You make a big move and suddenly you notice how bare the walls are, how sparse your decor is in your new space and how everything doesn’t feel quite right yet. Our Guest Geek post this week includes tips on settling into your new house or apartment and making it feel more like home.

Making a House Feel Like Home

Deciding to move to a new home can be an exciting time, as well as a great deal of work. Once you finally arrive at your new place, you may want to make it feel like just as much of a home as your previous residence, if not more so. This can be achieved quite simply, especially if you already have the furnishings needed to fill the space with items that relate to your personality or family. Making these small changes may allow you to feel more like you belong in the space, making that transition significantly easier on you.

Get creative with the walls

Changing the way the walls look can have quite a large impact on how you feel about a space. One quick way of doing so could be through the use of high quality canvas prints. Putting up some recent photographs of your pets or loved ones could help you to feel more like your new home is the start of a great adventure, rather than trying to live in the past by decorating it exactly the same way as you did your previous residence. Although you may have loved your last home, there may have been a good reason for your move, whether that be financial, due to a growing family, or even a change of career. Acknowledging that your new home is also part of a new chapter, rather than trying to replicate the past, could help to prevent you from missing your last place, or comparing it to where you now reside.

Use your senses

Making a new home or apartment feel like home doesn’t need to involve great upheaval or even a lot of cost. There may be ways you can include your senses to really stamp your personality into a space. One of the simplest ways of doing this can be to think about the smells that you associate with safety, love, or relaxation. These could then be replicated by baking some delicious foods that allow you to get back to doing things you enjoy, or even safely lighting scented candles that feature your favorite aromas. Alternatively, especially if you have a rental agreement that forbids the use of candles, you could instead opt for perfumes or even detergents that elicit those same reactions. Putting on your favorite music, or even soothing sounds, could work well for those who would prefer an audible connection to home.

Socialize

Hosting a housewarming party can be a great way to show your existing friends where you now live, as well as to start building connections with your neighbors. Simply spending time enjoying yourself with people within your new home, whether this involves a gaming marathon, dinner, or even a bit of a dance, can help you to create positive associations with that space.

Regardless of the reason for your move, it can be good to feel like you are at home as soon as possible. This may allow you to gain more enjoyment out of the place, as well as to start making some great new memories.