It can take a while for a new place to truly feel like home. There are those few weeks in the beginning where you don’t know where anything is that you packed and the whole house feels somewhat foreign.
There is no need to spend the first couple of weeks stressing over a new move when you should be soaking in the excitement of planting new roots.
Here are a few tips on how to change your new house into an organized and pleasurable place to call home.
Start with the closet
Nothing makes a house feel like home like being able to pick out your clothes from a closet Instead of having to dig through boxes and leave you feeling displaced, unpack your closet first so your mornings are less stressful.
Have your shoes all lined up and everything organized so that your routine will be the same as any other morning. Let this carry on into your bathroom as well.
Kid’s first, always
What matters most is that the kids feel at home. If they are at peace with the new place then naturally you will be too.
Let them unpack their things and determine where it all goes. Offer help to bring it all in quickly. A first night in their room will be much happier than a night in a room full of boxes. And let’s be honest, happy children lead to a stress-free life.
Same ol’ routine
Having the same routine as your old place will distract you from the scary unknown feelings that you might start to feel at your new place.
Instead of having to learn all new places and practices, keep some things the same. Put a table in the entry way just like your last place with a bowl to collect keys and things. Put all of your kitchen supplies in the same areas and arrange your food the same way too.
Anything that can be set up to reflect your routines in the old house will create familiarity in the new space.
Make the bed
Instead of sleeping on a bare mattress on the floor, take the time to set your bed up with everything washed and cleaned. Nothing is as relaxing as sinking into your bed and getting a good night’s sleep. A good night of sleep will also put you in a better mood and less likely to think negatively of anything that arises at your new home.
Bring out the favorites
Unpack your favorite candles, bring out the feel good music — even buy your favorite flowers. Scents are shown to have a connection to memories and emotions so burn something that feels like home.
Most places, depending on location and materials used, smell differently. Personally, that is the hardest thing for me to get used to when moving to a new place, so unpacking and using my favorite candle is a must. Blare some music that makes you happy and want to dance. Even throw on a movie that you’ve seen 100 times so you can laugh along and unpack at the same time.
Being surrounded by everything that has memories tied to it will make your place feel even homier.
Moving into a new house can be scary and unnerving for the first few weeks. To make the mental and emotional transition a smooth one, try to make the house as homey as possible – and as quick as possible. Soon, new memories will be made and you’ll forget what it was like to once live somewhere else.
