How To Make Your New House Feel Like A Home

You’ve just moved into your new house and now all the excitement and stress of the move are behind you, it’s time to set about the important task of nesting and making your new house feel like a home. Read on for some easy tips…

Moving to a new property means a lot of things that are new, from starting a new job, joining a new gym or even just memorising the route to your local supermarket. There’s a lot to take in, in a short space of time.

Think about when you test drive a new car. You know how to drive, but driving a different vehicle still takes a bit of extra brain power and when you switch your car it can take weeks or even months of driving it before it feels completely familiar to you.

Moving home is a bit like that, each day you’ll go out and coming home will feel novel, filling you with a range of different emotions, then one day, without even realising it, everything things familiar and right and you stop thinking of it as “our new house” and consider it instead to be just “home”.

Of course, there is no rushing subtle processes like these, but there are some simple things you can do to actively help make your house feel like home.

1. Think Hygge

Hygge is the Danish art of creating a special kind of warm, content and cosy feeling. Although often associated with the colder winter months, Hygge concepts can be applied at any time of the year.

Anything that makes you feel happy and content can be considered Hygge. So bake something delicious that fills the house with the scent and is eaten and enjoyed still warm. Draw the curtains, snuggle up on the sofa and watch something heartwarming. Fill your home with plants and fresh flowers, light that candle you’ve been saving and enjoy!

2. Get To Know Your Appliances

From the boiler to central heating controls through to getting to grips with that fancy new induction hob, there can be a lot of things to get used to. Even if you’re not actively using the central heating at the moment, understanding how to do things like set the timer and use everything in your new home competently, will help you feel like your new property is less alien and more like home.

3. Join Local Groups

Although many places don’t retain the close sense of community once enjoyed by past generations, getting to know our immediate neighbours is a great starting point. Don’t be afraid of taking the first step, you could invite them over for a coffee or even just knock on their door to say hello and introduce yourself.

You can also look out for signs on local noticeboards and sign up to your local Facebook groups so you’ll know what’s going on in the area. Community events, from coffee mornings to crafting, will provide a great opportunity to meet new people.

4. Make New Memories

Days out in your new area, having friends and family over for a party or barbecue and exploring on foot are all great ways to start making happy memories that will lay the foundations of this new phase in your life.

Do some searches on the internet to find places to visit and attractions in your local area. Whether it’s a park or a woodland walk, or a local farm shop and play barn or climbing centre, learn what’s available in the new area and get out there and explore!

5. Work Room By Room

In a new home, you’re probably going to want to stamp your mark as soon as possible but if you’ve got a lot to do, like stripping wallpaper and changing the carpet in multiple rooms, you might need to prioritise to ensure you don’t overload yourself.

Consider which rooms are most important to you and choose the rooms that will bring you the greatest peace of mind. Typically this will be your bedroom where you’ll spend a lot of time or a communal space like the living room.

Once you’ve got one room completed and finished to your liking, your new property will be well on the way to feeling more like home.

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