8 Projects to Make Your New House Feel Like Home

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While moving into a new house means you likely already have plenty on your plate, taking a few extra steps to turn it from “house to home” will help your family feel settled, faster. Taking on small home improvement projects are a great way to help you feel more settled without overwhelming yourself or your wallet in the process.

If you’re not planning on staying long in the new home, focus on projects that will increase the house’s value come time to sell. If you’re looking to stick around, give yourself the freedom to make decisions that will improve your overall enjoyment of your new home. Whatever the case may be, check out these home improvement projects for ways to make your new house really start to feel like your own. 

Finish Unpacking

There is nothing more overwhelming and unsettling than living your life surrounded by half-unpacked boxes. For any recently relocated homeowners, getting everything fully unpacked should be the first major undertaking. That way, you can start to get into a comfortable routine throughout your house, knowing where everything is, rather than frantically searching through boxes each time you want a specific sweater or spatula. 

Unpack the kitchen, so you can easily cook a meal for the family. Unpack and organize the closet, so you can quickly locate each piece of clothing. Give everything a spot and get rid of any extra clutter, so you can finally take a deep breath and fully enjoy living in your new home, rather than out of a bunch of boxes. 

Organize your Closet

Even after you’ve fully unpacked your house, setting up your closet in a new place is a project all on its own, requiring ample time and attention. Moving is the perfect time to implement a new organization system, as you can take advantage of the blank slate before you: an empty closet

Buy cute boxes for storing socks or scarves. Get a nice set of hangers to replace your ratty assortment of plastic and wire ones. Rather than just hanging up your clothes and calling it a day, take the time to set up a closet you actually like to look at and that provides functional storage for all those odds and ends that you have to keep track of. 

Create a Cozy Nook

A huge part of feeling at home somewhere is feeling comfortable. You want spaces throughout your house where you can curl up after a long day and relax, all while appreciating your new set-up. That’s why creating one or two cozy nooks for reading or watching TV is a great home improvement project to prioritize after moving in. 

You can find the perfect lighting or window for your favorite armchair, pile it up with blankets, load a bookshelf with your favorite reading material, and the place is already starting to feel more like home.

Update the Bathroom

Bathrooms are often an afterthought, but a great bathroom gives you a retreat and adds value to your home at resale. You can go spa-level by upgrading to a whirlpool bathtub or a high-powered showerhead, turning that boring, impersonal space into a haven you never want to leave. On the other hand, even just decorating the walls and installing new faucets will make another room of the house feel like your own. With a home improvement project like this one, suddenly your bathroom is a room you want to stop and appreciate.

Plan your Wall Decor

When it comes to your home, figuring out what you want to hang up and where is a process. Many people need to live in a space for a while before they feel comfortable finally putting a nail in the wall. However, that doesn’t mean you have to spend the next few months surrounded by eerie blank canvases. 

Setting your pictures and art out so they lean against walls not only helps you figure out where each piece fits best, but you can feel comfortable surrounded by images you love long before you actually decide to hang something up. This home improvement project makes your space feel personalized quickly, while letting you take your time to get things right. 

Perfect the Lighting

Light fixtures aren’t just fun and interesting decorations for personalizing your space. In reality, lighting has a huge impact on your ability to feel at home. You aren’t going to be able to enjoy yourself in a space that’s too dark, and you aren’t going to be able to relax in a space that’s completely washed out in fluorescent lighting. While easy to overlook, adjusting the lighting throughout your home to fit your specific needs and comfort level is a key step to refining the space.

Polish the Streetview

There’s a reason curb appeal is so important when selling a house. Now that the house is yours, you want to feel proud of it and happy to be home when you pull into the driveway. Investing time in a home improvement that brightens up the outside of your house will be just as valuable as decorating the inside. You’ll be amazed at the wonders new sod, landscaping, or hanging plants can do for the overall feel of your house. Updated house numbers, a fresh coat of paint on the door, or a new door altogether makes the place your own, while even just taking a power washer to the front porch can make things seem fresh and clean. 

Add Finishing Touches

In the end, even the little improvements around your home can go a long way toward helping you feel settled in the new place. Install new door knobs. Hang up a fresh set of curtains. Set out a dish for your keys. Each little project, each added decoration is a step toward making the place your own, so that it will all feel just like home in no time. 

While each of these home improvement projects focuses on the look and feel of your home, it’s important to pay attention to the really necessary projects as well, like changing the air filters, updating the AC and heating system, or repairing a weak spot in the roof. If your home isn’t livable, it definitely isn’t going to feel comfortable, so make sure you’re not neglecting these important projects distracted by the more exciting ones. A thorough home inspection should reveal any vital work to be taken care of to make sure your new house stays in good shape. 

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to taking care of both decorative and infrastructural repairs in a new home. By taking time to prioritize different projects, the size of your to-do list will slowly dwindle down until nearly everything is settled and your house feels like home. Because every home has an endless amount of possible updates, the work will never be fully finished, but each project will bring what was once just a house closer to the perfect home for you and your loved ones.