How To Make A New House Feel Like A Home

Buying a new house can be an exciting experience, but once the initial honeymoon period is over, it can often feel like you’re simply left with a building that feels empty and cold.

Over time, of course, you’ll make the memories needed to make your new house truly feel like a home, but in the meantime, you’re not entirely without options.

There are things you can do to speed along the process and help yourself to fall in love with your new place as well, so without further ado, let’s take a look at how you can make a new house feel like a home!

Draw up an interior design plan

The first thing you should do is consider how you’re going to change the interior design of your new place.

It’s possible you love the decor that’s already there, but even if you do, you should still consider replacing it, as implementing your own interior design strategy will make the place feel that much more like home.

As part of this plan, you should know what you want rooms to look like, what furniture you’re going to implement, and how you’re going to fund your interior design efforts. Online personal loans are often a great place to start in this regard, as you can get cash quickly and start spending it on the things you need without too much delay.

Just…live!

We know this tip is going to sound pretty obvious, but the biggest factor when it comes to making a house feel like a home is time.

As you spend more time in your new home and make more memories, you’ll build a sense of what your home is like and what it means to you.

Invite your friends and family over for games, or just to hang out, and you’ll quickly develop an association between those good times and the place where they happened.

The best thing to do is just to let life occur while you’re living in your new house, and before you know it, you’ll be inseparable from the place.

Cook some meals

Creating a sense of health and wellbeing in your new home is of paramount importance, so while it might be tempting to rely on takeaway meals, you shouldn’t do so exclusively.

There are lots of cheap and easy meals you can make while there isn’t too much stuff in your pantry, too; you don’t need to be a Michelin-starred chef to know how to create your own dishes.

Once the aroma of freshly-cooked food is filling your home, your brain will start making those pleasurable associations, and your house will indelibly start to feel like it really does belong to you. 

Make sure to clean regularly

There’s nothing wrong with a little clutter from time to time; we’re all human, after all, and most of us can’t summon the effort to be as fastidious with cleaning and tidying as we might want to be.

However, if you want to improve your mental health, it’s a good idea to clean regularly. Try to set aside some time each week for a full clean of your house.

This will help to keep the place spotless, but it will also give you a sense of proud ownership over your home; it’s yours to clean and to keep clean, after all!

Go for some exercise

While it might sound like a strange tip, exercising around your new home can actually help to settle you into it.

By taking a walk or a brisk run around your new place, you’ll familiarise yourself with the surroundings, meaning you’ll be settling into the area more effectively.

You’ll also get the endorphins flowing, so when you do get back to your house, it’ll feel like a relief, and you’ll be able to flop down onto the sofa or onto your bed with a newfound sense of achievement.

The next time you’re feeling a little melancholy in your new house, try going for a run or a walk!

Get a pet

If your conditions permit it, then you should definitely think about getting an animal companion for your new house, especially if you’re alone a lot.

Having a pet will give you something to care for; you’ll have external responsibilities, which will mean that you can’t live inside your head too much, thereby keeping low mood at bay.

Your pet will also help you to create new memories in your house. Pets are delightful; they’re friends and family members, whatever anybody might say, and the hilarious and heartwarming things they do each day will constantly create happy memories for you.

Put up some artwork or some photographs

Nothing says “I love this place” like putting up art or photographs you love.

You could display professionally-created pieces, of course; displaying art from some of the world’s most famous artists, or from artists you personally love, is a good way to make a house feel like home.

However, you could also consider displaying artwork and photographs that you’ve personally created, or that someone you know has personally created. This will add a special personal touch, thus making the house feel even more homely.

Whatever you decide, displaying art around your home is a great way to add some character and give you something to look at every time you walk past!

Get a nice bed

We know that it might sound obvious, but getting a nice bed is critically important if you want to make a house feel like home.

Your house is your base of operations; it’s where you go after a long day of work or after a night out, so it needs to feel like a relaxing, satisfying place to crash.

That’s why getting a nice bed is doubly important; not only will good sleep aid your mental health and help you adjust, but it’ll also make your home feel like somewhere you want to return to after a difficult day.