It takes time to make any new place you’ve moved to feel like home, especially if you were attached to your old house, neighborhood, or town (if you’ve moved far away). For most people, moving is an incredibly stressful experience. When you’re doing it post-retirement, it’s even harder, seeing as you’re likely starting a new phase in your life and you no longer have your old work routine.
You should take the initiative and do what you can to ease your transition by making your new house feel like home. It will involve making some changes to the house (and lifestyle) but will help you settle in faster and be happier sooner. In this brief guide, Ducks in a Row Professional Home Organizers offer tips and suggestions on how to make your new house feel like home.
Clean
Cleaning your home is a wonderful way to get to know your house, get rid of dirt and negative energy, and just get settled in. Being in a spick-and-span environment can do a lot to put you at ease and boost your mood. It’s easier to relax and feel safe and comfortable. Also, you can figure out the best places to put all your stuff.
Organize and declutter
Organizing and decluttering are helpful on several levels. Not only can you arrange your furniture, appliances, and other knick-knacks in a way that promotes a good movement and energy flow in your home, but it also allows you to get rid of stuff that you no longer need. It can drastically reduce your maintenance and upkeep, and generally make you feel good about your space. It’s worth it to get our professional to help you with this – it can help you create an optimal living space that supports a healthy lifestyle long-term.
Make it feel like home with meaningful additions
A home isn’t just four walls and a roof – it’s also the special objects that you put in it. This includes keepsakes, hand-me-downs, heirlooms, pictures, paintings, antiques, flowers, furniture, and other meaningful objects that associate important memories with. Personalizing your house is an essential step in making it home.
Beautify and decorate
Everybody loves beautiful spaces – making yours beautiful (whatever that means to you) can help you to settle in faster. Some ways to make spaces more beautiful are by allowing more natural light in, giving walls a fresh coat of paint, adding mirrors, hanging up paintings, getting new furniture, and creating a theme for your house.
Make it safe
A home is always a space that makes you feel safe and protected. Some ways to make your home safe are installing security cameras, having a home security system, setting up deadbolts on your doors and windows, and getting some extra fencing (if applicable). CNET provides a home safety guide you could follow. Making it child-proof is also something you could do if you have grandkids over all the time.
Get your home insured
Regardless of how careful you are, things can and do go wrong. Having your home insured can help you put things to rights without undue stress and harm. Homeowner’s insurance, for example, covers damages to your home’s structure. It also provides cover against theft and injuries on your property. However, it doesn’t cover anything else. You could opt for home warranty insurance for your new home if you want your appliances and critical home systems covered on top. This is an annual renewable, customizable plan that covers breakdowns to your heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing systems – as well as appliance repairs. It’s pretty comprehensive, useful, and can give you great peace of mind.
Create a nice outdoors space
No home is complete without a good outdoor space. Arguably, the yard, garden, patio, and the general surroundings around your home are just as important as the interior. You can make a few outdoor additions to make it better. Consider making a seating area, installing an outdoor kitchen, having a patio, or setting up a pool. If space is an issue, you could make a small garden on your balcony (and maybe grow your own food). House Beautiful offers many other ideas to consider.
Conclusion
No space is going to feel like home overnight. It’s a process, give it time. Do what you can to make yourself comfortable and focus on creating a healthy, comfortable lifestyle. Be positive, see the opportunity that is there to create a meaningful new life, and keep moving forward. The new house will become home before you know it.
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