8 Summer Home Projects for Renters

After being cooped up inside during the chilly winter and rainy spring months, we’re all ready to embrace the great outdoors again once summer comes around! Summer is the perfect time to host friends and family for bonfires, pool parties, and backyard barbeques. But before your house is ready for visitors, you’ll need to tackle some home improvement projects to refresh your indoor and outdoor space. 

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Fortunately, we’ve got just the inspiration you need to start your home improvement journey. If you’re ready to give your house a summer makeover, here are eight affordable, rental-friendly DIY projects!

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Indoor Summer Home Projects

After deep cleaning your home this past spring, summer is the ideal time to redecorate. Try out these four projects to give your rental a style upgrade!

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1. Start an Indoor Garden

Bring some greenery into your home for a fun, renter-friendly summer project to spruce up your space and decorate your home. Pot a few indoor plants or get crafty and make a mini terrarium, filled with succulents or cacti. To start your indoor garden, you’ll need some soil, pots, and plants; to start a mini plant terrarium, you’ll need additional gardening supplies like a glass terrarium and succulents. Don’t forget to select plants based on your home’s natural sunlight exposure, and if you have pets, just make sure to choose pet-friendly plants before bringing them home.

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2. Paint or Stain Furniture

As a renter, altering permanent home fixtures like flooring, light fixtures, or paint colors usually isn’t an option. However, the furniture you add to a space is all yours to play around with! Revitalize your old furniture and give it a new look by adding a fresh layer of paint or stain. Repainting a bedframe, dresser, or bookshelf can completely transform the atmosphere of your home, giving it a touch of personal flair to match your ever-evolving sense of style.

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3. Organize a Room or Closet

Nothing revamps the appearance of your home quite like room reorganization! A cluttered space makes your living environment less functional and kills the ambiance, making your house feel less like home. But by organizing a room—or even just a closet—in your house, you can significantly improve the look and feel of the space!

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PRO TIP: You don’t need to buy tons of organizational supplies to get your home in order. Sometimes, this only creates more clutter. Instead, try repurposing household items you already have on hand to arrange your belongings. With a little DIY magic, an old ladder can become a convenient shelving unit, or an empty candle jar can become a storage vessel for office supplies!

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4. Get Crafty With Your Wall Decor

Hanging wall decor is a great project to refresh your home for the season. If you have some creative skills, consider painting a few canvases and framing them in your home! Or, you can frame pictures, posters, artwork, postcards; think outside the box and frame printed fabric items such as a cool t-shirt or even dinner place mats. Plus, while you can’t hang wallpaper directly on the walls, you can still get a small roll of wallpaper and frame the print as a renter-friendly design alternative. Once you’ve chosen your wall decor, consider hanging the frames altogether to create a gallery wall for a statement look!

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Outdoor Summer Home Projects

We all want to spend as much time as possible soaking up the sun during summer. Try these four projects to create the outdoor living space of your dreams!

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1. Give Your Patio a Pressure Wash

There’s nothing more satisfying than a clean home! Power washing gives your patio, deck, and house a deep clean that will make them look as good as new. Throughout the year, dirt accumulates on your walkways and siding due to winter snow, spring rain, and general wear. So, before you start hosting backyard parties, get your outdoor space in shape by power washing!

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PRO TIP: Read the instructions on your power washer before using it. These machines are strong enough to rip the paint off your house or fence, so always follow the washer’s usage guidelines to avoid damaging your home. 

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2. Build a Birdhouse

Birdhouses add a fun, decorative element to any backyard space. Plus, they might just attract some feathered friends! Many online retailers sell DIY kits that provide all the necessary supplies to construct a beautiful birdhouse. These typically don’t require tools other than a manual screwdriver and some glue, so they’re the perfect summer activity for kids. Or, if you’re less handy, you can purchase a plain, pre-assembled wooden birdhouse from your local craft or pet supply store and paint it to add some personality.

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3. Get Creative With Your Planters

Planting a garden is one of the best ways to add color and greenery to your outdoor living space, but most landlords won’t allow you to dig up the yard to put one in. In that case, potted plants are the way to go! They’re temporary and can be moved to any spot in your front or back yard for an updated look.

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Additionally, you can make them yourself by upcycling everyday household items like a popcorn tin, tote bag, birdcage, laundry basket, and more. This makes DIY planters a cost-effective home project and helps give new life to old home supplies that might otherwise end up in the trash.

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4. Hang Some String Lights

Hanging string lights is a surefire way to make your outdoor space more cozy, especially at nighttime. You can get as creative with this as you want! For a quick, simple project, buy a set of string lights from your nearest home improvement store and install them with a removable adhesive. Or if you’re in the mood for a more involved DIY, spice up your traditional string lights by attaching patterned baking cups, hand-cut paper stars, or a tassel garland around the lights or wire. 

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Many of us look forward to welcoming friends, family, and neighbors into our home for warm-weather festivities during the summertime. Prepare your rental home for a summer of fun with these eight home projects!

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A Better Living Experience

At Bridge Homes, we believe everyone deserves a quality home. With thousands of new or renovated home rentals in desirable neighborhoods across the United States, our dedicated team ensures each property adheres to our standards of quality, cleanliness, and safety. Explore our listings and take the first step towards a well-maintained and fulfilling living experience.

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Additional Sources:

5 Summer DIY Projects to Refresh Your Rentals

10 DIY String Light Ideas

​​13 Summer Home Improvement Projects and Tips

16 Renter-Friendly Design Upgrades You Won't Regret Trying

22 Oversized Planters You Can Make From Upcycled Items

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