When you move into a new house with your family, especially if you have any younger children, the experience may not feel like all it was cracked up to be. Getting the chance to have a new start and a clean slate is all fun and games, but the loss of your usual creature comforts and regular environment can make you feel as though you are simply visiting rather than making a life there. Settling into your new home as a family is so important, as you have to feel comfortable as relaxed in your own home no matter how long you have lived there. Luckily there are many things that you can do in order to ensure that you start to feel at ease in your new abode in no time all, so read on to find some great tips and get set on the right path to contentment and satisfaction.
Make Sure You Move Efficiently
One of the worst mistakes to make when you pack up all of your old belongings from your previous home is to leave a lot of your things behind due to believing you will simply not need them or repurchase some more at a later date. Most of the things you have inside your home will be there for a reason, and its vital that you have everything you need to lead your usual life without any bumps in the road or feelings of incompleteness due to missing items. It’s not just your belongings that need to go with you either, as you must also let every necessary person or business know that you are moving to a new address and that your post should follow you there. This is why it’s so important that you make a moving house checklist, as so many things can be simply forgotten during the busy and stressful process of taking your life from one location to another. With this, you can prioritise your tasks and keep on track with whatever needs to get done, whilst ensuring that you do not forget to bring anything at all that you may need in the future.
Let Them Contribute
When you finally arrive in your new abode and it’s time to start designating bedrooms and decorating the place from top to bottom, allow your little ones to contribute and get involved to make them feel like a bigger part of the process. Often children take a great interest in the design and layout of their own personal room, so why not ask them exactly what they would like to have? Of course you do not have to immediately act on these requests, as some may be a bit outlandish and unachievable, but work with your little ones to find a happy medium and create a wonderful bedroom that you can both love. Allowing them to make a few decisions on their own will help them to feel like a bigger part of the process, and that they were able to be involved and valued in terms of their new home. You will also be encouraging them to be more independent and consider their own wants and needs for their bedrooms and how to go about implementing these too.
Plan Some Activities Within The Home
Some of the best tasks you can complete in order to ensure that your family settle into their new home without an excess or stress and upset are actually quite fun to do. By simply planning some exciting and enjoyable activities for you all to do together inside your new home, you will be able to create some new memories and encourage everyone to have a great time whilst inside their new home. Host some get togethers with your extended family so that you children can feel a little proud to show off their new house to everybody by giving them a tour, and encourage people to visit often to make your new home a social hub and create a strong family bond. Have a regular film night with lots of blankets and pillows in order to settle down with your kids and make them appreciate how comforting and relaxing your new home can be. It’s important to show them that whatever you could do in your old house, you can do here too! It may be a little different and could possibly take a longer time to get used too, but make an effort to show them that although your location has changed, your overall lifestyle and routine has not.
Make It Personal
When you move into a new home, the lack of personal touches are often what make it feel so cold and uninviting. However, with a bit of TLC and a few family photos and wonderful artwork by you children, you can make sure that your abode feels like it really is yours to appreciate. Without including these little details, you leave yourself open to having that ‘showhome’ feel. This is when your home looks just like one of those from the magazines, which admittedly is great for aesthetic purposes, but it simply doesn’t have the feeling that families crave from their house. You need to make sure that your home is clearly your home, both for yourselves and your children. It doesn’t really matter how ugly those dry pasta and glitter creations are that your little ones made for you at school, as they should still be taking centre stage on your mantelpiece. Show your kids that this is their home, and that they should never feel unwelcome or uncomfortable.
Settling into a new home with your family can be really tough, especially if you had to move a large distance or into a completely different type of property altogether. However, with a little bit of hard work and dedication you can show yourself and your children that you deserve to make the most of your new environment, and that it’s up to you to make your home feel as inviting as you can.
Reading this has came exactly at the right time. We move next week. Eek!
Great advice. x
These are some great tips! Moving can be so stressful, especially on younger children. A good reminder to plan something to make them excited about the new adventure of a new house. We haven’t moved, but we do a family sleepover in the family room every Summer. Pop popcorn and watch movies, it’s so much fun. In a new house, it could be a great new tradition for a family.
Its always important to make a home feel like home. I remember moving when I was younger, my parents always made sure I was apart of the plans. I got to pick out paints and decorations and had such a good time. Thanks for sharing!
Involving the kids makes moving less stressful for them. I remember my parents doing the same when we moved house. It is giving the kids responsibility and some room from freedom to “personalize” their own space.
We always unpacked the kid’s rooms first so that they would have the familiarity of their toys and books in our new place.
Settling in a new home as a new family is so beautiful. I am going back to memory lane, and I am smiling.
We are also moving soon, and we are excited but also a bit under stress. These are some really useful tips !
This is so beautiful! Turning a house into a home, just beautiful. I am so happy for you, so happy for you. Great tips.
I love this topic, this gives me a little bit of sense what I need to do and be prepared for. Thanks!
I love the idea about a moving home checklist just to ensure you don’t forget nothing. It can be hectic to forget a vital piece especially if you’re moving to a new house far away. Better get ready with a list!