Home Sweet Home | Making a House Yours After a Big Move

Moving is sometimes a necessity rather than a pleasure. Yet, no matter what your circumstances, you can make your new house feel like your home. It may take a bit of elbow grease and some touch-ups, but you can transform just about any space. Let the following tips from Realtor Karen Boos be your guide.

Take Away the Old

Sometimes, a new home can feel like an old one. There may be reminders everywhere that your place had previous occupants. Smells can be one such prominent legacy. An air purifier may help freshen up your home's air and even assist in removing mold spores to keep your environment healthy. Go through your house. Look around for anything that identifiably belongs to the previous owners. This could be anything from dated fixtures such as light switches and doorknobs to old wallpaper. Swap these things out with your own choices to make a big impact in a short amount of time. Replace any unfamiliar scents with things you enjoy including your favorite incense, candle or even just fresh air. All of these can make it feel like you really belong in your new home.

Keep Your Routines

Moving into a new environment can be disorientating. That can throw you off familiar patterns that may help you not only settle, but see your house as a home. Try to spend meaningful time in each room. Make them your own through habit. Continue routines that made your previous house feel comfortable and safe. Was there a particular location that you would store keys? Would you always hang coats at the entrance to your front door? Adapt your home to allow you to keep up certain habits and reflect preferences.

Perform Maintenance

Even with a thorough pre-move inspection, there may still be maintenance tasks that need to be done to help your home feel cozier. Focus on the basics such as making sure home detectors have fresh batteries and familiarizing yourself with the property's circuit breaker. Look to clean your gutters as well as caulk what needs to be sealed. If your landscaping needs sprucing up, hire a freelance landscape design pro who can render a plan for you based on your desired features. Once you have a plan, you can determine which landscaping projects can be DIYed and which projects should be done by a professional landscaper. 

When working on maintenance, consult with your home inspector's report, which can be an important guide in identifying what else needs to be addressed. Dealing with minor repairs adds up and makes your life easier.

Personalize

Add your personal effects the moment you move in. It doesn't matter if you will later relocate them elsewhere, simply having them visible can be an easy way to start settling in. Put up photographs throughout the house of loved ones, vacations -- anything that you cherish. As well, place mementos prominently. They may be souvenirs, collectibles, or precious family heirlooms. Fill up shelves with favorite books or music CDs. Display anything that speaks to you that might nurture warmth and remind you that no matter where you are, you are home.

Decorate

Drab rooms, or a color scheme that cannot help but evoke someone else, can make a house feel alien. Giving your new property a fresh look can be simple and inexpensive, and go a long way to supplementing personal effects. Adding plants and flowers can liven up rooms. Different wall colors can radically change how a house feels, and a particular hue may be just what it needs to feel like a home. If you're looking to create a relaxing, mindful living space, choose neutral or earthy colors, and bring in some living plants to help purify the air.

Introducing art pieces could create ambiance and a focal point for houseguests. Even a rug, a few throw blankets over a couch or some extra pillows can add character to your property and further connect the house to you. You could go to your favorite furniture store, or even thrift shopping, to find goods that feel like your own. This can be a chance for a fresh start, or a way to take styles you love and incorporate them into your new home.

Moving can be difficult, but it’s also a chance to create a new space and transform it into something you love. By adding personal touches, decorating well and replacing or repairing old, worn fixtures, you can absolutely make this feel like your own home. It just takes a bit of work to create something you will hopefully love for years to come.

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