LIKE many homeowners who have seen the value of their property rise, Maya and Dan have been lured into selling their stylish four-bedroom terraced house in West London for a sum they could only have dreamt of when they bought it seven years ago. And instead of buying another house they have decided to observe the property market from a ringside seat in rented accommodation. Talking to my estate agent friends it appears that this is a rapidly growing phenomenon. Moving from a much-loved home to a rented flat, though, is no easy matter, so here are some handy tips:

HOW TO CHOOSE THAT FLAT

Be realistic about what you can live in and what you can’t. This new home may be rented and temporary, but you still have to live in it every day, so consider and prioritise all the features you cherish, or even take for granted, in your current home – from a peaceful location to free parking – and seek those out in similar order.

THE JOY OF DOWNSIZING

Renting after owning can be liberating in many ways: as Julie Burchill observed some years ago, the first part of the word mortgage is French for “death”.

Maya and Dan have an opportunity to experiment with location, perhaps even moving to a smarter part of town, even if it is at at the expense of square footage. If this is the case then they face some tough choices about what to take with them and what not.

If they have as much “stuff” secreted away as I had I when I moved recently, I would recommend sorting objects into piles (such as “keeping”, “storage”, “for sale at auction”, “charity shop”, “recycling”, “donations to friends, family and neighbours”) and starting packing about three weeks before the move. I found the eBay agent Auctioning4u.com a revelation: its commission is quite high but I think it is justified.

PERSONALISING A RENTED HOME

So many rental homes, even at the top end of the market, have the same flimsy laminate flooring, the same magnolia paint, the same contrived kitchens and bathrooms. So how can Maya and Dan personalise their home without wasting a fortune on someone else’s investment?

The couple have about 2,500 books and they want to keep as many as they can. So I would suggest a trip to Shelfstore, the only company that seems to offer indestructible, freestanding and adjustable timber shelving. It can be painted any colour; with that number of books, and a confident colour choice, those magnolia walls will pale into insignificance.

Because these shelves are freestanding there will be no need to make good at the end of the tenancy, and because they are modular the couple can take them with them to their next home and even assemble them in a different configuration. They could also paper some large MDF boards with a gorgeous wallpaper from, say, Kuboaa to prop against a wall, change the lampshades and adjust soft furnishings to suit. NAOMI CLEAVER

Do you have an inner dilemma? E-mail property.consumer@thetimes.co.uk

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