After closing on a new home, many homeowners know a new house doesn’t feel like home when you first move in. Whether it still smells like the previous owners or it’s bigger than your previous home and the rooms just feel empty, it’s challenging to make your new house feel like home during that first week after the move. Here are some ways to make your new space your own, playing on all your senses.
Scents have powerful effects on us and your favorite smells can play a big role in making you feel more relaxed and at home in the new house. Light candles or incense throughout the rooms. To rid the house of the previous owner’s scent, or the smell of fresh paint, spray Febreze in all the rooms. The goal is to give your new home the same smell and atmosphere as your old one.
You can also make your new house feel like home by giving it the same, or similar, look as your old one. By surrounding yourself with familiar objects – your furniture is a good place to start. When rooms are sparse, without enough furniture to fill the space, you too will feel empty inside. You have to strike the right balance. Too much furnishings can feel cluttered and claustrophobic. But the right amount of furnishings can make a home feel nice and cozy. Some homeowners looking for a fresh start, buy new furniture to fill the rooms in their new homes, even choosing a new style of furniture.
Filling the rooms with family pictures is another way to make your new house feel like home. Surrounded by pictures of your family and friends is comforting to you and your kids. It can take you back to the memories you made at your old house with one look, bringing the feeling of home to your new space. Even your favorite artwork helps. Pictures and artwork on walls is also inviting to guests.
Surrounding yourself with your favorite items is another way to make your house feel like home. This is especially important for your kids. Favorite toys, video games, movies and stuffed animals will make your child’s new bedroom their own personal space. A favorite pillow on a sofa, your favorite vase or china on display in a china cabinet are all expressions of who you and your family are and should be on display in your new home.
It’s important to establish at least one room within the first week of moving into your new home. Unpacking one room with a comfortable setting will inspire and motivate you to unpack further and make the rest of the rooms in your new house feel like home. For many families, the two most comfortable rooms in their homes are the kitchen and their family rooms. With a comfortable place to sit and relax, unpacking is not as daunting and you find the process is over sooner than you’d anticipated.
Giving a new house the look, smell and feel of home is the number one priority for new homeowners during their first week after the move. Surrounding yourself and your family with favorite scents, furniture, pictures and items are all ways to make your new house feel like home.