we have had a few surprises since we got here... From budgeting for the weekly shop to how NOT to hang a piece of art work (yes- there are now a few more holes to fill when we move out than originally planned, but we got there in the end) I have learnt a lot since moving out of my family home. There have been lots of laughs and lots of tears (on my part) but we are finally settled and love with our little flat.