The first lesson: doing up a rental without drilling or damaging anything
The map for the whole site: why reversible is the iron rule, the three things to do before you start, the order to work in, three budgets and the costly mistakes.
Every note, sorted by what you want to change
17 notes so far. Every one is tagged for reversibility and deposit risk — definitions on the risk-stamps page. New here? Start with the first lesson.
Space & flowZoning, floors and sharingspace & flow
A 17 m² studio, written up: order, budget and every trade-off
Two and a half years in one old studio: the floor plan, four zones, the size discipline that made it work, and the full ledger.
Flooring you can fully undo: click-lock, interlocking mats and big rugs
Cover, don't glue: the click-lock SPC routine, the staining trap with cheap mats, and the rug-size formula.
The tiny kitchen, fixed: cooking well on a single hob
More counter, wall storage on tile, circuit safety in old buildings, and how to live without a range hood.
Shared-flat common rooms: turning the lounge into everyone's
A shared kitty, who-pays-takes-it-back, a low-conflict order to work in, and a layer system for the shared kitchen.
Walls & storageNo-drill hanging and what to buywalls & storage
Soundproofing a rental: thin walls, noisy neighbours and gappy doors — quieter with no building work
No construction, none of it risks the deposit: absorption versus isolation, the cheap win at the door gap, sealing leaky windows, a bookcase as a mass wall, and why upstairs footsteps are a conversation, not a DIY job.
How much can a Command hook really hold? No-drill wall storage, sorted
3M's own weight ratings, how to read a wall, and five no-drill methods from 200 g up to a whole wall of books.
The renter's damp & mould handbook: from a humidity meter to a dehumidifier
The longest note on the site: managing humidity, the six worst-hit spots, dehumidifiers and running costs, and where rising damp becomes the landlord's problem.
Furniture for renters: what's worth buying and what you'll regret after one move
Seven pieces worth the money, seven you'll regret, plus how to shop secondhand and survive the move.
Light & colourLighting, palettes and trendslight & colour
The renter's guide to window treatments: no-drill blackout, privacy and beating the afternoon sun
Sort blackout, privacy and heat first, then a spring versus twist-fit tension rod, adhesive-free hardware, blackout grades, static-cling window film for a hot room, and how to measure so it fits.
Rental lighting without an electrician: it starts with one bulb
Colour temperature and lumens in plain English, the three-light room, and wire-free tricks with strips and magnetic wall lights.
Reversible colour: peel-and-stick, hanging fabric and the renter's colour drench
Colour without paint: removable wallpaper, hanging fabric, gallery walls, and a fabric version of colour drenching.
2026 rental decor trends: how to do quiet maximalism without the clutter
This year's trends lean almost entirely on movable things: curated walls, warm earth tones and the return of old pieces.
Corners & balconyReading nooks and small balconiescorners & balcony
A tiny balcony, reclaimed: a chair next to the washing machine
Three safety checks, flooring that won't block the drain, plants picked by aspect, and how to live alongside the washing machine.
A one-square-metre reading nook: the most wasted corner becomes your favourite
Chair, light and books plus a little wrap-around feeling — the smallest makeover on the site, from under $100.
Deposit & handoverEvidence, undoing and the exitdeposit & handover
Deposit defence: condition reports, photo evidence and where wear ends and damage begins
How bond rules work across markets, the move-in photo checklist, and message templates you can copy.
The 14-day move-out plan: undo everything in time to get the deposit back
A countdown from day 14 to inspection day: drying times for filler and adhesive, booking the bulky-waste pickup, and restoring the original fittings.