Moving into a new home brings a lot of sh*t, literally and figuratively. Boxes are everywhere, and trying to settle into a routine amongst it all while planning upcoming projects can easily take away the joy. However, as organized and controlling I am, it was so refreshing to remind myself of the huge accomplishment of simply being home. Greg and I talked a lot early on about the focus on laughing as much as possible and feeling accomplished each day by celebrating every small win. There are other little things we have done to truly make it feel like home amongst all of the temporary states of each space that I’m sharing below – I hope they help you, too!
1. Do a Deep Clean
When we moved in, we did a bit of this in areas that wouldn’t be impacted by traffic of moving boxes/furniture in. This way, it wasn’t a total waste of effort. Deep cleaning surfaces, toilets and other surfaces gives a feeling of a fresh start without feeling like we needed to hire or spend hours and hours cleaning, only to dirty the floors by moving everything in.
2. Set Up Your Bathroom
This was so eye opening to me. I knew I loved my morning and nighttime routines, but having our bathroom in boxes on the floor really threw off my sense of self/home. Buying temporary storage pieces and getting everything stocked allowed me to jump right back into those routines. It truly makes all the difference to feeling at home and like yourself!
3. Get Your Pet Settled
Of course, don’t forget about your furry ones. Setting up their bed & bowls, and, familiarizing them with their new neighborhood/walking paths will give everyone peace of mind. Having a pacing, stressed out dog in a new space amongst all the other to-do’s is not what you want to get yourself into.
4. Unpack the Kitchen
While typically daunting, it felt so nice to spend a night getting it fully unpacked so that we could start to cook at-home meals. Spending time in the kitchen and eating our favorites made it home that much faster, and, not seeing boxes everywhere is a huge relief.
5. Set up a Landing Zone
Whether you have an entry or mudroom, or if both are not accessible at the time, set up a spot to drop your keys, mail, bags and important items to get into your day-to-day routine. If living with a partner/roommate, this is extremely helpful to get you both on the same page as far as organization goes, given that errands are heightened during this time – on top of no one knowing where most things are!
6. Pump Up the Jams
If you’re new here, you may not know how much we LOVE music. We have it on every night while cooking and eating dinner and it truly makes everything better. As you unpack, work through projects and enjoy meals – put it on, it will make all the difference! See my go-to, curated playlist here.
7. Make Your Bed
Don’t break this routine, or, use this as the time to get into it! Just because most things are a mess right now, doesn’t mean everything has to be. This will start your day on the right note and is just one thing you can easily put together! On this note, pick up after yourself as much as you can.
8. Yes, Decorate!
This point is one to argue, but I found it extremely beneficial to just decorate anyways. The key here is to let go of really giving a sh*t. Yes, all of my style and pieces are going to change – but in the meantime, setting up SOMETHING has instantly made it feel like home. Having a coffee table set up, our throw pillows, blankets etc. makes it feel less temporary as we wait for projects to begin and finish up.
9. Go Ahead and Paint
Similar to the above point, if you absolutely hate a color – just paint now! It is an affordable fix by grabbing a can or two and going with a neutral color for now. This will allow you to gain a little happiness while waiting to really tackle that space. Otherwise, you may find yourself still stuck with that brown wall 6 months later.
10. Add in Greens
This tip makes its way into almost all of my blog posts, but adding greens gives instant life to any space. Whether faux or real, seeing some stems brings and organic nature to calm a space.
12. Let There Be Light
Grab a few extra lamps as necessary and create some moody corners for evenings in the new home. We grabbed some simple $20 target ones that are easy to then get rid of or sell on Marketplace, without feeling the pressure of settling on a style of the new space.
Any tips you’d add? Share them for others below! Thanks for following along.
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