My house is tiny, old, and not worth very much. I often say that I am a "home owner," but the bank actually owns it. I also obviously need to pay taxes, insurance, upkeep costs, etc. On the plus side, I love having the freedom to paint the walls in whatever way I want to. The picture in this blog posting is from one of the walls in my living room, which I sponge painted. When my kids were living at home, I also let them paint their walls and decorate their rooms however they wanted to. If I were renting my house, I would probably be told "no" in reference to sponge painting.
Whenever anything needs repairs, I have the freedom to choose from different options. For example, I can replace floor tiles with ones that I like. I can also do such things as plant tomatoes, peppers, squash, and other plants in my backyard, instead of having just grass and flowers that are chosen by someone else. I'll soon be sponge painting at least one other room in my house.