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If you’ve recently moved into a new house, chances are your stress levels are going to be through the roof. Moving is one of the most stressful things that anyone can experience – particularly if you’re taking your family in tow. It’s not just the endless packing, the moving boxes, and the mounds of paperwork and finances that you have to sort out – it’s the entire psychological change and the journey you go on when you literally uproot your life as you know it, and move it elsewhere. One of the most difficult things, can be making your new house feel like your home – your place, and your sanctuary. But how can you make your new house into a home?
Make it Personal
Unlike when you were selling your previous house, where your aim was possibly to appeal to companies that say “we buy houses” rather than homes, make your new house as personal as you possibly can from the word go. It’s likely that when you were selling your previous house, you tried to depersonalize it as much as possible in order for it to move off the market more quickly. This is perfectly common, and is actually a good technique to use in order to sell faster, as it gives potential buyers a blank canvas, and they can imagine their own things there.
However, now that you’re in your new space, it’s time to fill it with all of the things that reflect you as a family. This could be photos, little mementos from trips you’ve taken together, and filling the shelves with all of your favorite books. If you’ve got a little one who loves to paint or draw, why not display their art on some of your walls? Sure, it might be a little abstract, and even if they aren’t the next Van Gogh – who cares? Nothing will make the emptiness of a new house feel fuller with love than some homemade wall art by your kids.
Spend Time in Every Room
Regardless of how long we’ve lived somewhere, we’re all guilty of doing it. Pretty much living between the living room, and the bedroom – with occasional trips to the kitchen to eat, and the bathroom to…relieve ourselves. It can be really easy to take our homes for granted, but to make the most out of them, try and appreciate every individual room for the purpose it serves.
If you don’t really use your dining room, make a point of doing so. Every night, or at least a couple of times a week as it’s understandable that people are busy and schedules don’t match up, make an effort to have a sit-down meal with your family. This could be a weekend breakfast, an evening dinner, or pretty much whatever you like. The main point of it is, being able to sit down all together, enjoy the room and the meal, and share details about your day or your week. It’s a perfect way of not only family bonding, but bonding yourselves to the house too, ultimately making it a home.
Remember to take time for yourself too though. Spend an extra ten minutes in the bath, go to bed a little earlier. Appreciate all of the home comforts that your new house has to offer, and enjoy them!
Stock Up on Cushions and Throws
One of the fool-proof ways to make a house feel immediately cosier, is by filling the space with cushions and throws. Of course, we’re not saying throw them all over the space, but pile them up high on your sofas, armchairs and all of the beds. The smaller things like this can be the difference between a new house feeling almost like a hotel or waiting room, and it feeling like a home. The more effort you put into making the space feel homely, the more homely it will become. It’s literally about making it as comfortable and secure as possible.
Rugs are also a great way to make a room feel complete. Whether you’re for statement patterns or fluffy pastels, they can make a huge difference to the room as a whole.
Think About Ambience
Finally, think about the ambiance of your home. The lighting, the smells, and the overall mood. Your lighting can entirely dictate the vibe a room gives off, and can be the difference between it feeling like an IKEA showroom, and your very own little haven. Likewise, fill the house with the same scents as you used in your previous home. Psychology proves that smells link us back to feelings, and it will help the whole family to relax, and settle quickly into their new home.
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This content is sponsored by Satyajit Routray.
Photo: Shutterstock