When you first move into a new property, the first few weeks can pass by in something of a daze. Moving home is always an uphill struggle, from changing addresses and getting set up with new suppliers to the actual ordeal of the move itself.
It has been particularly difficult recently for anyone buying or selling a home, as the property market’s first time buyer inflation has caused so many headaches and worries. After going through such a long process, sometimes all you want to do once you’ve moved in is leave the boxes where they are and order a takeaway. For the rest of the month…
But as understandable as this impulse is, it is frankly a mistake. The longer we put off the process of making a new home our own, the more likely we are to leave things the way they are for too long. Sure, we might introduce a lick of paint and replace some of the existing furniture with our own, but when it comes to all those big ideas that we had for finally achieving our dream home, it can all slip out of our grasp very quickly.
Don’t settle for less. To help you make sure that you hit the ground running in your new home, we have put together a list of the areas that you should focus on first to make sure that this new house or flat feels like your new home and not just a new place that you have moved into. Let’s get started; here are 4 areas of your property you should personalise first.
GET STARTED IN THE KITCHEN
It’s the heart of the home, and you’d rather have your own, healthy and beating, than a transplant, right?
During the last two years, many of us have been flexing our culinary muscles more and more. It may have started with banana breads and sourdough, but now, many have got a little more ambitious.
As we head into the holiday season, it seems fair to say a lot of us are relishing the prospect of putting bold new spins on some of the festive classics and introducing some international flavours to a festive feast that’s grown a little tired. If you fancy yourself a foodie and you want to get cracking in your new kitchen as soon as possible, then you really should make sure it feels like your own space sharpish.
Let’s start with some of those big-ticket items. Did your heart sink when you moved in and saw the oven that you were going to be working with? Did you see the fridge in your new home and ask yourself how on earth you were going to fit in all of your ‘projects’? Did the phrase ‘now we’re cooking with gas’ feel less appropriate than ever?
The longer you leave swapping out these big appliances, the harder it is going to get to replace them; physically and emotionally. In terms of those bigger pieces, it’s much easier to bring your own chosen appliances before there’s the clutter and obstacles of everyday life in the way.
On a more macro level, you should consider just how you cook in your kitchen, and design the room to boast proper kitchen workflow, of which we’ve written about here. Check it out!
MAKE YOUR THRONE YOUR OWN
We each have our own dream bathroom, don’t we? Every one of us has a checklist of what we would like to have in our perfect bathroom. We have a vision of what kind of bath we would like (brass feet…check), the shower head that would help us truly relax, all the way down to the sink and faucets. Yep, we really are that sad.
This might be why it’s true that bathroom projects can quickly become sinkholes of time and money. Don’t put off personalising yours.
Fortunately in the bathroom, the perfect personal touches don’t always require tradespeople tearing your home apart. Additions and features as simple as a painting or two, a waterproof Bluetooth speaker and new blinds will all help tailor the room to your unique needs. A word on those blinds; as the experts at lifestyleblinds.com tell us, it’s essential to ensure they’re moisture resistant and, ideally, completely waterproof.
GET OUT FRONT EARLY ON
We’ve all spent so much time inside our homes over the last couple of years that it can almost be easy to forget how important the exterior is. But just think back to when you first looked at your new property and remember how you felt when you first arrived.
Now that more and more of us are heading back to the office, it is more important than ever to feel like we are being welcomed back with open arms when we return home. Sure, there is only so much you can do with a flat, but if your new property is a house then there are so many different options available to you.
Start with the front garden if you have one. Think about what plants make you think of home, and which can be easily managed if you are on a busy schedule. Does your front door need a new coat of paint? How about your windows? Something as simple as a window box can remind you that this is your property that you are returning to.
Read: 4 ways to enhance the exterior of your home on a budget
And whilst we’re on the subject of plants and greenery, you should also think about how you can start getting your garden ready for the spring (yep, we realise that winter’s barely begun). There is nothing less inspiring than arriving in a new home and seeing that the previous owners have completely neglected their garden.
While there are some limits to what you can do in the dead of winter, you can do your research on what you can be planting early on to make sure that you have some lovely bursts of colour and brightness waiting for you when the sun starts shining a little more confidently.
A COMFORTING, COSY LIVING ROOM
We all know how important the living room is over the winter, especially over the holiday season. The kitchen may be the beating heart of any home, but the living room is where we come together to regroup and relax, to binge on box sets, play board games and enjoy each other’s company.
It has been a brutally tough couple of years, and you want to make sure that your living room feels like it’s truly yours, especially at this time of year now that we can have a family Christmas again. That means that you should not just accept the sofas and set-up that you find when you move in.
Try to avoid unpacking anything in the living room before you have looked at it with fresh eyes and asked yourself if you are genuinely happy with how it is all laid out. Think about what you want to have as the focal point, whether that is a fireplace, a television, or something else. Is there a way that you can make the space feel warmer? Is there a way that you can make it feel brighter?
Remember that this is a space where you should feel comfortable and relaxed, so do not be afraid to make big changes. And with that, we’re off to cast an appraising eye over our own home…