We have hardwood floors on the main level of our rental home. Of course, part of the agreement when renting a home is to leave the home in the same condition as you found it (or better). With that in mind, we are beginning to purchase some rugs for under our furniture.
Yesterday we purchased an 8x10 rug for our fourth bedroom, a guest room. I wouldn't be in such a hurry for that room, except in a week my parents are visiting! A bed on a wood floor seems like it could roll (at least our frame has rollers) or definitely make deep marks over time.
The rug was $167 at Home Depot. We purchased a $48 rug pad and a package of 4 light bulbs at the same time. The total after our military discount and tax was $212. I wished I put it on our Discover card as they have 5% cash back at home improvement stores. I didn't have mine with me. Found out later my husband had his (and he was with me), but I didn't ask him! That would have been another $10 in savings.
We have a rug under our kitchen table that I bought for $20 probably six years ago. It has always been in our basement and was purchased for that purpose. I had tried selling it before we moved. It is working for now, but I don't like it.
We also need a rug for our living area. We did see a few yesterday that would probably work, ranging from $328 to $398. They were at Lowe's. They are having 10% off their area rugs in stock until Aug 2. We would also get a 10% military discount after that. And if we actually use our Discover card this time, we could save even more. 
When we first saw this rental home I liked the floors, but I didn't think about the cost I would incur to protect them. We did put little felt pads on the bottom of several pieces of furniture that will be directly on the floor, so not a requirement to have rugs everywhere!
Do you have large area rugs in your home to protect floors? Where have your purchased yours? Any rug tips?
A Rug Purchase
July 26th, 2015 at 01:35 pm
July 26th, 2015 at 01:40 pm 1437918058
I had the same issue when I moved from wall-to-wall carpeting to a condo with wood floors. I ended up getting rugs made from a factory, but it was expensive. However, I am in my long-term home, and want the rugs to last a long, long time.
July 26th, 2015 at 01:46 pm 1437918408
July 26th, 2015 at 01:55 pm 1437918948
Can the carpet you dislike go in DD's Bdrm?
July 26th, 2015 at 01:59 pm 1437919180
Good plan using traditional carpets with binding. There were large remnants at Home Depot, but without binding they were not appealing to us.
July 26th, 2015 at 03:37 pm 1437925052
I am sure we have bought rugs from Home Depot and/or Target in the past. We had a really nice rug and don't remember exactly where we got it but I feel like it was Home Depot. I had given it away because we did not need in current home.
July 26th, 2015 at 05:43 pm 1437932598
Crazy as it seems to me, I had good luck buying a rug online from Macy's. I have also bought remnants that were then bound.
July 26th, 2015 at 06:31 pm 1437935508
July 26th, 2015 at 07:49 pm 1437940175
July 27th, 2015 at 02:58 pm 1438009122
We've used these in the past to 'anchor' area type rugs to hardwood floors. The product is also sold for just 'corners' to stay down in entry applications. Check prices as often available at Dollar type stores and Liquidator outlets. If too large, they easily cut with scissors.
If you have a Community College nearby, you might like to talk to an Interior Decorator instructor to have student[s] do a furniture and existing artwork layout for your living rm as an assignment. It's e-mail, measurements and photos via attachment to a designated e-mail a/c. No cost to you, no commitment to carry out the plan and student gets marks based on needs of a genuine client. Instructor doesn't need to think up more assignments. Win for all.
If you have Pottery Barn nearby, many offer occasional no cost Saturday AM class for projects like Tablescapes or working with a theme.
The point of these is to use what you have as effectively as possible in a new place to make the rental feel 'yours' even in the short term.