How to Make Your New House a Home

The hardest part of buying a house is, well buying a house. But just because you've signed the paperwork and gotten a key doesn't mean your job is complete. Now you have to tackle what might be the most critical part of the whole project. Time to turn that house into a home.

It's not always easy to take an empty house and make it feel like a place where your family belongs. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to transform your now digs into a homey, lived-in space where everybody feels comfortably at home.

• Unpack
  Unpacking takes time, and it's easy to keep putting it off, but let all your stuff sit in boxes day after day isn't doing your new house any favors. Do a little unpacking every day until your house starts to feel like home. 
• Hang Some Art
  Bare walls make a house feel like an empty shell. The sooner you're able to get all your favorite artwork up on the walls; the more familiar the space will begin to feel. If you're buying a house for the first time, or are moving out if a much smaller place and don't have a lot of stuff to hang, now might be a great time to go out and find some art that you love.
• Let There Be Light
  Insufficient lighting has a way of making a house feel uninviting. Throw open the shades, lift the blinds, and install dimmers so the fluorescent lighting less harsh.
• Make It Smell Like Home
  You might have heard that smell is the sense most closely tied to memory, and it's true. You'll feel more comfortable and relaxed when you bring some familiar aromas into your house.
• Stock the Kitchen
  Deep down, we all know that the kitchen is the most important room in the home. Getting this room ship-shape will go a long way toward making your house feel like home. Fill up the fridge, stock the pantry, and find a place for all your pots, pans, plates and utensils. Nothing makes a house feel homey like being able to make a home-cooked meal in your kitchen.
• Bring in a Pet
  If you already have pets, they'll waste no time getting acquainted with their new place. If you don't, this might be the perfect time to think about adopting a new four-legged family member.
• Have People Over
  Entertaining guests is a great way to make yourself, your family and all of your friends more comfortable in your new space. If your house isn't quite ready for guests yet, don't sweat it. Do a walk-through with your friends to show them around, have a cook-out out back, or host an unpacking party and then have a meal together afterward. Comfort is contagious, and you'll all feel at home in no time.
• Take Your Time
  You might not want to hear this, but sometimes the secret ingredient to feeling at home in your new house is time. The more time you're able to spend there unpacking, decorating, exploring its nooks and crannies and just relaxing, the more at home you'll feel.

A lot goes into buying a house and making it a home, but making that space feel like your own can be one of the most enjoyable and satisfying parts of the entire home buying process. The important thing is, in the end, to make sure your house is the kind of place where your whole family feels at home.

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