How did you make a new home feel like yours?

onylon

I've decorated almost every room over 8 months and it still doesn't feel like mine sometimes. I think because this house is so different to my previous home it's taking much longer to feel settled.

Putting up my photos definitely helped and organising the cupboards so I know where everything is.

SaintJudy

I concentrated on getting the living room to exactly how I wanted it first, as that's the room I spend most of my time in when I'm awake. It also helped that I knew exactly what I wanted to do with that room as well. Once I'd got my main room done I felt the pressure off and have spent a fair bit of time wandering around the rest and pondering on what I really want to do

Skiddaw1

We've been very lucky. With both current and previous houses we felt we'd come home the moment we walked through the door. I think our cat felt exactly the same with current house (he wasn't born when we moved to the previous one). He hated the 300 mile journey but within half an hour of our arrival he'd eaten a large bowl of tuna and was exploring his new (indoor at that stage) territory with great gusto.

Davesnave

Murphybear said:

Deleted_User said:

Normally I've felt it's just down to time and giving everywhere a personal touch. For me it can be - cleanliness or the 'smell' like it's ours, a few mirrors or lamps to make it feel homely, knowing instantly where things are and not forgetting where I've unpacked something.

I think it takes more time depending on how different it all is. Our move to a cottage in the country was much harder as it felt surreal to sleep in complete darkness and silence and the 'country retreat' took a while to get my head around and feel natural and at home. I cried my eyes out the first night. It just didn't feel like I thought it would even though it was a wonderful place.

With our current house, we were returning to a village we knew, and for the first time ever for me I felt completely comfortable and like I was 'home' immediately. The same evening. I've never felt that before at all. Previously it's taken me weeks if not months. 

We spent 6 months in Devon in the back of beyond.  What with the “mooooos” and “baaaaas” it wasn’t that silent. 

To be fair, our bit of Devon is very quiet at night....

Then, at the crack of dawn, our 4 cockerels wake up!

nimbo

Scotbot said:

nimbo said:

Unpack. 

Put up pictures. And my own things on the walls. 

Get drunk - have a housewarming. Find some random member of family stuck in the spare room with no recollection of how the got there.  

have sex in each room of the house...

the usual.  

How is this any different to your average student rental?

  

I wish I was a student still but it maybe did stem form then. Not sure I’m up for the 10 bedder I lived in back them though. 🤣🤣

v_rouge

I felt at home once I set up the bedroom, living room and kitchen which took about 48 hours after moving in.

It's the first home my boyfriend and I own together whereas beforehand we lived in his house which was home but it was his home before it was ours so when we moved we made an effort to make it ours from the outset. It's been 6 months now so and feels like we've lived here forever.

 

lookstraightahead

trailingspouse said:

I've owned 10 houses, rented 9, and lived on 4 ships as well.

Wherever I lay my hat...

I think this is the crux of things.

I personally need to feel at home with the people I care about, the community I live in, and happy.   I don't really feel any benefit in painting walls and buying new things. I think that's maybe because when the proverbial hits the fan, it really doesn't matter what things look like, it's people who count.

I rented for ages following a divorce etc and I thought that when I bought again, and the walls were my own, I would decorate straight away. As it's turned out, I'm not that bothered. I love my home, the neighbours are great, the view is great, and my environment is lovely.

Scotbot

3 out of the 4 houses I owned were bought for purely functional reasons, location for work and budget being the main factors. Never liked any of them, no character just cookie cutter estate houses. They felt like rentals and I did as little work as possible.

They were however fantastic investments and made me money

JGB1955

Our current home has always felt like 'home' because we have owned it from new for almost 36 years.  Our previous home felt like home until we returned to it after an extended holiday and realised that it smelled of the previous owner...not a bad smell, just  'old lady perfume' To be fair to her..we were ony the second owners since it had been built in the 1930s.