How to make a new place feel like home

Settling into a new place can be both exciting and terrifying. Knowing that the difficult transition is finally over is a huge relief, but how to cope with the fact that your new home feels unfamiliar and strange? Our homes should be our sanctuaries – places where we feel happy and comfortable. So once you relocate and lose that sensation, it might look impossible to get it back. It’s certainly not easy to make a new place feel like home right away, but we have no doubt you’ll manage to do it. And as soon as your Park Slope movers leave the premises, you can feel free to embark on this journey that decorating your new house is.

Take a walk around the neighborhood

After all, a home is much more than just the walls of your house. Contrary to popular belief, the first thing you should do after moving is not to unpack nor is it to dig through NYC moving companies reviews while writing yours. The absolute first thing you should do when trying to make a new house feel like home is getting to know your surroundings. And if you have a pet, you will be killing two birds with one stone if you take it out for a walk, as well.

Help your pet settle in, and also prepare your new home for a dog. Getting your house pet-friendly will do wonders in making it feel like home. Arrange its food and water and take it for a walk to a nearby park. After a tough day, you could also use a break, but so could your furry friend. Take your time and enjoy sightseeing with your pet. Your pet should also get a chance to get to know the new neighborhood.

If you want to make a new place feel like home, don’t put off packing

You know you will have to do it sooner or later, right? You might as well deal with it sooner. For those of you who paid for packing and unpacking services NYC, you can feel free to skip to the next point of order. Those of you who didn’t should do your best to have your home unpacked in a matter of days.

When it comes to unpacking, make sure to prioritize everyday essentials, so that you can get the things at their place at your convenience, without any rush or pressure. You should also unpack the focal furniture pieces first, such as the sofa, fridge, and stove. You can probably last a few days without your stereo or a nightstand, but you won’t be able to function without having a place to eat. Or a place to prepare that food.

While unpacking, you should make sure to put on some music. Your favorite songs will help you do the job smoothly and relax for a while. And once you start associating happiness and relaxation with the new space, you’ll start feeling right at home!

Clean your house and make it look like a home

Rare are those people who can function properly in a house that’s messy. Assuming you are not one of them, we suggest you get down to cleaning your house as soon as the last box is unpacked. Did you know that cleanliness is one of the home features that sell homes quickly? We get that you are not trying to sell your home, but you are trying to make it as appealing as possible.

With a squeaky clean look achieved, you’ll soon be enjoying beautiful family moments spent after a hard day at work and school. And since the whole family will enjoy it, there’s no reason why they can’t participate during cleaning. Distribute tasks amongst your family members, and you can rest assured your new place will start feeling like home pretty soon.

Throw a housewarming party and you’ll get closer to making a new place feel like home

Once the unpacking and cleaning are over, organize a housewarming party. Invite your friends and ask your new neighbors to join as well. With all of the people from your old life around, as well as with those from your new life, you’ll successfully get a sense of a great future that lies in store for you. And you don’t have to splurge when putting this get together party. All you need is some goodwill and a great desire for everyone to have fun. Order some pizza, buy a few bottles of wine, and voila – your housewarming party is ready!

One of the best tricks to make a new place feel like home is to create memories in it

Memories are what make life worth living! Where there are memories, there’s a sense of security. Where there’s a sense of security, there’s the concept of home. That’s why you need to fill your house with memories if you want to make a new place feel like home. Now, there are two ways to go about doing this, and we suggest you take them both into consideration:

1. Fill the new house with pictures and memorabilia
2. Create new memories with your friends and family

The new house will never be able to replace the old one nor is it supposed to. Memories of the old home are one of the things you carry with you when moving and no one can take that away from you. But just because the old house felt like home, doesn’t mean that the new one can’t. Your photos around the house will help you keep the good memories alive and the walls will help you make new moments worth living for.

Hang some art and you’ll feel right at home

It’s a known fact that beautiful art has great power over how we feel. It can instantly lift our spirits and make us feel much better. If art has that much power over our mood, imagine how much it can help when trying to make a new place feel like home! Be it through sculptures, paintings or some other thing, incorporate art in your daily life and you will be glad you did it.

It’s all about the small changes

During the first few weeks, you may be nostalgic and feel uncomfortable in your own house. However, there are a few tricks you can use to make the transition more bearable and start feeling at home. A messy house can get you hopeless for a while, but you shouldn’t feel the pressure to sort everything out as soon as possible. Take your time to adjust, and to get to know your new home. Meanwhile, introduce some changes and personalize your new place.

• First of all, set up the bedrooms. Buy some quality bedding and make your and your children’s private space cozy and comfortable. It’s very important for you to regain a sense of security after the whole moving confusion. Also, add some decorative colorful pillows, curtains, etc.
• The kitchen is the most important area of the house for most people. So, in order to feel comfortable in it, unpack your utensils and appliances, buy some groceries and start preparing some favorite meals and spend a pleasant time with your family. Eating out and ordering food may be an acceptable solution for the first few days in the new house. However, it is recommended to start cooking as soon as possible in order to get comfortable in your own kitchen.
• Some people pay special attention to the bathrooms. Although the bathroom is fully equipped, you can enrich it with some nice towels, interesting shower-curtains, and similar items and you’ll make a new place feel like home.
• Arrange your closet as soon as possible. Start with seasonal clothing. You don’t want to be late for work because you are not able to find your jacket or shoe.
• Paint the walls if possible or put some removable wallpapers or some other type of wall decor. It will bring warmth to your home.
• What makes the room complete is certainly the rug. It will both protect your floor and make the room look prettier.
• Also, consider filling up the shelves with books, vases, plants and hanging up some photos or artwork on the walls. You are at liberty to style your own space the way you like. The scent of fresh flowers and perfumed candles may remind you of the old house and neutralize the unfamiliar scent of the house. Those details make the room feel more welcoming and cheer up the family.
• Do the laundry with the usual soaps and softeners. The aroma will bring back the previous routine and comforting memories. Try to recreate that familiar scent.
• Have your internet connection and cable set up.
• Some friends staying overnight might help you connect with the new house. Surround yourself with familiar faces, so that an unpleasant feeling caused by the unfamiliar space fades away. You could use extra help, anyway.
• Try to stick to your routine as much as you can.
• Find a way to improve your personal space. Rearrange the furniture, install all appliances and keep a positive attitude. No matter how hopeless the situation, there is always a solution.

The bottom line

You should do what feels right for you at the moment. What do you think will make a new place feel like home? Mind you that there isn’t a right or wrong answer. Only you know what makes you feel more comfortable and relaxed. These were just some suggestions we think you could benefit from. The rest is up to you!