Moving into a new house is exciting, you’ve passed the stressful task of searching the market and you’ve finally purchased your ideal home, and you’re relieved to be moving in. But despite how excited you are, it can be very daunting. No matter how much you love the property, making it truly feel like home is difficult. Even if you’re surrounded by your own things, there can still be that cold feeling of newness and uncertainty that you desperately want to overcome so that you can start enjoying your new home.

For it to feel like yours, it’s important to add your own flavor to the property. That’s why we’re here to share some simple tips to help make your new house feel like home.

1. Unpack!

So many people avoid unpacking until the bitter end because it’s such an overwhelming task. It is. It's a lengthy and boring job but trust us, unpacking and getting everything into place as soon as possible is going to make you feel so much better! Its hard to feel settled when you’re surrounded by boxes and can’t even see the TV.

If you have children, priorities their room first and get them settled in. This in turn will make you feel at ease knowing that their room is sorted out. This way you can move onto the rest of the house knowing that they can safely play in their room.

 2. Clean it

Yes, the previous owner or landlord will have given the property a good clean before selling it to you, but all that unpacking will have created a lot of dust. Cleaning the house yourself can really help to make it feel like yours, allowing you to get into all the little nook and crannies. It will also give you a sense of pride, which will help you to fall in love with your new home. You know how your bed always feels the most comfortable with clean sheets? Well the rest of your house is just the same. You will enjoy your surroundings much more if it is clean and fresh.

 3. Scented candles, scent diffusers & plants

Now that you’ve unpacked and everything is in its place, it’s time to start adding your own flavour. Make your new home smell like you by adding your favourite scent diffusers, this will also bring familiarity to each room. If you want to feel cosy, scented candles and plants create the perfect relaxing and warm atmosphere. Plus, plants are well known for their ability to reduce stress and positively influence your mood, so add plenty of greenery! After all, a home is a place you rely on for far more than provisions of necessity, it’s your own little kingdom. Its important that you feel relaxed and happy in this space.

4. Hang photos and art work

Hanging up photos of friends and family can really help you to feel at home, because having familiar faces of loved ones around the place is very comforting.

If you enjoy a certain type of artwork, hanging this up in your home can bring your personal style and personality into the property, allowing your home to reflect you as a person.

And if you are an indecisive person who tends to change their mind about where something is hung, and the little holes that are left behind annoy you, then consider getting some picture hanging strips as they work a treat. These allow you to un-stick them whenever you’d like without leaving an annoying hole behind. The perfect alternative to wall hooks!

5. Pets

There is no better feeling than coming home after a long day and being greeted by your pet, who is so happy to see you and so full of love. Did you know that stroking a dog or cat reduces stress and lowers blood pressure? Animals make us happier and feel healthier. If you already have a pet, getting them settled in will really help you to feel at ease. If you’re anything like us, your pet will be the center of your home. And having cuddles with your furry friend will always make you feel better.

If you don’t have a pet but you feel like something is missing, perhaps consider adopting one. Having a pet around the place helps your home to feel more loved, especially if you live by yourself.  There’s no better feeling than adopting a pet from your local shelter, and providing a home filled with love to an animal that really needs it. If you have the time, money and responsibility to look after a pet then take the leap! You won’t regret it.  

6. Make your favourite home cooked meal

Nothing smells like home more than your favourite home cooked meal. Cooking a meal you know well will bring back familiar memories and settle you in. If its been a long day unpacking and sorting the house out, it can be very tempting to just get a takeaway because it’s easier, but don’t. Cooking yourself a homemade meal is an important step to feeling at home and getting used to your surroundings.

7. Update the décor

Decorating your new home will help to make it feel like it’s yours. There are several ways to decorate your new home that will suit all budgets.

Matching colour scheme:

An easy way to make each room in your home look spectacular is to follow a colour scheme. Decide on a colour scheme for each room in your home and then match all the accessories with this. Making sure the main accessories in each room match this colour scheme will guarantee a stylish finish.

Splash of paint:

Giving the walls in each room a splash of paint is an easy way to give the room a fresh look and feel without breaking the bank. Remember to bare the colour scheme in mind when you are selecting the paint, you could maybe even experiment with a feature wall and get creative.

Update the radiators:

There’s nothing worse than investing money on decorating your room and then being left with a boring white panel radiator that becomes an eyesore. Updating your radiators will create a huge impact to the overall look and feel of the room, creating a stunning feature. If your budget is tight and you don’t want to stray too far from the norm, you could opt for a designer horizontal radiator that has the same pipe centers as your existing radiators, so it will be a simple swap over. A perfect example of this is our Dorney Horizontal Designer Radiator.

But, if your budget allows it, change your pipework and go for a vertical designer radiator. Vertical designer radiators make better use of the wall space, giving the the same BTU output but in a much more stylish way and create an eye-catching focal point in the room. One of our favourites is the industrial-style Terma Ribbon Vertical Radiator, an extremely unique design that is guaranteed to turn heads!

To learn more about the differences between horizontal and vertical radiators, click here.

8. Lighting

It’s important to find a happy balance with your lighting. You don’t want to have overly bright beaming lights, but on the other hand there’s nothing less inviting than a poorly lit room. To help find the right balance, we suggest steering away from blue-tinted bright lights, instead go for warm yellow hues and build your lighting up in layers. This means having an overhead light as well as floor or table lamps and wall lights, together they will provide enough lighting for the room, and as long as they emit warm temperature shades it won’t feel overpowering.

Having the option of lamps also means that on an evening when you don't want to main overhead light on, you can simply switch the lamps on for a more relaxing atmosphere. 

Another way to create the right brightness is to install dimmers, so that you can adjust the strength of the lighting in the room dependent on how you feel and what you are doing. This allows more flexibility, and more control over the mood in each room.

When done correctly, the lighting in the room can become a part of your home décor and create a statement in the room. So, if you fancy taking your home design to the next level, check out the stunning lights available from Lighting Style

9. Soft layers

There’s nothing better than being surrounded by softness. A soft throw can go a long way, especially if you find that your sofa can be scratchy. Adding soft throws is an affordable way to transform the sofa, making it more comfortable.

When you’re choosing your bedding, make sure the material is soft and cosy. It’s important to get a good night’s sleep and this can only be achieved if you are comfortable. Add a soft throw and some scatter cushions for ultimate comfort.

10. House warming party

Once you’re settled in, invite friends and family over and have a small house warming party. Inviting people round will give you pride in your new home and having the place filled with laughter will make you feel right at home.

Now all that is left to say is good luck! We hope our top tips help to make your new house feel like home.