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Everyone buys their first house at a different time in their life. Some, straight after college, some after traveling, and some move straight out as soon as they can. Whether moving with a partner or doing it solo, moving into your first house is a big deal. No longer are you constrained by the same restrictions that renting imposes, where you can’t decorate how you want it and you aren’t allowed to put anything on the walls. Instead, you can really make it your own and soon find you’re living somewhere that really feels like yours. But just how do you turn a house which is bricks and mortar, to a home? Where it encapsulates how you personify yourself – particularly if you’re on a budget. In this article we take a look at some top tips that should help you get inspired. Keep on reading to find out more.
Choose a House in an Area You Feel Comfortable In
The first thing you need to consider when having a house is where it will be located. There’s no point getting your perfect home if it’s in an area that you don’t like or feel safe in. Before looking at the house, check out the area and that it ticks your boxes. Make sure it’s near good public transport links, shops and other amenities and is in an area that feels safe. You could look up the street on notice boards online or ask in forums, as well as do some Google research to find out crime stats and see if there are any unsavory news reports about go-ons in the neighborhood. By researching ahead of time, you’re in a better position when you move and know you’re likely to want to stay there and be comfortable and happy.
Focus on the Repairs First
Once you’ve bought your house, before you do any of the fun stuff, you need to look into repairing anything that perhaps doesn’t work or isn’t how you want. From garage door repairs to sorting out the windows and any dodgy floorboards, it’s imperative these are sorted before you do anything else. While these might seem like the more trivial parts of owning a house, you’ll be surprised how much better you will feel once they are done. It’s a good idea to have a bit of budget in reserve for when you do move so you can get these fixes made sooner rather than later and just enjoy the house without having to worry about anything going wrong. Most things should come up in a survey or when you view the house so you should know if there’s anything you need to save up for prior to moving in.
Don’t Follow Decoration Trends, Go With What You Want
When the time comes to decorate your new home, you need to consider what you want the interior to look like. It can be really easy to just follow trends that are popular at the time, but these can go out of date and not really reflect what you’re interested in. Instead, think about what you might want, even if it isn’t necessarily in trend at the current moment. Look at the colors you love, think about textures and don’t be afraid to get inspired on places such as Pinterest or social media. Take your time as well and don’t impulse buy things just because they are on sale. This means you’ll love your decor for years to come and it will really feel like your own place that you fall in love with.
Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize!
Another big part of making your house feel like a home is the accessories you have. There are so many potential accessories you can add to your space, from ornaments and bits of decor to put on your walls, to throws and cushions on your sofas. These are the little bits that can help make a space feel personal as opposed to just like a show home or something that isn’t personal to you. Your accessories can be things you buy new to put in the space, or items that you have collected over your lifetime such as trinkets and mementos from when you have gone on vacation.
Fill the Walls with Art Work and Photos
Blank walls can make a home feel soulless and like a house not a home. To change this, fill them with different pieces of art work and photos. You could make a gallery wall where you display photos of you with friends and family to fill it with character, or just get large prints to really transform a space. Prints can be a great way to add a splash of color, personality and where your taste can really shine through. It can be a good idea to look for second hand photo frames as these cost much less and can lend a personal look to your room.
Scour Market Places and Thrift Stores for Unique Pieces of Furniture
One of the best places to go and get pieces of furniture for your new home are market places and thrift stores. These have so much more personality to them than just your regular IKEA or chain homeware places. These tend to always have people with the same furniture, whereas buying second hand means you can find unique, one-off pieces and bits with a history and a bit different. You are also more likely to get a bargain and can fix up your space for less, while making it look even better. It’s a win win situation!
Don’t Get it All Done Too Quickly
When you are doing up your house, you don’t want to rush it. This could lead to you making poor decisions based on how you feel at that specific moment, rather than what you might actually want. Take time to really consider what you want the rooms to look like, how much you have to spend and where you want things to go. Don’t feel like you need to get everything done at once either. Sometimes it;’s better to take your time and do it properly rather than rush through and give it a bit of a haphazard job.
Have People Over When You Can
One thing that really makes a house feel like a home is the people that are in it. Without friends and family there to make memories, it can feel a bit soulless. We recommend changing this by inviting people over for drinks and food, for a movie night, or just to chill and have a catch up. Once you’ve got plenty of good memories made in your house it will feel like a home in no time at all. Remember to take plenty of photos too!
These are just a few things you can do that can help you make the first house you buy feel like home. Remember not to expect too much too soon, something that can feel particularly hard when you just want it to feel like yours right away. Instead, take your time and just enjoy having your own space that you can do what you want with. From the decor to the things you put in your home, there are so many ways to turn it from a building to your very own sanctuary. What are some top tips you have for making your first house feel like home? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.
