Making a New House Feel Like Home Through Your 5 Senses

When you move into a new home, you will likely appreciate all of the unique elements of your new place. But sometimes, to make your new house feel like your new home, you might crave some familiarity from your last location. The key to truly creating a cozy and comfortable feeling for you in your new home is to engage each of your five senses.

Check out some of the ways to make your new house feel like home by engaging your senses.

1. Create Familiar Visuals

Part of making the new place feel like home is to make it look like home. While you may not have enough time to unpack every belonging right away, you can work on some essential areas. For example, your new place will feel a lot like home if the room you wake up in looks like a familiar place. Therefore, it can be a good idea to get a few things unpacked in your bedroom, such as pictures or decor you would typically have on the walls.

2. Make the House Smell Like Home

Science tells us that scent, emotion, and memory are closely intertwined. Therefore, the more a new house smells like a home, the more it may be perceived as such. If you’re moving into a new build, the smell of new construction might make you feel content, but it’s possible some the scent of your new home doesn’t elicit positive emotions.

Try using the home fragrances you usually use, preparing a meal with familiar herbs, or even simply doing a few loads of laundry with your usual fabric softener. 

3. Add Familiar Sounds

What does home sound like to you? Every location and house can have its own collection of sounds. For example, maybe you could hear birds singing in your previous house when you opened the kitchen window. If those sounds are missing, consider doing something to make the environment sound more familiar, such as playing bird songs on a speaker.

4. Cook a Favorite Meal

Food stands at the center of everyday life, but we often don’t realize how much familiarity it brings to our lives. If you have yet to prepare a favorite meal at your new house, doing so may make the place feel more comforting. Whether it’s the family’s favorite entree, a yummy dessert that you’ve frequently prepared in the past, or simply grilled cheese sandwiches, pick something that tastes familiar and enjoy it in the new house.

5. Check the Thermostat

The more the new house feels like the old one, the faster it will feel like home. Sometimes, this may only be a matter of adjusting the thermostat to ensure the temperature is close to what you are used to. No matter the HVAC system, all houses can have temperature variances and drafty areas. If you have to adjust the thermostat a few degrees to make the place feel more familiar, it’s worth it in those first few days in the house.

Get a Free Moving Quote from the Pros

Moving can be a little emotionally challenging. However, when you have help from professional movers, you can have time to focus on what’s important: making a new house a home. Contact our team to get your free moving quote today to get started.

How to Help Kids Remember Their Old Home After Moving

Moving can be a difficult time for kids, especially young ones. Relocating to a new home is a time of uncertainty when kids might be fearful of change, forgetting their old house, and missing their friends.

Making the transition involves letting children feel sad about the move, even if they’re also happy about the change.

Here are a few ways to help your kids with their relocation, remember where they were, and keep it a part of their childhood memories.

Take Pictures

Kids often rely on visual things to help them remember. So before you leave, take pictures of various rooms of your house, your neighborhood, and maybe a few neighbors.

It doesn’t have to be meticulous or complicated. If you’re short on time, take a picture of your child’s bedroom, a photo of your house, and call it good. Follow tips for taking good photos, so you end up with lovely images. 

Make a Storybook

For kids, it can be difficult being in a constant state of transition. They may have some sense that they are leaving, but they don’t know what to expect. Making a mini scrapbook can help them process it.

The beginning of the book can be about the home you’re leaving and end with images and things about your new one. Start with a photo of your child in their old room. Then, gradually expand outward until you show your old home, your new neighborhood, and your new home.

Tell Stories

Even children who are in elementary school may have very few memories of their old home after moving. They will be more likely to remember their old house if you tell stories about it.

Make a brief list of your favorite things about your old home, like a big backyard or shady tree in the summer. Then, talk about those things on occasion, and help your kids situate themselves in the stories. Keeping that context for them makes it easier for your kids to put everything in the proper order.

Visit When Possible

Moving represents an interruption in life for many kids. They might have to change schools, make new friends, and meet new neighbors. Parents can help the transition by contacting good friends, especially if visits are possible.

Don’t force it if it doesn’t feel natural or practical. Driving by your old home on occasion can feel nostalgic, or it can feel awkward to some. It’s better to visit your old neighborhood as a way of seeing your old neighbors or letting your kids visit their friends.

Stay Positive

As with many things, kids are sensitive to parents’ negative energy. If you’re dying to leave your old home, they will probably pick up on that. So it’s better if you can stay optimistic about the process.

Instead of describing your old home negatively, present your new home positively. You may be in love with it already, but your kids could need a little more time. Keeping a balance allows them to retain fond memories of their old life while building good ones for the future.

Pro Movers Can Help With the Transition

Helping kids process the overwhelming feelings from a move is a great idea. Contact us for a quote to learn more about simplifying your upcoming move.