How to rent your home and everything in it!

Carrie Symonds, now Carrie Johnson after her wedding to the Prime Minister, often makes news headlines but one of her latest front page stories was an altogether more sustainable – and less salacious – affair. 

Many were surprised to learn that her wedding dress cost a mere £45! The catch? It was rented for a couple of days, representing an estimated saving of £2,825. While renting a property would not gain similar headlines, the act of an affluent couple hiring a wedding dress does.

Let’s look at the notion of renting in a little more detail. It represents a cheaper way to enjoy something that may be too expensive to buy outright. Wedding dresses fall into the same category as cars – pay a more affordable price to enjoy the pleasure for a limited amount of time. Hand the item back and move on, or rent again for a different experience.

It’s the same when it comes to property. Renting gives tenants freedom and flexibility, with tenancy agreements of 6 or 12 months allowing people to move on with ease and very few ties. In addition, setting up a rental agreement is also far cheaper than buying a property – there is no stamp duty to pay and the deposit is capped at a fraction of the price needed to secure a mortgage.

So if you’re renting your property, why stop there? We take a look at what other items you can rent as a tenant. Whether it’s haute couture clothes, the latest tech or the must-have interior design trends, renting instead of buying has an added ethical bonus too – it stops items heading for landfill when they fall out of fashion. Here are four to try:-

1.     Gadget & appliances: if you lived in the 1980s, you may have popped into Radio Rentals to pay your monthly fee for a new fandangle VHS player. While the brand has disappeared from the High Street along with video tapes, it is still possible to hire the latest home tech and appliances – a wise option if you’re always looking to upgrade. Hughes Rental, among others, rents out Sonos sound systems, 65” TVs, white goods and laptops.
2.     Art: if your money doesn’t stretch to buying a masterpiece, why not rent a painting, rare print or an iconic photo instead? The rentals at Rise Art start from £25 a month, and represent a risk free way of adorning your walls. 
3.     Furniture: Roomservice by Court is just one company that offers furniture packs specifically for hire by tenants. Ideal for unfurnished properties or short lets, an entire property can be kitted out without the need to buy – even down to the bed linen. Renting also removes removal costs, as the furniture is delivered and collected by the rental company.
4.     Clothes: Carrie Johnson’s wedding dress was rented from My Wardrobe HQ, which operates a clothes, shoes and accessories rental service online and from within Harrods. You can fill your rented wardrobes with rented designer fashions from as little as £4 a day, ensuring you’re always sporting the latest styles.

If you’re looking for help with your next rental property, feel free to ask us for advice and a list of available properties.