Appliances for renters – portable appliances and more

June 22nd, 2015

Appliance Hack Appliance Talk

Are you living the semi-nomadic life of a tenant?

Whether you move house every time your lease runs out, or your technically temporary accomodation has practically become semi-permanent, a renter’s appliance situation can sometimes be a bit unusual.  While your landlord may own some of the appliances in your rental home, you’ll need to supply the rest.

You could also rent the other appliances you need, but a better bet may be to purchase some cooking and cleaning equipment outright, making sure to choose models that not only suit your needs, but can be taken with you at short notice if required.

For more specific advice, read on:

Laundry

Some rental properties come with their own washer and dryer included. If not, you’ll need to either purchase laundry appliances of your own, or make friends with the owners of your local laundromat.

Smaller washers and dryers (often models with a capacity of 5kg or less) tend to be handy for compact laundry rooms, and relatively simple to connect and disconnect to power and water when you move house.

The downside is that they’re not great for washing large loads all at once, and washing multiple smaller loads can use up a lot of extra time, power and water.  If you’re doing laundry for three or more people at once, you may want a bigger machine…

A washer dryer combo can often be handy for a renter, as it combines the functions of two appliances into a single unit, saving space when there’s not much to spare.

That said, they can be a bit tricky to use, and can only effectively dry a half-load of laundry.  They’re also rather heavy, meaning they can’t be stacked or wall-mounted, and could be inconvenient to heft into the back of the ute when moving house.

Important tip! If you buy a front loading washing machine or washer dryer combo, it will come with four transit bolts in the back, holding the drum in place.

While you’ll need to remove these to run the machine, don’t throw them away if you’re planning to eventually relocate with the appliance! To protect your valuable applaince from damage, it’s simple to plug these transit bolts back in and keep the tub from spinning and bouncing around when the machine is being loaded into the back of a truck and transported to a new location.

Fridges and freezers

When it comes to fridges, “bigger is better” is the traditional wisdom.

However, as every rental property is different, it can be tricky fitting an oversized fridge into a small kitchen when you move house.

If you know that you’re likely to be relocating home sooner or later, a more modest fridge that’s more likely to fit into more kitchen cavities may prove handy.

If you find yourself in dire need of additional fridge or freezer space, a bar fridge or chest freezer could do the trick.

If you plan on moving house with a fridge or freezer, remember to competely empty and clean it before you travel, including removing the shelves and drawers. And if you tape the door shut for transportation, there’s no risk of it falling open when manouvering it around a tricky corner.

Dishwashing

Unless your landlord has already supplied a dishwasher for your rental property, chances are slim that there’ll be room available in the kitchen for you to install one of your own.

However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to enjoy the benefits of having a machine look after the washing up for you!

Benchtop dishwashers are small and relatively portable dishwashers, and can be set up with just a water and power connection and a drain.

And for the truly nomadic, they can even be taken camping or caravanning…

Small appliances

As a renter, you may not want to invest in too many specialised small appliances, as it can be difficult to find homes for them all in the kitchen, as can packing them all up if you move house.

Instead, think about carefully selecting some high-quality small appliances that offer multiple functions, such as a food processor that can also double as a blender, mixer or juicer.

TV and audio

Much like the fridge, a large TV can be problematic when you have to move house to somewhere smaller.  Not only is an oversized screen physically hard to move, but it might not comfortably fit in your new lounge room, either.

If you can resist the allure of big-screen home cinema, consider a more modest mid-sized TV with high-resolution picture. What you lose in screen size, you’ll make up in lifelike detail, providing an equally excellent viewing expereince.

If you’re buying a new TV for your rental home, make sure that your local services are up to scratch before investing in a Smart TV – even if the TV offers streaming app servcies, you’ll still need a fairly speedy internet connection to get the most use out of these.

For both TV and audio systems, we’d recommend choosing models with wireless connectivity.  That way, no matter what manner of home you move to, you can easily stream digital music and videos from a range of sources, regardless of the accessibility of plugs and connectionsthroughout the home.  No snaking cables!

Heating and cooling

Sometimes a heating or cooling appliance is practically essential if you expect to survive a scorching Aussie summer or a wet and chilly winter.

If your rental property doesn’t include air conditioning, you’ll want some kind of portable appliance to keep the temperature under control.

A portable reverse cycle air conditioner that heats as well as cools is perfect for this, though they often require their exhaust hoses to be precisely fitted to a particular size and shape of window, which is not always readily available in a rental property.

One handy alternative is a Dyson Hot + Cool Fan, which can keep a small room comfortable no matter the season.  Plus, the bladeless design looks pretty slick.

Barbeque

Everyone loves a barbie, though if you’re renting a place that lacks a decent backyard, a full-sized 4-burner or 6-burner barbeque may be a bit extravagant.

For a more convenient option, think about investing in a portable gas or electric BBQ, or even a model from the range of Weber grills.

Any additional advice?

Remember a great tip from when you used to rent?  Never stopped renting and are full of applicable wisdom?

Share your appliance stories and advice for living large on a limited budget and space!