Moving is always an emotional experience. There are positive emotions of excitement and anticipation. But there are also negative emotions of stress and uncertainty.

Through it all, there’s an underlying feeling of change. And no matter how much you love your new house, it doesn’t always feel like home right away. Thankfully, there are ways to make it feel like yours.

 

1. 
   

   Start With Cleaning

When moving into a house, always begin with a good deep cleaning. In addition to making your house more sanitary, this also helps it start to feel like your home. The kitchen typically needs the most work, so start there. The stove, refrigerator, cabinets, drawers, and countertops are where the bulk of your elbow grease should be applied.

Nobody likes cleaning bathrooms, but this is another key area to focus on. Blogger Kristi Chatfield does this the day she moves in.

“I clean the cabinets, sink and shower, hang a fresh, new shower curtain and install a new toilet seat,” Chatfield writes. “Don’t forget to pack your towels in a clearly marked box so that you can get to them as soon as you move in. Trust me when I say that you’ll really want a clean towel after you shower when you’ve had a long day of moving in.”

Cleaning isn’t fun, but it helps lay the foundation for a warm and homey experience in your new house.

 

2. 
   

   Add Some Family Pictures

Nothing makes a house feel more like home than sprucing it up with some of your favorite family pictures. Don’t be shy about spreading them around. Try pictures on mantels, end tables, counters, and gallery walls. As you get more comfortable in the house over time, you can consolidate your pictures and take a “less is more” approach. But for now, the more the merrier!

 

3. 
   

   Bring in Some Foliage

One of the easiest solutions is to integrate some greenery and flowers into your home. A dark corner or uninspired room is no match for a beautiful plant. Not only do they breathe life into a house, but they also help to purify the air and rid the home of toxins. You can think of it as another step in cleaning your new house and making it your own. 

 

4. 
   

   Light the Fireplace

Does your house have a fireplace? Go ahead and light it up. In the cooler months, there are few things that make a house feel cozier than a lit fireplace.

Don’t have a fireplace? It’s actually pretty easy and relatively inexpensive to add a fireplace to your house. Thanks to unique gas and electric fireplace technology, you can now add one to almost any wall in your home.

 

5. 
   

   Prioritize the Kids’ Rooms

If you have kids, it’s always smart to begin with decorating their rooms. At first, this might seem like a misstep (after all, there are plenty of other rooms where you’ll spend more time entertaining). However, it’s all about making your children feel at home. If you prioritize their rooms, they’ll feel more comfortable much faster. And as any parent knows, when your child is happy, the rest of the family is happy.

 

6. 
   

   Layer Your Lighting

Lighting plays a key role in the comfort and coziness of your house. Relying on overhead lighting can leave your house feeling too bright and exposed. But by layering in different types of lighting, including accent lighting and task lighting, you create a much warmer ambiance. This can take time, but definitely make it a priority.

 

7. 
   

   Make it Smell Nice

Finally, don’t forget about the importance of smell. There are plenty of ways to do this, including burning a favorite candle, diffusing essential oils, simmering cinnamon on the stovetop, or even cooking a nice seasoned steak. Whatever you choose to do, make sure it’s a smell that reminds you of home!

 

Adding it All Up

You can’t underestimate the importance of time in this process. No matter how well you decorate or style your house, it’s going to take some time before it truly feels like home. For some people, it’s several weeks. For others, it can take months. But if you start with these helpful tips, it’ll be a much faster and more efficient process.