How to Make Your New Place Feel Like Home After a Move

When moving to a new house, it can be daunting and overwhelming mixed with excitement and anticipation of a new life. Whether you’re moving for a job or you’re just looking for a change of scenery, one thing that remains the same is that you’ll feel a little out of your comfort zone.

When moving house, it’s important to make your new place feel as homely as possible to help make the transition a positive one for you and your family. In this article, we’ll provide some tips and tricks on how to do this after a big move.

Unpack and Organize

The first step to making your new house feel like home is to unpack and organize your items. Prioritize the most important items first. Some things to consider are the toiletries, kitchenware, bedding and clothing.

Unpack items in one corner of the room which you feel isn’t an important area. This will allow you to then work on organizing the room according to your preferred style and setup.

Place breakables away from other items or unpack them last to ensure they don’t break. If unpacking can’t be done all in one day, unpack a cozy area for you or your children so they feel like they have a safe space to be in.

Decorate With Meaning

Decorating your house can help to bring back the feeling of a home atmosphere. When decorating, try to put meaning into it. Hang family photos on the wall in the living areas, hallways or in bedrooms, and place art pieces or mementos from your travel adventures around your home to make the space feel more familiar.

Use textiles and patterns that were familiar from your old home. Throws, rugs, cushions, or couch covers can all help create memories of your old home and make the transition easier. Add some house plants or greenery to help create a relaxing outdoor feel indoors. Hang any pictures your children do at their new school to help them feel good about the transition of schools.

Explore and Incorporate the Neighbourhood

Exploring the neighborhood can help with the transition period and can also help you find out if it’s a family friendly neighborhood. If you’ve recently moved to Australia and around the Perth district you may find this article on family-friendly suburbs near Perth a good read. When exploring the neighborhood it’s a good idea to:

Discover local attractions like bike trails, walking trails, parks, recreation areas, shopping centers, and other activities you can do with your family and kids.
Visit local markets and buy interesting pieces to bring a piece of the neighborhood feel into your home.
Join local classes and workshops to get a feel of what it’s like living in the new neighborhood.
Take a tour of the new school your children will go to so you can help your children to adjust.
Meet the neighbors on your street and introduce yourself. You can always throw a small gathering and call the neighbors over.

Make It Smell Like Home

One thing many homes have is a certain smell. This is from the items you’ve collected over the years, the washing detergents used and from other scented items. To help make your house smell like home, you can:

Cook comfort foods from the first day you move into your home. Prepare a meal that you normally cook at home as this can provide a familiar and comforting smell.
Use candles and essential oils with scents which may be from your local area or home. For example if you had lavender plants in the old garden, add lavender scents to your essential oil.
Buy the detergent brand and smell you used back in your old home if possible depending on if it’s in your local area. Also buy the same or similar soap and cleaning products which can help provide that familiar fragrance from your previous home.

The smell of your home can help to make you comfortable after a long move.

Embrace and Reflect On Your Journey

Last but not least, embrace the journey and reflect on it as you go. Acknowledge your feelings and understand that they’re validated. You’ll feel a mix of homesickness, anxiety and excitement all in one.

Take small steps, you don’t have to rush to unpack your home right away, you can take a day or two to really work out where everything is going to go.

Take pictures of your journey and place them on a special cork board to record your journey so you can remember when things may seem hard, you worked hard to get there in the end. Set new goals to help get you into a good routine, and don’t forget to be patient with yourself on this new adventure.

Endnote

Making your new house feel like home is just as much a journey as the move itself. It’s not just about unpacking and organizing your home, it’s about bringing some of the neighborhood into your home, making it smell like your home, and also embracing the journey.

By being patient with yourself you’ll be able to enjoy the adventure you’re about to embark on in a comfortable and fun way.