You can take drapery with you when you move out. (Cheryll Gillespie)

My husband and I have several rental properties and last night I chatted over a chai tea with one of my tenants and her friend (the friend and her boyfriend were signing a lease to move next door to the tenant in my building) I couldn’t help but take a little trip down memory lane back to my days as a renter.

Can you transform your apartment so that it reflects your own personal style without investing money that you won’t be able to take with you? Absolutely! Regardless of where you live or its size of your space, you can make your space your own.

The most common complaint I get about rental spaces is that there is no island and a serious shortage of work space in the kitchen. So why not build your own island to go? Look in the newspaper, visit a second hand building supply shop or spend some time at garage sales looking for discarded cabinetry.

Purchase about a five foot span of lower cabinets complete with a top (don’t worry about the finish because it can be painted to match your furniture and space). And nevermind the back side, you can cover this area with wall paper, metal, metal paint or the same paint as you painted the cabinets.

Purchase four casters and mount them to the base of your cabinets (you may need to put a piece of plywood underneath the cabinets to help hold them all together) so that you can roll the cabinet against a wall when it’s not in use. You’ll love your new island/buffet on wheels. And when you move, you can take your island with you - you’ll find it handy in the garage as a work space, in the craft room or in the basement.

To take your rental unit ‘up a notch’ replace the dining room light fixture. It’s an easy do-it-yourself project that makes your space unique. Store the original light fixture so that you can rehang it when you move on. (you never know your landlord may ask you to leave it and reimburse you the money).

Most windows are standard height, so do not be afraid to hang some ready-made drapery panels. The panels can easily be reused in your next home. The rod can also come with you, the only thing you may have to leave behind is the curtain rod brackets but those are under ten dollars so no great lost.

Hang great art. There is no better way to make your home your own than with fabulous art. Buy a series of frames 14 x 20, 14 x 18, 10 x 11 and 8 x 10. Have 6 to 16 of your favorite photos enlarged and printed in black and white. Fill the frames (which are not necessarily the same but similar in colouring and style) with your black and white photos. Hang the frames down the long and boring hallway.

Another common complaint about apartments is there lack of natural light. Purchase a oversized mirror (4 x 6 or larger) and set it on the living room floor leaning against a wall to instantly make the room double in size and to bring a lot more light into the space.

The bottom line is that just because you don’t own the space does not mean that it can’t be absolutely fabulous. Save your money and buy good quality pieces of furniture and accessories that you will be proud to move into your next home with.