#I've hung curtains and put up lights and added paintings and it's been really important for me

[expatesque]

Unsolicited advice but: I really encourage everyone, including renters, to learn a little DIY. There is something massively empowering about being able to fix problems, even if it's just little ones. Like a few weeks ago the neighbors damaged my fence and the top part of a section fell off. I definitely could have had the landlord repair it but I had friends coming over in a few hours and I wanted it to look nice. So I got out my drill and fixed the thing in 5 minutes.

Being comfortable with DIY also gives you more ownership of your home, even if it's only your home temporarily - learn to spackle holes so you're not worried about hanging pictures, get comfortable painting so you can make the space feel like yours.

Especially ladies, we often aren't taught this stuff but with youtube and asking advice in hardware stores, everything is possible. Buy yourself a drill, use it - you'll feel like a new person, I promise.